Kimberley Weber
[email protected]
ILS506-70
Dr. Eino Sierpe
April 9, 2011
Shelflist and Subject Analysis for Ernest Hemingway
PS3515.E37A15 1987
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
The complete short stories of Ernest Hemingway / by Ernest Hemingway. –- Finca Vigia ed. -– New York : Scribner’s, 1987.
PS3515.E37A17 1992
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
Complete poems / by Ernest Hemingway ; edited with an introduction and notes by Nicholas Gerogiannis. -– Rev. ed. -– Lincoln, Neb. : University of Nebraska, 1992.
PS3515.E37A45 1977
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
[Collected works. German]
Gesammelte Werke / by Ernest Hemingway ; Vorw. Von Rolf Hochhuth ; einzig autoris. Ubertr. Aus d. Amerikan. Von Annemarie Horschitz-Hortz. -– 1. Aufl. -– Reinbek bei Hamburg : Rowohlt, 1977.
Translation of: Collected works
PS3515.E37A6 1923
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
Three stories and ten poems / Ernest Hemingway. -- Paris : Contact Pub, 1923.
PS3515.E37A6 2007
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
Four novels : complete and unabridged / Ernest Hemingway ; -- New York : Barnes & Noble, 2007.
PS3515.E37F37 1986
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
A farewell to arms / Ernest Hemingway. --Scribner classic / Collier ed. -- New York : Collier, 1986.
PS3515.E37F3713 1984
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
[Farewell to arms. Chinese.]
Chan ti ch’un meng / Ernest Hemingway ; Huiyun Gao. –- zai ban -– Hong Kong : Ya Yu chu ban she, 1984.
Translation of: A farewell to arms.
PS3515.E37F3716 1945
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
[Farewell to arms. Italian]
Un addido alle armi / Ernest Hemingway ; traduizone di Fernanda Pivano. -- 1a ed. -- Milano : Jandi Sapi, 1945.
Translation of: A farewell to arms.
PS3515.E37F3733 1984
Beridge, H.R. (Howard R.)
Ernest Hemingway’s A farewell to arms / H.R. Beridge.
-- Woodbury, N.Y. : Barron’s, c.1984.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. A farewell to arms.
PS3515.E37F3735 1971
Graham, John. 1926-2007.
The Merrill studies in A farewell to arms / John Graham.
-- Columbus, Ohio : Merrill, 1971.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. A farewell to arms.
PS3515.E37F58 1939
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
The fifth column / Ernest Hemingway. –- 1st ed. -– London : Cape, 1939.
PS3515.E37F5834 1986
Fellner, Harriet, 1942-
Hemingway as playwright: The fifth column / Harriet Fellner. -- Ann Arbor, Mich. : UMI Research, c.1986.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Fifth column.
PS3515.E37F67 1940
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
For whom the bell tolls / Ernest Hemingway. -- New York : Scribner, 1940.
PS3515.E37F6713 1945
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
(For whom the bell tolls. Danish)
Hven ringer klokkerne for? / Ernest Hemingway ; oversat fra Henning Nielsen. -– 1 udg.-– Kobenhavn : J.H. Schultz, 1945.
Translation of: For whom the bell tolls.
PS3515.E37S86 1986
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
The sun also rises / Ernest Hemingway. -– 1 st Scribner Classic / Collier ed. -- New York : Collier, 1986.
PS3515.E37S8615 1947
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
[Sun also rises. German]
Fiesta / Ernest Hemingway ; Autorisierte Ubersetzungron Annemarie Horschitz. –- Stuttgart : Rowholt, 1947.
Translation of: The sun also rises.
PS3515.E37S8616 1944
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
[Sun also rises. Italian]
E il sole sorge ancora : romanzo / Ernest Hemingway ; traduzione di Rosetta Dandolo -- 1a ed.—- Milano : Jandi Sapi, 1944.
Translation of: The sun also rises.
PS3515.E37S8632 1997
Baldwin, Marc D. 1950-.
