IFLA's Standing Committee for the Section on Classification and Indexing

Developments in Norway 2000

Dewey Decimal Classification

Last year the main classification development in Norway has been the translation and editing of the DDK5 at the National Library of Norway. This is the new Norwegian abridged Dewey Decimal Classification, based on DDC21. The editor, Isabella Kubosch, is doing a tremendous work. The time schedule is held, so we are optimistic about the publishing, which is set to next summer. We have detailed analyses of literary warrant, and this is used to a certain extent for setting the level of abridgement.

The consultative committee for DDK - the latter based mostly of members from the Norwegian Committee on Classification and Indexing - have been established. The group receives all new drafts, and each member get special responsibility for careful evaluation of specific parts.

The web pages of the project (in Norwegian only) can be found through http://www.nb.no/html/dewey.html.

The editor works in close contact with Forest Press, and the advice given is most valuable. She has also made a visit to Library of Congress, meeting the editors of DDC and participating as observer at the Editorial Policy Committee. As the world seen from Washington and from Oslo is not the same, the Norwegian editions until now has differed from the Standard edition of DDC concerning Norwegian matters. Discussions were held about Norwegian proposals about revisions for:

Nordic languages and Nordic literature: captions and notes
Table 2: some details in the division of Norway
Norwegian and Nordic history: historical periods for the Nordic countries in general and for Norway in particular

Subject Based Information Gateways

The Norwegian libraries of the universities and colleges are planning co-operation of Subject Based Information Gateways. As common subject access, Dewey Decimal Classification should be chosen.

The Culture Net Norway is also planning a Gateway to the parts of its network (Art Net, Library Net, Archive Net and Museum Net). The Norwegian Committee on Classification and Indexing has been asked for advice about subject access. The Committee recommended Dewey for this gateway, and use of thesaurus terms should also be considered.

National seminars

The seminar «Days of Knowledge Organisation» is a yearly event at Oslo College. This spring the theme was «User interface and information presentation for OPACs and Web searches». The IFLA proposal «Guidelines for OPAC displays» was the starting point, also the «Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records» were discussed. Several of the papers were directed towards subject retrieval, with the OPAC vendors taking part in the discussions. Some presentations can be found at: http://www.jbi.hio.no/bibin/kurs/korg00/ref.htm - some of them in English language.

A seminar on Subject Based Information Gateways is planned in November, focusing on co-ordination versus variety. Certainly classification and indexing will be in focus in this seminar.

OPAC's and subject retrieval

During the last year the OPAC vendors have shown increasing interest in discussing subject retrieval with the library community, and making efforts increasing the utilisation of classification and indexing. Two years ago the classification and indexing people set demands to the OPAC vendors with little response. Now the OPAC developers ask the classification and indexing people for advice, and for courses in indexing theory.

Oslo, August 10th 2000 / slightly revised August 30th 2000. Jon Anjer , Oslo University College, e-mail: jon.anjer@jbi.hio.no