Classification System
The Classification System used for the library of The Augustan Society, Inc., is unique to our collection, as is common among special libraries. It has not (yet) been given a name.
Like most such systems, it contains several groups of characters that may code for different things depending on the classification and need. The first of these is the class designation. These consist of a letter for the primary category, additional letters for a sub-category, and often a group of two letters or a letter and a numeral for specific subclassifications.
First Line
Primary Classifications
- A = Arms (Heraldry)
- C = Chivalry
- E = Encyclopediae
- F = Fiction
- G = Genealogy
- H = History
- M = Maps, Atlases, Gazeteers
- N = Numismatics
- P = Philatelics
- R = Royalty, Nobility, Biography
- S = Staff support
- W = Who's Who
Other categories may well prove necessary over time.
Secondary Classifications
A = Arms, general AT = Arms, Tartans AV = Arms, Vexillology C = Chivalry CA = Chivalry, Arms & Armor CI = Chivalric Insignia CM = Chivalry, Militaria CO = Orders of Chivalry E = Encyclopediae F = Fiction G = Genealogy GF = Genealogy, Family GFC = Genealogy, Family, Collective GFN = Genealogy, Family, by Name GG = Genetic Genealogy GI = Genealogical Indices GM = Genealogical Magazines (general) GN = Genealogy, National* GP = Genealogy, Peoples**** GR = Genealogy, Regional GS = Genealogy, State** H = History HAN = History, Anthropology HAR = History, Archaeology HC = Castles, Architecture HE = History, Eras HEA = History, Ancient HEAR = History, Arthurian HEC = History, Crusades HED = History, Age of Discovery HEM = History, Medieval HER = History, Renaisannce HF = Faith, Religion, Myth HFC = Faith, Christian HFD = Faith, Druidic HFI = Faith, Islamic HFJ = Faith, Judaic HFM = Mythology HG = Geography (not including maps) HN = History, National* HP = History, Peoples*** HR = History, Regions (multiple nations) M = Maps, Atlases, Gazeteers N = Numismatics P = Philatelics R = Royalty & Nobility RB = Biography**** RBC = Biography, Collective RH = Royal & Noble Houses S = Staff support W = Who's Who
Tertiary Classifications
Some categories are naturally large, and deserving of further subdivision. These come in the several types shown below. Be advised that not all possible subdivisions have been created. For example, if there is only one book on a particular national history, it may well have been left under HN rather than assigning its own classification.
National Classifications
GN and HN are subdivided by nations. Two-letter codes are used for nations represented in the current IANA TLD list. (This is the list used to assign country codes for the Internet.) Nations not represented on this list are assigned two character cutter codes. Note that this results in nations being shelved out of strict alphabetical order (sometimes wildly so, as Switzerland uses CH).
New codes will be assigned as needed, using the TLD list where possible, and Cutter numbers where not.
Country codes in use include:
A8 = Austria-Hungary AM = Armenia B9 = Byzantine Empire BB = Barbados BS = Bahamas C3 = Carthage CA = Canada CH = Switzerland CN = China CU = Cuba DE = Germay DK = Denmark E6 = England EE = Estonia EG = Egypt EI = Ireland ET = Ethiopia FR = France G7 = Great Britain GE = Georgia (nation) GR = Greece GT = Guatemala H3 = Hawai'i H6 = Holy Roman Empire HU = Hungary IL = Israel IM = Isle of Man IN = India IS = Iceland IT = Italy JM = Jamaica JO = Jordan JP = Japan LT = Lithuania LY = Libya M5 = Minos M6 = Moravia MC = Monaco MX = Mexico N3 = Naples NO = Norway O8 = Ottoman Empire OM = Oman PO = Poland PT = Portugal R6 = Rome RU = Russia S3 = Scotland SA = Saudi Arabia SY = Syria SZ = Swaziland UK = United Kingdom (but see also E6, G7, S3, W3) US = United States W3 = Wales
State Classifications
Classification GS is subdivided by state. It may prove useful to create HS and subdivisions at some future point. At present, only US states have classifications. It is fully expected that Canadian provinces will be added once sufficient volumes are cataloged to warrant it. New codes will use the two-letter abbreviations assigned by the USPS or Canada Post. State codes in use include:
AL = Alabama CA = California CN = Connecticut DE = Delaware FL = Florida GA = Georgia (state) IL = Illinois LA = Louisiana MA = Massachusetts MD = Maryland ME = Maine MI = Michigan MN = Minnisota MO = Missouri NC = North Carolina ND = North Dakota NH = New Hampshire NJ = New Jersey NM = New Mexico NY = New York OH = Ohio PA = Pennsylvania RI = Rhode Island SC = South Carolina TN = Tennessee VA = Virgina VT = Vermont WI = Wisconsin WV = West Virginia
Peoples Classifications
Classificaiton HP is subdivided by cultural groups, or "peoples". This subdivision is presently tentative, as there are as yet few volumes deserving. Class A7 in particular has very few volumes assigned at present. A goodly number of peoples could be identified and added, but at present the others remain in classification HP. It is also possible that this subdivision will be applied to GP if volumes warrant.
A7 = Arabs C4 = Celts N3 = Native Americans V5 = Vikings
Second Line
The second line is used to more clearly specify the book. There are three data types used:
Author Code
A Cutter code, based on that used by the Library of Congress, is used to uniquely identify each author. Where two authors share a surname, a second Cutter is appended to identify the first names. This is used for the majority of classifications. Thus:
W35A4 W35J5
Name Code
Classifications GFN and RH are sorted by the name of the family or house, using a Cutter number for each. In these cases, the Author code (and successive entries) are moved down a line.
Date Code
Classification RB is organized by the date of birth of the biographee. This avoids the challenges created by monarchs who ruled multiple countries, variations in the spelling of names, and the inadequacy of House names for identification. It has the benefit of shelving contemporaries near one another. Birth dates can be difficult to find, especially in antiquity, but they permit the shelving of living monarchs and heirs, which death dates would not, and coronaiton dates, which not all achieve. When dates are uncertain, the date given by Wikipedia is normally used.
Dates BC are preceded with those initials, and all dates are padded to four digits. Thus:
BC1542 BC0037 0200 1819
When on the suprisingly rare occasions when more than one notable is born in the same year, more specific dates are used, the months padded to two digits:
1819.05 1819.07 1819.10
It has not yet been found necessary to add the date, but at need that would be added in the same way as the month. Beyond that, we'll have to think on it. So far, twins have all been dealt with in the same volume.
Third Line
When an author has written multiple books in a single classification, a Cutter code is assigned to the title of the work. These generally omit articles (a, an, the, and their equivalents in other languages). When the first words are the same or permutations of the same root (as genealogic and genealogical), Cutters for additional significant words in the title are appended without a space.
Subsequent Lines
At need, additional lines may be added to further differentiate volumes. These may include:
Publication Date
Publicaiton dates are useful when multiple editions exist. The same format as for Date codes is used; no special marks are added for estimated or interpolated dates.
Volume Number
Volume numbers are shown as "v.3", always using Arabic numbers, regardless the style used in the book. Parts or issues are also indicated as needed, as "v.3 p.2" or "v.3:4" respectively. Volume and date should not both be used unless multi-volume work has multiple editions; they should not be combined for periodicals.
Copy Number
When multiple copies are held, the numers are shown as "c.1", "c.2", etc. Deaccessioning may cause some copies to be missing; it is not anticipated that remaining copies will be renumbered.