Reading The sun also rises: Hemingway’s political unconscious / Marc D. Baldwin. -- New York : Lang, 1997.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. The sun also rises.
PS3515.E37S8637 1990
Rudat, Wolfgang E. H.
A rotten way to be wounded : the tragicomedy of The sun also rises / Wolfgang E.H. Rudat. -- New York : Lang, 1990.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. The sun also rises.
PS3515.E37W56 1933
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
Winner take nothing / Ernest Hemingway. -- New York : Scribner, 1933.
PS3515.E37Z459 1995
Mandel, Miriam B.
Reading Hemingway : the facts in the fictions / Miriam B. Mandel. –- 1st ed.-- Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1995.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Dictionaries.
PS3515.E37Z459 1999
Oliver, Charles M.
Ernest Hemingway a to z : the essential reference to the life and work / Charles M. Oliver. New York : Checkmark, 1999.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Encyclopedias.
PS3515.E37Z463 1986
Conversations with Hemingway / edited by Mathew Bruccoli. -- Jackson : University of Mississippi Press, 1986.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899 – 1961. Interviews.
PS3515.E37Z495 1999
Sanford, Marcelline Hemingway, 1898-1963.
At the Hemingways with fifty years of correspondence between Ernest and Marcelline Hemingway / Marcelline Hemingway ; with a foreword by Michael Reynolds. -– Centennial ed. -– Moscow, Idaho : University of Idaho Press,1999.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Correspondence.
PS3515.E37Z543 1969
Baker, Carlos, 1909-1987.
Ernest Hemingway ; a life story / Carlos Baker. -- New York : Scribner, 1969.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Biography.
PS3515.E37Z548 1988
Brian, Denis.
True gen : an intimate portrait of Ernest Hemingway by those who knew him / Denis Brian. -- New York : Grove Press, 1988.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Biography.
PS3515.E37Z567 1978
Burgess, Anthony.
Ernest Hemingway and his world / by Anthony Burgess.
-- New York : Scribner, 1978.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Biography.
PS3515.E37Z653 1977
Giger, Romeo.
Creative void : Hemingway’s iceberg theory / by Romeo Giger. -- Bern : Francke, 1977.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Criticism.
PS3515.E37Z791 2009
Hemmingway : eight decades of criticism / edited by Linda Wagner – Martin. -- East Lansing, Mich. : Michigan State University Press, c2009.
1.Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Criticism and interpretation. PS3515.E37Z874 1969
Seward, William. 1913-
My friend, Ernest Hemingway ; an affectionate reminiscence / by William Seward. -- South Brunswick : A.S. Barnes [1969].
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Biography
Commentary on Limitations of the Provisions in the P-PZ40 Table
on the Hemingway Shelflist
With nearly 838 miles of shelves and housing more than 147 million different items, the Library of Congress (LC) is the largest library in the world. Not only does the library have an enormous collection, in terms of number of items, but it is also recognized as having the most extensive rare book collection in North America, including the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, a Gutenberg Bible on vellum, and a cuneiform tablet dating from 2040 BC. With such a vast and valuable collection it only makes sense that the LC would have developed a systematic and efficient classification system. Cataloging nearly 10,000 items in a regular work week requires a system that can efficiently keep related items together on the shelf. Prior to my work on this Hemingway shelflist I had had very little exposure to the Library of Congress Classification system (LCC). The combination of letters and numbers always seemed very mysterious to me, and yet I had always viewed it as a superior system to the Dewey Classification system. It’s the Library of Congress classification system. It has to be good. However, as I developed this shelflist for Ernest Hemingway I became aware of some limitations of the LCC system.
The purpose of any classification system is twofold. It should allow the user to successfully and easily find the item they need. A proficient system will understand user behavior, and organize materials in a logical and systematic order. Secondly, and of equal importance, a sound classification system will display the items so as to encourage additional browsing. Often library users think they may want a particular book, but in browsing may discover another book that is an even better source of information for their needs. The physical order of items on the shelf is critical for both of these goals to be achieved.
