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NLM CLASSIFICATION PRACTICES
Table G
Special Plans Nineteenth Century Titles Early Printed Books Bibliographies Serial Publications Exceptions Library of Congress Classification Schedules Special Instructions Changes in Classification Practices Numbered Congresses-W3, W3.5 and ZW3 Nurses' Instruction General
The Library applies subject classification primarily to materials treated as monographs. Serial publications are separated by form and are assigned classification numbers within several broad categories.
The classification number assigned to a work is determined by the main focus or subject content of the work. Each schedule, as well as some sections within a schedule (e.g., WO 201-233.1), contains a group of form numbers, generally 1 through 39, that are used to classify material by publication type within the general subject area of the schedule. In general, classification by publication type takes precedence over classification by subject. For example, atlases illustrating the pathology of Liver Diseases are all classed in W1 17 along with atlases on any other subject covered by the W1 schedule for Digestive Diseases. 1. Form numbers annotated (General) are used only for works that cover the overall subject matter of the schedule, whereas specific topics are classified by subject. For example, collected works by several authors or by individual authors, and works comprised of addresses, essays, and lectures are classed in their respective form numbers when the works cover the overall subject of the schedule. Collected works that cover a particular subject within the schedule are classed by subject. For example, Psychiatry - Collected Works is classified in WM 5 or 7 while Psychotherapy - Collected Works is classified in WM 420. 2. Some numbers in the range of 1 through 39 are not true form numbers, that is, they are used to classify material with a special emphasis, such as 18 for education or 33 for discussion of law. 3. In general, the form number 11 is used for works dealing with the history of any aspect of a subject within a classification schedule. For example, WM 11 is used for both Psychiatry - history and Psychotherapy - history. There are exceptions to the use of the form number for history, which are generally noted under the particular form number (e.g., WC 11, is annotated "classify history of a single infectious disease with the disease"). The history of schools, laboratories, hospitals, institutes, etc., is classed in the appropriate form number for the type of entity. Furthermore, the form number 11 is not assigned to the schedules W and WB. The history of health professions and the practice of medicine are instead classified in the WZ schedule, except where otherwise annotated.
Geographic subdivision is provided for certain subjects in the NLM schedules by the application of Table G. If a work on a subject that is geographically subdivided covers an area larger than the entity represented in a Table G notation it is classified in the General coverage (Not Table G) number, directly following the class number that provides for geographic subdivision. For example WG 11 History (Table G) is the number for the history of cardiology in particular geographic areas and WG 11.1 General coverage (Not Table G) is the number for books with general coverage of the history of cardiology. Several types of monographic publications are classified according to special plans: Nineteenth century titles, Early printed books, and Bibliographies. Classification numbers for these publications do not appear in the Index. A simplified subject classification derived from the letters that represent the preclinical and clinical subjects covered by the NLM Classification is used for nineteenth century (1801-1913) monographs. This abbreviated classification is limited to combinations of letters and the classification notations W1-6, W 600, WX 2 and the form number 22 that appears throughout the schedule. In addition, the entire WZ schedule, History of Medicine, is used for nineteenth century titles. When the subject falls outside of the schedules of the NLM Classification, only the letters of the LC schedule representing the subject are used, e.g., BF Psychology, SF Veterinary Medicine, etc. Facsimiles and reprints of entire nineteenth century works are classified in the 19th Century Schedule. Bibliographies imprinted in the nineteenth century use the special plan for Bibliographies rather than the 19th Century Schedule. Works published before 1801 and Americana, i.e., early imprints from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean islands, are considered early printed books and are classified in a special part of the WZ schedule, WZ 230-270. These books are arranged alphabetically by author within each century or in the Americana number. (See WZ 270 for specific guidance by state for the coverage of Americana.) Reprints and translations of pre-1801 works are classified in WZ 290-292, and modern criticism of early works in WZ 294 A bibliography within the scope of the NLM Classification is classified in the number for the subject, prefixed by a capital Z. Bibliographies outside the scope of the NLM Classification are classed in LC's Z schedule for Bibliography. Numbers for bibliographies are seldom given in the Index but are derived by using the instructions below for formulating the call number of a bibliography. Unless otherwise noted, the classification numbers for bibliographies may be used for both monographs and serials.
NLM follows the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, second edition, revised 2002, in defining serials. A serial is a "... continuing resource issued in a seccession of discrete parts, usually bearing numbering, that has no predetermined conclusion. ... Serials include journals, magazines, electronic journals, continuing directories, annual reports, newspapers, and monographic series." Serials also include continuing integrating resources, while finite integrating resources are treated as monographs. Serials are classified in the form number W1 with the exceptions noted below.
Government Administrative Reports or Statistics (W2)
Hospital Administrative Reports or Statistics (WX 2)
Directory, Handbooks, etc.
Bibliographies and Indexes LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION SCHEDULESThe LC schedules for Human anatomy (QM), Microbiology (QR) and Medicine (R) are not used at all by the National Library of Medicine since they overlap the NLM Classification. Otherwise, the Library of Congress schedules augment the NLM Classification for subjects related to medicine. NLM rarely uses LC's schedule for Law (K) except for general works. Legal works related to medicine are classified with the subject rather than the law. Some LC class numbers are provided in the Index to the NLM Classification. Although these numbers are verified against the LC schedules periodically, the pertinent LC schedules should be consulted since the numbers may change over time. Hyperlinks are not provided to LC class numbers. Below are listed those LC schedules with special instructions for subjects that fall within both the NLM and LC schedules. QD -Chemistry -- Use QU or QV if any portion of a work is devoted to biochemistry or pharmacology. QH - Natural Sciences (General) -- Classify here general works on cytology, genetics and evolution, when they do not include medical content. QK - Botany -- Use QV 766-770 if any portion of the work is devoted to medicinal plants; or WB 925 -- Herbal medicine, if the emphasis is on drugs derived from plants. QL - Zoology -- Classify here non-pathogenic invertebrates. Pathogenic invertebrates are classed in NLM's QX schedule.
QP - Physiology -- Classify here only physiology of wild animals in general. SF - Animal culture -- Classify here anatomy and physiology of domestic animals. T - Technology -- Classify here Human engineering TA, Biotechnology TP; however, works on Biomedical engineering are classed in NLM's QT schedule. U - Military Science -- Classify here Military medicine. CHANGES IN CLASSIFICATION PRACTICESNumbered Congresses -- W3, W 3.5 and ZW 3 NLM discontinued classifying serial publications of congresses or sequentially issued, numbered and dated monographic congresses in W3 in 1988. All newly acquired monographic congresses, including those of named meetings previously classified in W3, are classed in the appropriate subject classification number. Newly acquired serial publications that are proceedings or reports of meetings are classified in W1. Analytics of serials classified in W3 continues to be classified in the original W3 call number. Nurses' instruction Since 1984 materials on specific subjects, prepared for nurses, have been classified with the subject, when the nurses' role is not discussed. For example, material on the physiopathology of hypertension, written for nurses, is classified with Hypertension in WG 340. However when nursing techniques are included the material is classified in WY. Prior to 1984 background materials were classified in the WY schedule together with materials dealing with nursing techniques in special fields of medicine. |
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