ABSTRACT

A battle between librarians in conflict over the old traditional way of doing things and the new; between a proven Australian method and a 'modern' international system considered by some to be more appropriate for the times. The 'great classification battle' at the Melbourne Public Library embodies the maelstrom of social, cultural and political life in Federation Australia, mirroring the Belle Époque in Europe, and also engaging at its periphery many of the leading characters of the era. Little attention has been given to the impact of these influences in Australia but they can be seen in the experiences of many of the leaders of the new Commonwealth, amongst the educated elite and, at a micro level, they are made transparent in the 1910 battle over the future of the library in 'Marvellous Melbourne'. The Melbourne Public Library's lending collection had been successfully classified by Boys and his staff by the American Dewey Decimal Classification system in 1900.