The American author Ernest Hemingway was a prolific writer and wrote in almost every genre, making him an excellent subject for the development of a shelflist. He wrote poetry, essays, short stories, numerous novels, many newspaper articles, memoirs, and even a play. His controversial views, famous friends and messy personal life have made him a popular subject choice with both biographers and literary critics. Many of his friends and family members have written extensively on this complicated American author, sharing correspondences, interviews, and intimate details of their relationships with him. Because there is such an abundance of materials both by and about Ernest Hemingway, developing a shelflist for him at times became overwhelming, and one of the most difficult decisions was in deciding which works to include. I also found that a huge number of Hemingway’s works have been translated into other languages, everything from Chinese to Russian, Italian to Persian. His popularity seems to extend well beyond the borders of the United States. Unfortunately, some of these records did not include the translators’ names, and so they were not used.
A shelflist for Hemingway is established with the “Table for Literary Authors with One Cutter Number P-PZ40”. Provisions outlined in this table organize his works by beginning with the collected works, then move on to selected works, followed by the individual works, the translations, and then the criticisms of these works of fictions. Next come general dictionaries, indexes, bibliographies, correspondence, and then finishes with general materials about the man and his works. From this one can see that the underlying organization in the PS category is such that books by an author will always precede books about him. Such an organization can be viewed as practical, though in a rather superficial way. In some cases such order can provide adequate information, however critics of the LCC find its enumerative system to be lacking in depth and without the necessary subject analysis to be truly useful to the casual or uninitiated browser. Overall the LCC shelflist provisions are geared to the needs of the academic user rather than those of the less scholarly reader, and perhaps this is why 75% of all academic libraries use LCC while 80% of all public libraries use Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC).
The base number for Ernest Hemingway, PS3515.E37, is used for both works by and about Ernest Hemingway. This number has been permanently assigned to him. For example, if Hemingway later in his career had decided to write some of his works under a pseudonym, his works would still be classified in PS3515.E37. From my reading I learned that early in his career Hemingway did use the pen name, Ring Lardner (1885-1933), the name of an American sports journalist and short story writer. However I was not able to find any works by Hemingway under this name. The “P” represents the P class which is Language and Literature, while the subclass PS has been reserved for all American authors of literature. The number 3515 falls within the 3500-3576 range and is used specifically for American authors of literature who wrote from 1900-1960. The .E37 portion or first cutter number for Hemingway is a little trickier to analyze without knowing the Library of Congress collection of the 1920s when the number was created.
Once a base has been established the cataloguer needs to develop a clear understanding of and familiarity with the author’s works so as to assign a second cutter number. Which titles are short stories? Which are memoirs? Are collections complete? Do they mix poetry and drama? To assure an accurate and useful shelflist these issues need to be addressed. The base PS3515.E37 is assigned to the author’s complete works with no additional numbers. It would be used for the 20 volume set published by the Easton Press which is a comprehensive collection of all of Hemingway’s short stories, novels, nonfiction and journalism.
The complete works of Hemingway occupy the first spot on the shelf and then to the right of these you’ll find collected fiction, collected essays, collected poems, collected plays and then the translations in a language order of English, French, German, and other (language). Collected works are to be considered the complete works in that particular genre. For example the Collected Short Stories of Hemingway is a complete collection and so is catalogued with .xA15 while The Fifth Column and 49 Stories belongs in the .xA6 because it is a book of works that have previously been published as separate works and is combining two genres, drama and fiction.
Following the provisions in the table for literary authors, Hemingway’s works are organized in a logical order on the shelf with all of his works preceding the works about him. An exception to this is that criticisms of individual works are next to the work being criticized, therefore interfiled among the separate works. However, oftentimes the title of the criticism makes it clear to the library user that this is not a work by Hemingway (i.e. A Rotten Way to Be Wounded: The Tragicomedy of The Sun Also Rises). Another clue is the extension of the classification number, that is an addition of a 3 on the cutter number. Aside from this, the order is very practical, allowing browsers to find all of Hemingway’s works in one area. There is no need to search in potentially isolated categories of poetry, drama, and fiction. Everything is together. This organization is especially geared for the academic, and with all of the works in one place the shelf is designed for some solid literary research.
