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The German National Library uses Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) for the classificatory cataloguing of media works:

  • The Deutsche Nationalbibliografie (German National Bibliography) is organised using DDC Subject Categories.
    Example of number: 610 Medicine & health
  • DDC Short Numbers are used for machine-based cataloguing.
    Example of number: 304.8 Movement of people
  • The German National Library has been intellectually assigning full DDC numbers since 2007.
    Example of number: 791.430232092 Motion picture producers

DDC Subject Categories

All Series in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie and the New Release Service are organised using DDC Subject Categories. These are a subject-related arrangement of approximately 100 classes based on Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC).

Some Subject Categories vary from the DDC system to facilitate greater precision when searching individual literature groups:

  • Textbooks are assigned to Subject Category S
  • Literature for children and young people is assigned to Subject Category K
  • Fiction: Along with Subject Categories 800–891.8, works of fiction are assigned to Subject Category B and can therefore be searched separately.

Series M (Printed music and music publications) and T (Recorded music) are also structured using DDC. Subject Category 780 (Music) is divided into further subclasses in line with DDC for individual subject fields.

Outside Germany

The German National Library has been using DDC Subject Categories since 2004. The national libraries of Austria and Switzerland also structure their national bibliographies using DDC Subject Categories, with just two variations in content: the areas of history and geography each contain Subject Categories for the respective country that are only used in that country’s national bibliography.

All downloads relating to DDC Subject Categories

DDC Short Numbers

DDC Short Numbers are used for machine-based classificatory cataloguing. ”Short Numbers are assigned to online publications in individual Subject Categories and to Series B (Monographs and periodicals from outside the publishers’ book trade) and Series H (University publications) works in Subject Category 610 (Medicine, health).

In the German National Library’s catalogue, DDC Short Numbers are identified in the title data with the note “machine-generated DDC Short Number”. In WebDewey Deutsch and WebDewey Search, these are identified by a backslash (\).

What is the difference between a DDC Short Number and a full DDC number?

DDC Short Numbers are specially selected abbreviated DDC numbers that are longer than DDC Subject Categories, while all the numbers in DDC Deutsch are full DDC numbers. These numbers are displayed in their entirety; if they contain a backslash, the DDC Short Number goes up to this point.

How are DDC Short Numbers selected?

The starting point for DDC Short Numbers is the abridged version of the DDC (Abridged Edition 15). Above all, however, they are selected on the basis of the literature published over the last ten years and which is stored at the German National Library. This means that number lengths and consequently the degree of specification frequently deviate from the abridged edition.

Are DDC Short Numbers real DDC numbers?

Yes, they are real DDC numbers of DDC Deutsch, but shorter than the full numbers so that they can be used for machine-based cataloguing processes.

Full DDC numbers

In the context of DDC Short Numbers, the (unabbreviated) DDC numbers in DDC Deutsch are also referred to as full DDC numbers.

They have been intellectually assigned to Deutsche Nationalbibliografie Series A (Monographs and periodicals from the publishers’ book trade) since 2007.

Monographs and periodicals from outside the publishers’ book trade (Series B) and university publications (Series H) were catalogued using full DDC numbers until 2017.

These full numbers are assigned intellectually and serve as reference material when identifying DDC Short Numbers for purposes of machine-based cataloguing.

More about cataloguing media works

Last changes: 24.02.2021
Short-URL: https://www.dnb.de/EN/ddcindnb
Contact: h.alex@dnb.de

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