nlm classification
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TRANSCRIPT
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
CLASSIFICATIONRebecca Raszewski, MS, AHIP
February 20, 2012
Goals for Today
History of NLM Classification NLM Classification Today Classification “Process” Numbers to Know Things to Think About Resources
HISTORY OF NLM CLASSIFICATION
History of NLM Classification
Classification Systems Before NLM Classification
NLM Classification Development Timeline AML=NLM
What Classification Were Libraries Using?
Dewey LC Boston Medical Library Cunningham
What AML Used
1943 Survey of Army Medical Library
Survey done out of fear Rockefeller Foundation provided $20,000 Under sponsorship of ALA 6 Librarians visited AML several times during
the summer and autumn of 1943 Called in experts in certain fields i.e. Rare books
1944-The National Medical Library: Report of
a Survey of the Army Medical Library “Library be classified according to a
modern scheme.” “The best classification scheme…combined
the notation of the Library of Congress system, with the basic plan of the Cunningham classification.”
1944-Classification Committee Formed
Mary Louise Marshall-classification tables Janet Doe-index Physician Input
Items Examined by the Committee
Topical Outlines Textbooks Cunningham Classification System
Classification Committee’s Results
Follow LCC classification structure Develop classification scheme for medicine
and related subjects Fit into the vacant class W
Develop scheme for the preclinical sciences from vacant subclasses QS-QZ
1946-New Classification Tested
Army Medical Library Tulane University Orleans Parish Medical Society
1943-present
1948-Preliminary Edition Issued
Called Army Medical Library Classification Detailed Classification Deliberate
Copies Distributed to Other Libraries
1949-Revised Version of Classification Used at AML
1951-First edition U.S. Army Medical Library
Classification
1948 1951 QW Bacteriology QY Immunology WC Body as a Whole WD Regions of the
Body WP Obstetrics and
Gynecology WH, WQ, WR, and WZ
were not used
QW Bacteriology & Immunology
QY Clinical Pathology WC Infectious
Diseases WD Systemic Diseases WP Gynecology WQ Obstetrics WH Hemic & Lymphatic
Systems WR Dermatology WZ History of Medicine
1952-Monographs Reclassification
Completed at Army Medical Library
NLM Classification Editions Published
1958: Second Edition 1964: Third Edition 1978: Fourth Edition 1994: Fifth Edition
Other Classification Milestones
1999: No longer published in print 2002: Published in electronic form
Annually online only
NLM CLASSIFICATION TODAY
NLM Classification Today
Structure Relationship to MeSH Index Classification of Special Types of Materials
Structure of NLM Classification
QS-QZ-Preclinical Sciences W-WZ-Medicine
Preclinical Sciences
QS Human Anatomy QT Physiology QU Biochemistry QV Pharmacology
QW Microbiology & Immunology QX Parasitology QY Clinical Pathology QZ Pathology
General Health and Medicine W Medical Profession
WA Public Health WB Practice of Medicine
Diseases of the Whole Body; Aviation, Space,
Naval Medicine WC Infectious Diseases WD Disorders of Systemic, Metabolic or
Environmental Origin, etc.
Body Systems
WE Musculoskeletal System
WF Respiratory System
WG Cardiovascular System
WH Hemic & Lymphatic Systems
WI Gastrointestinal System
WJ Urogenital System
WK Endocrine System
WL Nervous System
Specialty Areas WM Psychiatry WN Radiology WO Surgery WP Gynecology WQ Obstetrics WR Dermatology WS Pediatrics WT Geriatrics
WU Dentistry WV Otorhinolaryngology WW Ophthalmology WX Hospitals WY Nursing
History
WZ History of Medicine 19th Century Schedule
Structure of NLM Classification Ctd. Various schedules of LC Classification
supplement NLM classification QM, QR, and R are not used
LC Classification Example
Special Instructions
QD Chemistry QH Natural Sciences QK Botany QL Zoology QP Physiology
SF Animal Culture T Technology U Military Science
Classification’s Relationship to MeSH
Compatible with MeSH
Index
Consists primarily of MeSH Some non-MeSH terms are used as cross
references when no appropriate MeSH term is available
Updated annually to reflect changes to MeSH Not all of MeSH is included Index is not a substitute for MeSH
Index Example
Classification of Special Types of Materials
Bibliographies Early Publications Serial Publications
Bibliographies
Within the scope of the NLM Classification system=Z+ number for the subject
Outside the scope of the NLM Classification are classed LC’s Z schedule for bibliography
19th Century Schedule
Used for works published 1801-1913
Materials Before 1801
Groupings for works published before 1801 and Americana WZ 220-225 Early Manuscripts WZ 230-270 are used to provide century
WZ 230 Incunabula pre-1501 WZ 240 XVI century WZ 270 Americana WZ 290-294 Reproductions
Serial Publications
Usually classed in W1 Government Administrative and Statistical
Reports in W2 Hospital Administrative or Statistical Reports
in WX 2
CLASSIFICATION PROCESS
Classification Process
Subject Analysis Table G
Classification Process
Subject Analysis Number assigned determined by the main
focus or subject context of the work Subject Analysis=Classification
Classification Process Ctd.