Another positive characteristic highlighted by the shelflist is that the notation is very flexible. Using the table it is very easy to add new works to the collection without having to re-categorize already existing works. In Cataloging and Classification, Chan (2007) refers to this as being hospitable, meaning call numbers are easily manipulated and can be built to slide in among previously catalogued works. Using decimals allows for this coordination.
So while there are benefits to this classification system there are certainly some limitations to categorizing items using Table P-PZ40. With careful analysis of the table the structure of the classification system becomes clear. However without the table the system is not easy to decode. From the shelflist we immediately see that PS3515.E37 is the root of the call number which identifies all of the works both by and about Ernest Hemingway. However once you start adding the extensions it can become quite complicated, and associations become a lot murkier. The call numbers in DDC are mnemonic and therefore more logical for browsers to remember and therefore use. In LCC why is “K” used for law, “W” for music and “P” for literature? Such subject assignments are not intuitive for the library user and therefore not user friendly.
The mixture of numbers and letters within the call numbers is also confusing and discovering patterns is not easily visible. It is difficult to establish relationships among the items. Especially problematic is the area of separate works for Hemingway. Because he was so prolific and wrote in so many different genres it may be considered important to be able to distinguish them. However under the provisions in Table P-PZ40 a play follows a collection of poetry, which may be preceded by a collection of essays, and followed by a novel. Unless you know that A Moveable Feast and The Wild Years are essays or that Fifth Column is a play you could easily go home with something other than the novel you intended to read. The call number provides no clue as to what lies inside, but does do its job of keeping the works in alphabetical order on the shelf. This is something critical for retrieval, but less effective for informative browsing. This same issue repeats with the general works at the end of the shelflist, as biographical materials will be interfiled with general criticisms. It seems that alphabetical organization takes precedence over logical hierarchies. Essentially retrieval wins over effective browsing.
Another weakness highlighted in the shelflist is the difficulty with overlapping subjects. I found some books that were about F.Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway’s relationship. Because F. Scott was mentioned first the book was classified with him and not Hemingway. A browser might miss this potentially important book unless he was doing a thorough search in the catalog or asked for help from a librarian. The provisions in the shelflist do not allow for more complicated or multiple topic subject headings.
A related limitation is the interfiling of translations next to the original. This makes it difficult for anyone seeking books in a specific language to find works in one area. Instead they are scattered amongst the shelves throughout the library. Critics of the LCC find it to be ethnocentric, and with a national bias. This is not so obvious when analyzing the Hemingway shelflist, but becomes quite glaring with foreign authors and particular subjects. Religion is one such subject.
In conclusion, this assignment provided me with some great exposure to the LCC classification system and has given me a better understanding of how cataloging decisions impact where an item will physically appear on the shelf, how related items are grouped, and also how they will be positioned within the category relative to other works. The cataloger certainly has a huge responsibility in assigning a call number that will promote easy retrieval, but also place the item in correct relation to like items on the shelf. I enjoyed being able to use what I had learned in assignment #1. I relied heavily on main and added entries when choosing the records for my shelflist. Without them I would not have been able to find examples of the various categories outlined in the Literary Author Table. Overall I found the shelflist to be an effective tool for inventory and retrieval of items on the shelf. However, I do not think it always encourages browsing for the average library user.
Sources Used:
Chan, Lois Mai (2007). Cataloging and classification: an introduction. 3rd ed. New York : Scarecrow Press.
Oliver, Charles M. (1999). Ernest Hemingway a to z: the essential reference to the life and work. New York : Checkmark Books.
Taylor, Arlene G. (2006). Introduction to cataloging and classification. 10th ed. Westport, Conn : Libraries Unlimited.
