nlm classification

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?

raszewr1@uic.edu