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A workshop on the NLM Classification scheme:
for the
International Society of Knowledge Organization Student Group, SLAIS
Dean Giustini, Adjunct faculty, | February 27th, 2014
Reading an NLM call number
WE (broad class, go to Ws, then A, B, C, D….)
100 (read as a whole number from 1 to 999)
.Z18 (read alphabetically, then as a decimal)
2014 (year published, file in chronological order)
An NLM call number
• Each NLMC call number has several components:
WE 100 Z18 2014
Year physical item was published
Why is this useful?
Two letters indicatebroad subject
What is WE??Subcategory Z18?
• A classification system for physical materials in medicine• There are two main “schedules” • QS-QZ & W-WZ (left empty in LOC)• Topics organized by human physiology, body systems & medical disciplines• Within each “schedule”, division by organ has priority
• LC & NLM are used for subjects bordering on medicine• However, LC schedules for Human Anatomy (QM), Microbiology
(QR) and Medicine (R) are not used by NLMC• schedules start with “form numbers“ | publication types
ranging from 1-39 (helpful for browsing shelves)
Background on the NLMC
Quick history:• 1836: Library of the Surgeon General's Office• 1889-1890: Index to the medical literature began• 1922: Army Medical Library• 1944: Need for a new specialized medical classification system
recognized• 1951: First ed. Army Medical Library Classification• 1956: National Library of Medicine founded
• Largest medical collection in the world• Developed & maintains the NLM Classification • Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
• MEDLINE, PubMed• UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)
Origins of a medical library
Origins of NMLC
“The genesis of the NLM classsification was a Survey of the Army Medical Library, published in 1944, which recommended that the “Library be re-
classified according to a modern scheme,” and that new scheme be a mixed notation (letters & numbers) resembling that of the Library of Congress.”
• From NLMC fifth edition (1994):
"The National Library of Medicine Classification covers the field of medicine and related sciences, utilizing schedules of QZ and W-WZ
permanently excluded from LOC.“
• Used worldwide to organize “classify” materials in medicine • Suitable for large & small libraries• Patterned after Library of Congress (LC) scheme• uses same principle of letters for broad subjects for browsing• subdivided by numbers • "cuttered" see Charles Ammi Cutter
What is the NLM Classification?
• Well-suited to (for) most medical libraries (esp. academic medical)• Simple, highly enumerative structure• Easy to apply…extensible• Clear division between preclinical & clinical topics• Serials are separated by form apart from monographs• Accommodates LCC for non-medical works• Less structured than Dewey’s classification system
• Does not express relations among classes • Not very good at accommodating new subjects
• Alternative & non-Western medicine• Health administration & public health
Strengths of the NLMC
Important: The NLMC is compatible with MeSH
“…The majority of medical libraries use the NLMC because it is “the most detailed and appropriate for a medical collection and provides
the best coverage for the subject.” (Womack, 2006)
In wide usage worldwide
…though some academic medical libraries use the “R” schedule in the LOC
• Allows for easy browsing of print collection• Easy to obtain records for cataloguing purposes• Updated annually • Most medical school libraries use it
• Schedules start with “form numbers“ (represent publication types) numbers range from 1-39
• Used as mnemonic devices for browsing by users
• NLMC & Medline used together, articles to monographs
• MeSH uses vocabulary medical professionals use
• LCSH is better for popular/consumer terms
Benefits of using NLMC
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