Catalogs Accessed:
Bibliomation Online Catalog at: www.chboothlibrary.org
CONSULS: Catalog of the Connecticut State University Library and State Library at http://www.consuls.org/
Library of Congress Online Catalog at: http://www.catalog.loc.gov/
Worldcat at http://www.worldcat.org/
[email protected]
ILS506-70
Dr. Eino Sierpe
April 9, 2011
Shelflist and Subject Analysis for Ernest Hemingway
PS3515.E37A15 1987
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
The complete short stories of Ernest Hemingway / by Ernest Hemingway. –- Finca Vigia ed. -– New York : Scribner’s, 1987.
PS3515.E37A17 1992
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
Complete poems / by Ernest Hemingway ; edited with an introduction and notes by Nicholas Gerogiannis. -– Rev. ed. -– Lincoln, Neb. : University of Nebraska, 1992.
PS3515.E37A45 1977
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
[Collected works. German]
Gesammelte Werke / by Ernest Hemingway ; Vorw. Von Rolf Hochhuth ; einzig autoris. Ubertr. Aus d. Amerikan. Von Annemarie Horschitz-Hortz. -– 1. Aufl. -– Reinbek bei Hamburg : Rowohlt, 1977.
Translation of: Collected works
PS3515.E37A6 1923
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
Three stories and ten poems / Ernest Hemingway. -- Paris : Contact Pub, 1923.
PS3515.E37A6 2007
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
Four novels : complete and unabridged / Ernest Hemingway ; -- New York : Barnes & Noble, 2007.
PS3515.E37F37 1986
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
A farewell to arms / Ernest Hemingway. --Scribner classic / Collier ed. -- New York : Collier, 1986.
PS3515.E37F3713 1984
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
[Farewell to arms. Chinese.]
Chan ti ch’un meng / Ernest Hemingway ; Huiyun Gao. –- zai ban -– Hong Kong : Ya Yu chu ban she, 1984.
Translation of: A farewell to arms.
PS3515.E37F3716 1945
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
[Farewell to arms. Italian]
Un addido alle armi / Ernest Hemingway ; traduizone di Fernanda Pivano. -- 1a ed. -- Milano : Jandi Sapi, 1945.
Translation of: A farewell to arms.
PS3515.E37F3733 1984
Beridge, H.R. (Howard R.)
Ernest Hemingway’s A farewell to arms / H.R. Beridge.
-- Woodbury, N.Y. : Barron’s, c.1984.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. A farewell to arms.
PS3515.E37F3735 1971
Graham, John. 1926-2007.
The Merrill studies in A farewell to arms / John Graham.
-- Columbus, Ohio : Merrill, 1971.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. A farewell to arms.
PS3515.E37F58 1939
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
The fifth column / Ernest Hemingway. –- 1st ed. -– London : Cape, 1939.
PS3515.E37F5834 1986
Fellner, Harriet, 1942-
Hemingway as playwright: The fifth column / Harriet Fellner. -- Ann Arbor, Mich. : UMI Research, c.1986.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Fifth column.
PS3515.E37F67 1940
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
For whom the bell tolls / Ernest Hemingway. -- New York : Scribner, 1940.
PS3515.E37F6713 1945
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
(For whom the bell tolls. Danish)
Hven ringer klokkerne for? / Ernest Hemingway ; oversat fra Henning Nielsen. -– 1 udg.-– Kobenhavn : J.H. Schultz, 1945.
Translation of: For whom the bell tolls.
PS3515.E37S86 1986
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
The sun also rises / Ernest Hemingway. -– 1 st Scribner Classic / Collier ed. -- New York : Collier, 1986.
PS3515.E37S8615 1947
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
[Sun also rises. German]
Fiesta / Ernest Hemingway ; Autorisierte Ubersetzungron Annemarie Horschitz. –- Stuttgart : Rowholt, 1947.
Translation of: The sun also rises.
PS3515.E37S8616 1944
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
[Sun also rises. Italian]
E il sole sorge ancora : romanzo / Ernest Hemingway ; traduzione di Rosetta Dandolo -- 1a ed.—- Milano : Jandi Sapi, 1944.
Translation of: The sun also rises.
PS3515.E37S8632 1997
Baldwin, Marc D. 1950-.
Reading The sun also rises: Hemingway’s political unconscious / Marc D. Baldwin. -- New York : Lang, 1997.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. The sun also rises.
