[Classweb-users] "Minor collections"

[Weiss, Paul]

Although these numbers still exist in the LC Classification, the Library of Congress generally does not class material in them anymore, because they require catalogers to make value judgements.  In cases such as PN6112, where there is a clear contrast with an adjoining caption, the number may still be used, but generally they are not.

Paul Weiss
Library of Congress
Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access Directorate
Policy and Standards Division

-----Original Message-----
From: classweb-users-bounces at classificationweb.net [mailto:classweb-users-bounces at classificationweb.net] On Behalf Of Casey A Mullin
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 4:30 PM
To: classweb-users at classificationweb.net
Subject: [Classweb-users] "Minor collections"

Hello, CW,

A few colleagues and I are puzzled at the ambiguity of this caption. 
This caption appears in the schedules about 2 dozen or so times, predominantly in the D and P areas. It almost always appears below a "Sources and documents" number. My question is: what constitutes "minor"? Single-volume collections as opposed to multi-volume sets? Or, does it mean minor in scope, or even minor in significance to the topic (which is a value judgment I as a cataloger I would be loath to make)? 
In one case (PN6112), the number immediately above has the caption "Comprehensive collections"; the meaning is clear in this context, but this seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

I would appreciate any insight anyone might have.

Thank you,
Casey

--
Casey A. Mullin
Discovery Metadata Librarian
Metadata Development Unit
Stanford University Libraries
650-736-0849
cmullin at stanford.edu
http://www.caseymullin.com

--

"Those who need structured and granular data and the precise retrieval that results from it to carry out research and scholarship may constitute an elite minority rather than most of the people of the world (sadly), but that talented and intelligent minority is an important one for the cultural and technological advancement of humanity. It is even possible that if we did a better job of providing access to such data, we might enable the enlargement of that minority."
-Martha Yee

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