The phenomenal aspects of universe of subjects and their increasing complexity has created tremendous challenges for researchers as well as the library staff dealing with organization of materials. Dewey decimal classification of Melvil Dewey shortly named as DDC is very popular among libraries for its wide usage worldwide. Commonly University libraries in Sri Lanka adopt DDC for organizing their materials. University libraries in which faceted scheme is more suitable than enumerative one for locating interdisciplinary subject in its proper place, face much problem in organizing materials using this scheme. Having been situated in a war torn area, the Library of the University of Jaffna is isolated with limited opportunities for national and international links and collaborations with higher educational institutions due to political, economic and social crisis and unrest in the past 25 years. Library has a major collection of materials for the readers of the Faculty of Arts the largest Faculty of the University of Jaffna includes 17 academic departments and provides study programmes in 24 disciplines on social sciences, humanities and aesthetic studies The objective of this research study is to identify the specific challenges faced in organizing Humanities and Social science materials in the library of the University of Jaffna using 22nd edition of Dewey decimal classification. Based on the descriptive analysis of the problems encountered in the last three years during the organization of humanities and social science materials at the library of University of Jaffna, this research paper provide a basic understanding to a classifier who is interested in depth classification in organizing complicated materials and formulate guiding principles for classifiers when dealing with interdisciplinary subjects. Identifying the subject of a document, Finding the class number of new subjects and incorporating them in their proper location, inconsistency in number building and the lengthy notations are identified as the major challenges in this study in organizing Humanities and Social science materials using 22nd edition of DDC. Applying Facet analytical approach for the document dealing with more than one subjects or discipline introduced in the colon scheme DDC may be of useful to the classifier to solve the problems in classifying complicated materials without violating the basic structure of DDC. It was also suggested to maintain a subject authority file which would indeed help to identify the relevant subject. keywords - Organization of Knowledge, Dewey decimal classification-practical aspects

1. Challenges in classifying Humanities and
Social science materials of the Library,
University of Jaffna
BY
Arulanantham, S
and
Navaneethakrishnan, S

4.  The Library, University of Jaffna founded in 1974
 22nd
edition of DDC is used by this library
 It has a major collection of Humanities and Social science
materials
 Humanities and Social science materials are simply
identified from DDC main classes 000 General , 100 Philosophy,
200 Religion, 300 Social sciences, 400 Language, 700 Arts, 800
Literature, and 900 History.
 Four academic staff are engaged in classification of these
materials
 Faculty of Arts provides study programmes in 24 disciplines on
social sciences, humanities and aesthetic studies.
 Readers from t he Faculty of Arts are using the library for
their information need.

5.  The objective of this research study is
• To identify the specific challenges faced in organizing
Humanities and Social science materials
• To contribute for the effective service to the readers
• To provide a basic understanding and formulate
guiding principles for classifiers

6.  Descriptive method was used in this study for
the analysis of the challenges
 Data collection was done during classification
process
 Categorized according to their nature of
challenge
 Theoretically analyzed and Major challenges
were identified

7.  The following were identified as major
challenges through this study
Identifying the subject of a document
Classifying interdisciplinary subjects
Finding the class number of new subjects
Subject scattering
Inconsistency in number building
Lengthy notations

8.  Identifying the subject of the document
 Classifying documents with several subjects within one
discipline is identified as constraint and consume much time of
the classifier to construct number after the depth study of that
document.
 To avoid the constraints in identifying the subject of the
document we can apply Facet analytical approach for the
document dealing with more than one subject

9.  Classifying interdisciplinary subjects
 Classifying interdisciplinary subjects has been identified as
troublesome work for young classifiers with knowledge of
classification and less experience in classifying since the depth
study of the document is needed for this purpose.
 We can face this challenge by upgrading the knowledge of
identifying the subject of a document through its mode of
formation and encouraging classifiers to develop with a subject
background at least on faculty basis.

10.  Classifying New subjects
 As library classification scheme take their own time to provide
a suitable place for the new subjects, much time is wasted
before the classifier regarding the place for a new subject. Ex:
Knowledge management.
 To avoid the constraints in finding the class number of new
subjects and incorporating them in their proper location we can
use subject headings or other classification schemes

11.  Subject scattering
 Subject scattering is identified as one of the major challenge
and it occurs in main class and their subordinate classes as well.
 Classifiers could rectify this problem by making a decision to
locate all the historical, cultural and political aspects of ethnic
groups in one place either based on the curriculum or the
information seeking behaviour of the readers to avoid subject
scattering.

12.  Inconsistency in number building
 Inconsistency is specifically identified in two areas; one is to
add zero with the basic number when connecting from
standard subdivision (SS) from T1. Another one is identified
during the addition of the area table
 To avoid inconsistency in number building we can maintain
subject authority files to make decision for adding additional
numbers from tables will help the classifier to find a proper
location for the material

13.  Length of notation
 Since DDC fails to allocate notation to dynamic subjects, it is
inevitable to have longer class numbers. Ex: Cases involving
control of AIDS in Sri Lanka: 344.5493 043697920264
 To avoid lengthy notation we can maintain subject authority
files to make decision for adding additional numbers from
tables will help the classifier to find a proper location for the
material

14.  Sample Topics
• Using CC principles to identify compound & complex subjects
• Using UDC principles to classify interdisciplinary subjects
• Using self defined classification scheme for Religion
• Using subject headings to avoid subject scattering
• Etc.????????????????
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Thank you very much
“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we
can find information upon it.”
-Samuel Johnson(1709-84)