PS3515.E37S8637 1990
Rudat, Wolfgang E. H.
A rotten way to be wounded : the tragicomedy of The sun also rises / Wolfgang E.H. Rudat. -- New York : Lang, 1990.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. The sun also rises.
PS3515.E37W56 1933
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961.
Winner take nothing / Ernest Hemingway. -- New York : Scribner, 1933.
PS3515.E37Z459 1995
Mandel, Miriam B.
Reading Hemingway : the facts in the fictions / Miriam B. Mandel. –- 1st ed.-- Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1995.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Dictionaries.
PS3515.E37Z459 1999
Oliver, Charles M.
Ernest Hemingway a to z : the essential reference to the life and work / Charles M. Oliver. New York : Checkmark, 1999.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Encyclopedias.
PS3515.E37Z463 1986
Conversations with Hemingway / edited by Mathew Bruccoli. -- Jackson : University of Mississippi Press, 1986.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899 – 1961. Interviews.
PS3515.E37Z495 1999
Sanford, Marcelline Hemingway, 1898-1963.
At the Hemingways with fifty years of correspondence between Ernest and Marcelline Hemingway / Marcelline Hemingway ; with a foreword by Michael Reynolds. -– Centennial ed. -– Moscow, Idaho : University of Idaho Press,1999.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Correspondence.
PS3515.E37Z543 1969
Baker, Carlos, 1909-1987.
Ernest Hemingway ; a life story / Carlos Baker. -- New York : Scribner, 1969.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Biography.
PS3515.E37Z548 1988
Brian, Denis.
True gen : an intimate portrait of Ernest Hemingway by those who knew him / Denis Brian. -- New York : Grove Press, 1988.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Biography.
PS3515.E37Z567 1978
Burgess, Anthony.
Ernest Hemingway and his world / by Anthony Burgess.
-- New York : Scribner, 1978.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Biography.
PS3515.E37Z653 1977
Giger, Romeo.
Creative void : Hemingway’s iceberg theory / by Romeo Giger. -- Bern : Francke, 1977.
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Criticism.
PS3515.E37Z791 2009
Hemmingway : eight decades of criticism / edited by Linda Wagner – Martin. -- East Lansing, Mich. : Michigan State University Press, c2009.
1.Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Criticism and interpretation. PS3515.E37Z874 1969
Seward, William. 1913-
My friend, Ernest Hemingway ; an affectionate reminiscence / by William Seward. -- South Brunswick : A.S. Barnes [1969].
1. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961. Biography
Commentary on Limitations of the Provisions in the P-PZ40 Table
on the Hemingway Shelflist
With nearly 838 miles of shelves and housing more than 147 million different items, the Library of Congress (LC) is the largest library in the world. Not only does the library have an enormous collection, in terms of number of items, but it is also recognized as having the most extensive rare book collection in North America, including the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, a Gutenberg Bible on vellum, and a cuneiform tablet dating from 2040 BC. With such a vast and valuable collection it only makes sense that the LC would have developed a systematic and efficient classification system. Cataloging nearly 10,000 items in a regular work week requires a system that can efficiently keep related items together on the shelf. Prior to my work on this Hemingway shelflist I had had very little exposure to the Library of Congress Classification system (LCC). The combination of letters and numbers always seemed very mysterious to me, and yet I had always viewed it as a superior system to the Dewey Classification system. It’s the Library of Congress classification system. It has to be good. However, as I developed this shelflist for Ernest Hemingway I became aware of some limitations of the LCC system.
The purpose of any classification system is twofold. It should allow the user to successfully and easily find the item they need. A proficient system will understand user behavior, and organize materials in a logical and systematic order. Secondly, and of equal importance, a sound classification system will display the items so as to encourage additional browsing. Often library users think they may want a particular book, but in browsing may discover another book that is an even better source of information for their needs. The physical order of items on the shelf is critical for both of these goals to be achieved.