Multi-subject book Classified by emphasis
If no emphasis, item classified under first subject
Classification Process Ctd.
Go to Index for the Call Number
Classification Process Ctd.
Hierarchical Within each schedule, division by organ
usually has priority
Classification Process Ctd.
Classification by publication type takes precedence over classification by subject
Cuttering
Uses Cutter-Sanborn Three-Figure Author Table No use of periods Used in the majority of medical libraries Cutter several editions the same even if the title
has changed
Special Cutters
Translations, Supplements, etc.
The letter “a” follows the year of publication WL 15 L944a 2000a
“a” is used for reprints “f” for facsimiles
Works that are supplements to other titles WB 115 H322p 2005 Review
Proceedings of congresses LC uses the date of the congress NLM uses the date of imprint
Biography and Autobiography
If it is primarily an account of a person (or two persons or a family) in a given medical or scientific field, generally classify in WZ 100 If it is not an account of a person in a medical or
scientific field, class in the appropriate LCC number
Personal narratives about an individual’s experience with a disease are classified with that disease.
Table G
Geographic subdivision is provided for certain subjects by the application of Table G
Table G should be reflected in your subject analysis W 84 AA1 A23 2003 Delivery of Health Care|xorganization &
administration|zUnited States
Table G Ctd.
A United States D America F Great Britain G Europe H Africa
J Asia K Australia L Pacific Islands M International P Polar Regions
Table G Ctd.
Within each region, subdivisions are provided for subordinate units AA1 United States AA4 Alabama AA5 Alaska AA6 Appalachian
AI3 Illinois AI6 Indiana AM5 Michigan AW6 Wisconsin
Table G Example
WG 11 (Table G) the number for the history of cardiology in particular geographic areas
WG 11.1 general coverage (Not Table G)
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Numbers to Know-Form Numbers
1-39 18 & 33 are not true form numbers
Numbers to Know-4
General Works in QS-QZ 100 in W-WZ
Numbers to Know-5 &7
5-Collected Works (By a Group of Authors) 7-Collected Works-by individual authors
Psychiatry-collected works WM 5 or WM 7 Psychotherapy-collected works WM 420
Numbers to Know-11-11.1
Used for history of any aspect of a subject within a classification schedule
Not assigned to W & WB because of WZ
Numbers to Know Ctd.
13 Dictionaries 15 Terminology 16 Tables, Statistics 17 Atlases, Pictorial Works
WI 17 K881a 2011 Atlas of Liver Pathology
Numbers to Know Ctd.
18 Education 18.2 Review Books 20.5 Research 22-22.1 Directories 25 Lab Manuals 26.5 Informatics
39/49 Handbooks QS 529 in Histology QT 29 in Physiology QV 735 in Pharmacy & Pharmaceutics WM 34 Psychiatry
Numbers to Know Ctd.
Histology-5+Form Number QS 504 M681h 2009
Embryology-6+Form Number QS 618.2 D845b 2011
Pharmacy & Pharmaceutics-7+Form Number QV 711.1 P467s 2009
Numbers to Know Ctd.
Immunology-5+Form Number QW 525 B921i 2010
Forensic Science-6+Form Number W 617 C7186 2010
Anesthesia-2+Form Number WO 211 C981t 1972
WD-The Most Random Call Number
Things to Think About
Inconsistency Popular Works Dissertations Nursing Bias Pediatrics & Geriatrics AV Materials
Classification Resources
Fundamentals of the NLM Classification http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/cataloging/trainingcour
ses/classification/index.html Classification Practices
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/class/nlmclassprac.html Using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) in
Cataloging http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/cataloging/trainingcour
ses/mesh/index.html
Questions?