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History of UDC
In 1885, Paul Otlet, a young Belgian barrister already noted for his work in documentation and
his collaborator Henry La Fontaine were working on the projected Universal Bibliographic
Repertory, which was intended to become a comprehensive classified index to all published
information. A means of arranging the entries would be needed, and Otlet, having heard of
Dewey’s Decimal Classification wrote to Melvil Dewey in 1895 and obtained permission to
translate it into French.
Structure of UDC:
• The UDC has a well-defined structure. Notation in UDC is used to represent class,
which refers to a subject of the document. The notation is basically used to present the
class and its position in the hierarchy. The main idea of using notations is to
enable mechanical sorting and filing of the document subjects.
• UDC makes use of Arabic numerals that are arranged in a decimal format. Every
number in the UDC is a decimal fraction with the initial decimal point omitted.
The number in decimal fraction decides the filing order of the documents. The
advantage of using the decimal notation for the classification of documents is that the
decimal numbers are infinitely extensible. This simply means that when new
subdivisions of classes are introduced, the entire system of numbering does not
need to be changed. Instead, the decimal number can be extended using a decimal
point for the new subdivision. Every decimal notation in UDC follows a set
pattern. For the ease of reading and access, the UDC notation is punctuated after
every third digit.
Example of Notations in UDC
539.120 Theoretical problems of elementary particles physics
539.120.2 Symmetries of quantum physics
The notations used in UDC have features that make it easy to work with. The UDC
notations are hierarchically expressive, which means that they specifically name a
class. In general, the longer the notation is, the more specific the class will be.
When the final digit is removed from the notation, the broader class code is obtained.
For example, in the above notations, if we remove 3 from the notation 539.120.2,
we get the broad class category, which is ‘theoretical problems of elementary
particles physics’. UDC notations are also syntactically expressive. This means that
when digits are combined by punctuations, it points to the fact that the expression
or the notation depicts a combination of classes rather than a single class.
UDC helps to define unlimited attributes for a subject and to express a
relationship between these subjects. UDC is a perspective classification
system wherein concepts are subsumed and placed under categories where
these can be studied. Thus, the same concept can occur in different
knowledge domains. The best thing about UDC is that, even if a concept
occurs in different domains of knowledge, there is no confusion regarding
its usage in any way.
Main Classes :-
UDC includes the following main classes or tables:
0: Science and Knowledge. Organization. Computer Science. Information Science.
Documentation. Librarianship. Institutions. Publications.
1: Philosophy. Psychology.
2: Religion. Theology.
3: Social Sciences.
4: Vacant.
5: Mathematics. Natural Sciences.
6: Applied Sciences. Medicine, Technology.
7: The Arts. Entertainment. Sport.
8: Linguistics. Literature.
9: Geography. History.
Class 4 is a vacant class. The change was made in 1960 when the Linguistics were shifted
to class 8 to make a place for new developments taking place in the field of knowledge. The
class was left vacant to accommodate new developments in the fields of natural sciences
and technology
Main Features :-
1. UDC is a practical bibliographic classification: truly international in efforts and exposition
of contents. Considered as the first faceted classification, it is a synthetic classification that is
able to specify minute subjects, aspects, formats, and their varied viewpoints.
2. It is the first officially multilingual classification being published in French, German and
English.
3. 2.1 Its 1000 sections summary is available in about 50 languages
4. Its notation is independent of any particular language or script, and its translations have
appeared in about 50 languages.0
5. It lays more emphasis on subject analysis and document specification.
6. Auxiliary apparatus of relations and synthesis is quite powerful. It makes the UDC a
truly multidimensional scheme.
7. It is thus more suitable for micro documents, electronic information and information
retrieval in online and networked databases, and websites.
8. Its structure is flexible to accommodate new subjects, and change citation order for
flexibility of shelf arrangement and searching.
9. It has A-class machinery for governance, maintenance and marketing. It is called UDC
The consortium has a full-time director, a full-time editor, and an international advisory board.
Maintenance of UDC:-
• The responsibility for the maintenance and updating of UDC lies with the International
Federation for Information and Documentation (FID).
• The FID works in conjunction with national organizations having consultative
arrangements with users of the scheme.
• It is the Classification Sector of FID that maintains the Master Version of UDC
incorporating all approved amendments.
• The scheme is periodically revised. The amendments proposed by users through their
national agencies are circulated as P-Notes to subscribers. After they become
acceptable - they could as well be enlarged, abridged or withdrawn - they are published
in UDC's annual periodical Extensions, and Corrections to C.
It is the responsibility of user libraries to carry out the amendments appearing in this
periodical to ensure up to datedness. Proposals for amendments are welcome from all
users of UDC.
Merits and Demerits of UDC:-
Although UDC has certain drawbacks inherited from DDC, it certainly has more merits to
its credit. Since its beginning, attempts have been made to adapt the scheme to universal
needs in pursuance of its initial objective of establishing and maintaining a universal
bibliography. It is worthwhile to understand the merits of UDC.
1. Since UDC is a general scheme of classification, it covers the whole field of
human knowledge. The process of dividing a class into ten subclasses is carried to
the required degree of specificity. The required degree of detail is achieved with
the help of common and special auxiliaries. The resultant subject description is of
utmost precision.
2. Its notation consists of numerals and signs, which are understood internationally.
The decimal notation allows maximum hospitality for the admission of new terms.
3. The UDC is an analytico-synthetic classification
4. because of the use of an auxiliary apparatus of connection
5. It is extremely flexible, i.e., adjustments to local needs can be made with
relative ease. This is because the citation order in any given class often allows
several alternative treatments (intercalation and reversible relation).
6. It is ideally suited to special libraries, as its full edition contains subject schedules
of minute description. Special subject editions are also 'separately available. The
medium edition can take care of almost all subjects.
7. It forms a carefully organized and comprehensive vocabulary of terms (in its
index) for indexing and retrieval. It may be used as a thesaurus.
8. It is amenable to computerization.
9. The users are able to participate in its revision.
As against the above, it also has certain drawbacks. They are:
1. The notation often tends to be long and appears clumsy. As a result, its use on the
shelves become difficult.;
2. User participation in revision has created unevenness in the scheme at places. It also
delays revision of schedules until they become out of dale.
3. The revision involves the publication of several different editions and their different
language versions for which RD finds its funds inadequate.
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