The American author Ernest Hemingway was a prolific writer and wrote in almost every genre, making him an excellent subject for the development of a shelflist. He wrote poetry, essays, short stories, numerous novels, many newspaper articles, memoirs, and even a play. His controversial views, famous friends and messy personal life have made him a popular subject choice with both biographers and literary critics. Many of his friends and family members have written extensively on this complicated American author, sharing correspondences, interviews, and intimate details of their relationships with him. Because there is such an abundance of materials both by and about Ernest Hemingway, developing a shelflist for him at times became overwhelming, and one of the most difficult decisions was in deciding which works to include. I also found that a huge number of Hemingway’s works have been translated into other languages, everything from Chinese to Russian, Italian to Persian. His popularity seems to extend well beyond the borders of the United States. Unfortunately, some of these records did not include the translators’ names, and so they were not used.
A shelflist for Hemingway is established with the “Table for Literary Authors with One Cutter Number P-PZ40”. Provisions outlined in this table organize his works by beginning with the collected works, then move on to selected works, followed by the individual works, the translations, and then the criticisms of these works of fictions. Next come general dictionaries, indexes, bibliographies, correspondence, and then finishes with general materials about the man and his works. From this one can see that the underlying organization in the PS category is such that books by an author will always precede books about him. Such an organization can be viewed as practical, though in a rather superficial way. In some cases such order can provide adequate information, however critics of the LCC find its enumerative system to be lacking in depth and without the necessary subject analysis to be truly useful to the casual or uninitiated browser. Overall the LCC shelflist provisions are geared to the needs of the academic user rather than those of the less scholarly reader, and perhaps this is why 75% of all academic libraries use LCC while 80% of all public libraries use Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC).
The base number for Ernest Hemingway, PS3515.E37, is used for both works by and about Ernest Hemingway. This number has been permanently assigned to him. For example, if Hemingway later in his career had decided to write some of his works under a pseudonym, his works would still be classified in PS3515.E37. From my reading I learned that early in his career Hemingway did use the pen name, Ring Lardner (1885-1933), the name of an American sports journalist and short story writer. However I was not able to find any works by Hemingway under this name. The “P” represents the P class which is Language and Literature, while the subclass PS has been reserved for all American authors of literature. The number 3515 falls within the 3500-3576 range and is used specifically for American authors of literature who wrote from 1900-1960. The .E37 portion or first cutter number for Hemingway is a little trickier to analyze without knowing the Library of Congress collection of the 1920s when the number was created.
Once a base has been established the cataloguer needs to develop a clear understanding of and familiarity with the author’s works so as to assign a second cutter number. Which titles are short stories? Which are memoirs? Are collections complete? Do they mix poetry and drama? To assure an accurate and useful shelflist these issues need to be addressed. The base PS3515.E37 is assigned to the author’s complete works with no additional numbers. It would be used for the 20 volume set published by the Easton Press which is a comprehensive collection of all of Hemingway’s short stories, novels, nonfiction and journalism.
The complete works of Hemingway occupy the first spot on the shelf and then to the right of these you’ll find collected fiction, collected essays, collected poems, collected plays and then the translations in a language order of English, French, German, and other (language). Collected works are to be considered the complete works in that particular genre. For example the Collected Short Stories of Hemingway is a complete collection and so is catalogued with .xA15 while The Fifth Column and 49 Stories belongs in the .xA6 because it is a book of works that have previously been published as separate works and is combining two genres, drama and fiction.
Following the provisions in the table for literary authors, Hemingway’s works are organized in a logical order on the shelf with all of his works preceding the works about him. An exception to this is that criticisms of individual works are next to the work being criticized, therefore interfiled among the separate works. However, oftentimes the title of the criticism makes it clear to the library user that this is not a work by Hemingway (i.e. A Rotten Way to Be Wounded: The Tragicomedy of The Sun Also Rises). Another clue is the extension of the classification number, that is an addition of a 3 on the cutter number. Aside from this, the order is very practical, allowing browsers to find all of Hemingway’s works in one area. There is no need to search in potentially isolated categories of poetry, drama, and fiction. Everything is together. This organization is especially geared for the academic, and with all of the works in one place the shelf is designed for some solid literary research.
