Re: [LIS-Forum] Libraries in India & World Using Colon Classification - Updated!

Dear friends and professional colleagues: I find it amusing that many practicing LIS professionals make it a habit to deride LIS teachers every now and then! Now coming to the specific issue of "Colon Classification" and teaching of the same, let me allay the fears of our very professional practicing LIS professionals, that LIS Schools do include and teach Colon Classification. I can speak with confidence at least about one school--the MyDLIS ( University of Mysore, Department of Library and Information Science.) We do teach ( in fair detail and depth) the principles of Colon Classification. I can say this with confidence as I taught this course "Classification" just last semester to our students here at MyDLIS. And "Prolegomena to Library Classification" by Ranganathan is a required reading. Naturally and justifiably, we do not include Colon Classification in the teaching of practicals. One other general comment. Please note as we have to introduce and also help our students master so many different topics and domains ( yes! In addition to classification and cataloging, we do teach everything from Archiving to Z 39.50) within a short period of 2 years, we have time constraints. Given the time constraints some current topics get more time and topics such as 39.50 are taught in historical perspective. And we do include such modern topics such as RDF and SPARQL in more modern contexts. Please don't blame LIS teachers for all the real or perceived ills of the profession. There are dark and bright spots in every profession and each side of the profession. Shalini Sent from my iPhone

On 06-Jul-2016, at 10:40 pm, Ishwar Goudar wrote:

Dear Professionals,

Ms Achala Munigal had posted the following interesting message about Colon Classification in WhataApp. This issue needs further discussion among both practising librarians and LIS teachers. Only few libraries in the world use CC and some have switched over to other systems. Many Depts. of :LIS have stopped teaching CC. But the theory on which CC is built is ever green even in Internet era. Unfortunately development of CC especially after Prof. M.A. Gopinath came to a stand still. I think we should discuss this issue on different forums and try to give justice for the monumental work Dr. SRR has done on Classification System. I invite experts to throw some light on this topic.

Dr. I.R.N. Goudar

---------- Forwarded message

From: Achala M Date: Wed, Jul 6, 2016 at 3:21 PM Subject: Libraries in India & World following Colon Classification - Updated! To: Ishwar Goudar Libraries in India & World following Colon Classification

A friend and me got chatting and the topic turned around the syllabus of Library and Information Science Discipline. She was mentioning that the syllabus was outdated and that LIS departments are not equipping students with what is actually required on the job. She was lamenting about abundant LIS graduates with no proper employbility skill set. She was derisive of LIS faculty STILL teaching Cataloging, Sears Subject Heading, UDC, CC etc.

For the uninitiated, Colon Classification (CC) published in 1933 is the first faceted or analytico-synthetic library classification developed by *Padmashri S R Ranganathan, who is known as Father of Library Science in India*. The name CC comes from use of colon (:) to saperate the facets Personality, Matter, Energy, Space, Time (PMEST). Colon Classification is now in its 6th Edition and published by Ess Ess Publications http://www.essessreference.com/servlet/esGetBiblio?bno=000374, Delhi, India. If interested one can check out an example at L’International Society for Knowledge Organization http://www.iskoi.org/doc/colon.htm(ISKO) website.

I for one immediately protested on hearing the suggestion for blanket ban on above listed topics. I responded that I was sure faculty is doing a tremendous job in difficult situation surrounding them with indifferent administration; unsupportive UGC/government policies; lackadaisical students and nonchalant working professionals blaming them. Although, I agreed with her partially and told her as much. I always feel that all the above subjects overview should be provided, so that students know history and various classification systems and that indepth practicals and practical exams were not ‘practical’ (pun intended) as where would they apply!

But I support teaching CC for following reasons

1. Because an Indian had introduced it to the world and we as librarians from India should be proud of it! We should ensure that CC is not lost in obscurity in sands of time! 2. Jobs are available (National and International) 3. Another reason provided by Dr I R N Goudar is its application in the Internet era!

On hearing this she demanded to know where CC was implemented and how many jobs were available.

I knew only a couple of libraries that implemented CC as S R Ranganathan had worked in these places – initially as University Librarian at Madras University (1924-1944) followed by Banaras Hindu University where he worked as librarian and professor of Library Science (1945–47) and later again as Professor of Library Science in University of Delhi (1947–55) so had implemented CC in all those libraries.

I Googled to find if there is any list available online but unfortunately did not come across one! We as library professionals are taught to document our information and make it available. We always do it in work sphere but have never applied it in the Library Science feild by listing various aspects of it and making it available online for reference and posterity.

So I posted on IndiaLibraries http://www.indialibraries.wordpress.com/ WhatsApp group and the members responded immediately and listed out the following Libraries in India which follow the CC. I have compiled a list.

The following Libraries are still using CC:

1. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (Source: Dr Lata Suresh, Head- Knowledge Resource Centre, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Gurgaon) 2. CFTRI, Mysore (Source: Dr I R N Goudar) 3. Delhi University, Delhi (Source: Mr Anoop Bisht) 4. Gujarat Vidhyapeet, Ahmedabad (Source: Mrs Geeta Gadhavi, HoD DLIS Gujarat University, Gujarat) 5. Karnataka University, Dharwad (Source: Dr B Ramesha, Professor, DLISc Bangalore University, Bangalore) 6. Madras University, Chennai (Source: Dr Krishnaswamy) 7. National Aeronautical Library, Bangalore (Source: Mr Ashok Babu, Former Librarian ASL, DRDO) 8. Podar College, Dadar (Source: Dr Jyoti Bhabal) 9. Punjab University, Patiala (Source: Dr Prabhjot Sandhu) 10. Ruia College, Mumbai (Source: Mr Himanshu Aggarwal) 11. S P Pune Univesity, Pune (Source: Ms Durga) 12. Sanskrit University, Jaipur (Source: Mr Umesh Sharma) 13. State Central Library, Thiruvananthapuram (Source: Mr Thushanth T. L. Librarian Gr 2 State Central Library, Kerala) 14. University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram (Source: Mr Thushanth T. L. Librarian Gr 2 State Central Library, Kerala)

The following Libraries followed CC but is moving to other classification Systems!

1. Connemara Public Library, Chennai moving to DDC (Mr Ashok Babu, Former Librarian ASL, DRDO)

The following Libraries Worldwide using CC

1. Museo Friulano di Scienze Naturali, Italy catalogued by Carlo Bianchini (Source: Claudio Gnoli http://mate.unipv.it/gnoli/, Librarian Science and Technology Library, University of Pavia, Italy)

For those of you interested in knowing more about CC

1. Khanna, J.K. Colon Classification. New Delhi, India: Ess Ess Publications, 1986. 2. Kumar, P.S.G. Introduction to Colon Classification, Edition 7. Nagpur, India: Dattsons, 1987. 3. Parkhi, R.S. Decimal Classification and Colon Classification in Perspective. New York: Asia Publishing House, 1964. 4. Raju, A.A.N. Decimal Universal Decimal & Colon Classification. Delhi, India: Ajanta Publications, 1984. 5. *Ranganathan, S.R. Colon Classification. Madras, India: Madras Library Association, 1933.* 6. Taylor, Arlene G. Wynar’s Introduction to Cataloging and Classification. 9th ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2000.

*Note:*Request you all to contribute to the list. Email me at AchalaMunigalRao@gmail.com for adding an entry to this listing.

Dr Achala Munigal

Asst. Prof. (LIS)/Asst. Librarian

NERTU, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana State

AchalaMunigalRao@gmail.com

www.AchalaMunigal.wordpress.com http://www.achalamunigal.wordpress.com/

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