Another positive characteristic highlighted by the shelflist is that the notation is very flexible. Using the table it is very easy to add new works to the collection without having to re-categorize already existing works. In Cataloging and Classification, Chan (2007) refers to this as being hospitable, meaning call numbers are easily manipulated and can be built to slide in among previously catalogued works. Using decimals allows for this coordination.
So while there are benefits to this classification system there are certainly some limitations to categorizing items using Table P-PZ40. With careful analysis of the table the structure of the classification system becomes clear. However without the table the system is not easy to decode. From the shelflist we immediately see that PS3515.E37 is the root of the call number which identifies all of the works both by and about Ernest Hemingway. However once you start adding the extensions it can become quite complicated, and associations become a lot murkier. The call numbers in DDC are mnemonic and therefore more logical for browsers to remember and therefore use. In LCC why is “K” used for law, “W” for music and “P” for literature? Such subject assignments are not intuitive for the library user and therefore not user friendly.
The mixture of numbers and letters within the call numbers is also confusing and discovering patterns is not easily visible. It is difficult to establish relationships among the items. Especially problematic is the area of separate works for Hemingway. Because he was so prolific and wrote in so many different genres it may be considered important to be able to distinguish them. However under the provisions in Table P-PZ40 a play follows a collection of poetry, which may be preceded by a collection of essays, and followed by a novel. Unless you know that A Moveable Feast and The Wild Years are essays or that Fifth Column is a play you could easily go home with something other than the novel you intended to read. The call number provides no clue as to what lies inside, but does do its job of keeping the works in alphabetical order on the shelf. This is something critical for retrieval, but less effective for informative browsing. This same issue repeats with the general works at the end of the shelflist, as biographical materials will be interfiled with general criticisms. It seems that alphabetical organization takes precedence over logical hierarchies. Essentially retrieval wins over effective browsing.
Another weakness highlighted in the shelflist is the difficulty with overlapping subjects. I found some books that were about F.Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway’s relationship. Because F. Scott was mentioned first the book was classified with him and not Hemingway. A browser might miss this potentially important book unless he was doing a thorough search in the catalog or asked for help from a librarian. The provisions in the shelflist do not allow for more complicated or multiple topic subject headings.
A related limitation is the interfiling of translations next to the original. This makes it difficult for anyone seeking books in a specific language to find works in one area. Instead they are scattered amongst the shelves throughout the library. Critics of the LCC find it to be ethnocentric, and with a national bias. This is not so obvious when analyzing the Hemingway shelflist, but becomes quite glaring with foreign authors and particular subjects. Religion is one such subject.
In conclusion, this assignment provided me with some great exposure to the LCC classification system and has given me a better understanding of how cataloging decisions impact where an item will physically appear on the shelf, how related items are grouped, and also how they will be positioned within the category relative to other works. The cataloger certainly has a huge responsibility in assigning a call number that will promote easy retrieval, but also place the item in correct relation to like items on the shelf. I enjoyed being able to use what I had learned in assignment #1. I relied heavily on main and added entries when choosing the records for my shelflist. Without them I would not have been able to find examples of the various categories outlined in the Literary Author Table. Overall I found the shelflist to be an effective tool for inventory and retrieval of items on the shelf. However, I do not think it always encourages browsing for the average library user.
Sources Used:
Chan, Lois Mai (2007). Cataloging and classification: an introduction. 3rd ed. New York : Scarecrow Press.
Oliver, Charles M. (1999). Ernest Hemingway a to z: the essential reference to the life and work. New York : Checkmark Books.
Taylor, Arlene G. (2006). Introduction to cataloging and classification. 10th ed. Westport, Conn : Libraries Unlimited.
Catalogs Accessed:
Bibliomation Online Catalog at: www.chboothlibrary.org
CONSULS: Catalog of the Connecticut State University Library and State Library at http://www.consuls.org/
Library of Congress Online Catalog at: http://www.catalog.loc.gov/
Worldcat at http://www.worldcat.org/