ISOLATES IN COLON
CLASSIFICATION
By Rakesh Bhowmick
Colon classification
Colon Classification(CC) is one of the most systematic schemes of library classification used in many libraries in India and abroad.
Developed by Indian Librarian and mathematician Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan in 1933.It uses colons to separate facets into
classes, and is especially used in libraries in India.
It is based on the concept of facets, which are the fundamental categories used to organize information. The system is characterized
by its use of symbols and notation to represent various facets of subjects, allowing for a detailed and structured organization of
library materials.
In Colon Classification, each subject is represented by a combination of symbols, called facets, which are arranged hierarchically
using colons (:).
Here are the editions of CC in order:
First edition: 1933
Second edition: 1939
Third edition: 1950
Fourth edition: 1952
Fifth edition: 1957
Sixth edition: 1960
• Seventh edition: 1987
What is an isolate
A fundamental and ultimate unit of knowledge in the CC is called an isolate.
• It cannot stand alone, and it cannot be a subject by itself.
• In Colon Classification (CC), isolates are utilized to classify subjects that
don’t easily fit into the main hierarchical structure of the classification
system.
• TYPES
There are two types of isolates in cc-
A. Common isolates
B. Special isolates
A. Common isolates
DEFINITION :
Dr. S.R. Ranganathan defines common isolates as “an isolate
idea denoted by the same isolate term and represented by the same
isolate number, quite irrespective of the compound subject in which it
occurs, or the basic subject with which the compound subject goes”.
• Common Isolates are those single ideas which are used with any
main classes.
• It is the smallest piece of knowledge and can be represented by
simple single words or numbers.
• Roman small alphabets have been used to display common isolates.
Example of common isolates
• Encyclopaedia, dictionary, periodical, bibliography, biography,
statistics or forms of presentation such as history, commission report
and conference proceedings. Institutions centres, research and
criticism are also Common isolates.
• Types of Common Isolates: Ranganathan classified Common Isolates
into two main categories and a number of subcategories, which may
be best illustrated with a diagram. Generally speaking, there are two
types of them:
• 1. Anteriorising Common Isolates (ACIs)
• 2. Posteriorising Common Isolates (PCIs)
Types of common isolate in CC
ANTERIORISING COMMON
ISOLATES(ACI)
• Anteriorising Common Isolates(ACI) are those which can be attached to the host class
number directly without any connecting symbol.
• When attached to a subject they give it an anterior position over other subjects of the same
class.
• Their another feature is that they do not require any connecting symbol in the CC-6.
• Documents attached with Anteriorising Common Isolates (ACIs) form the approach
documents on the shelves in the CC-6 they are of three kinds -
TYPES :
There are three types of ACI –
A. ACI applicable before space facet
B. ACI applicable after space facet
C. ACI applicable after time facet
Some of the common isolates in the
CC-6 are:
ANTERIORISING COMMON ISOLATES(ACI):
a - Bibliography. m - Periodical
k - Encyclopaedia. P - Conference
v - History. r - Report
s - Statistics. w - Biography
A. ACI applicable before space
facet
• Anteriorising common isolates (ACI) that are applicable before the
space facet are enumerated in page 2.5 of Colon Classification. Each
ACI that is applicable before the space facet has a separate facet
formula and the number should be constructed according to that
formula.
• a – Bibliography. m – Periodical. f – atlas.
• k – Encyclopaedia. p - Conference.
• v – History. d – table.
• c – concordance. w – Biography.
Examples of ACI (applicable
before space facet)
1. Indian Journal of Medicine, 1970
Class number: Lm44, N7
Where ,
L : Medicine (main class)
Lm : Medicine (main class), Journal (ACI)
Lm44 : Medicine (main class), Journal (ACI), India[s]
Lm44,N7 : Medicine (main class), Journal (ACI), India[s], 1970[T]
2. Encyclopaedia of chemistry
first published in India in 1930s
Class number: Ek44,N3
Where,
E : Chemistry (main class)
Ek : Chemistry(main class), Encyclopaedia (ACI)
Ek44 : Chemistry (main class), Encyclopaedia (ACI), India[S]
Ek44,N3 : Chemistry (main class), Encyclopaedia (ACI), India[S], 1930[T]
3.History of Ayurveda in India
Class number: L-Bv44
Where,
L-B : Ayurveda (main class)
L-Bv : Ayurveda (main class), History(ACI)
L-Bv44 : Ayurveda (main class), History (ACI), India[S]
4. Bibliography of agriculture in india brought upto 1970’s
=J(main class)a(ACI)44(S)N7(T)
=Ja44N7
5.Concordance of Hindi
Language
concordance (c); it has no facet formula.
So ‘c’ can be attached directly after main class.
Class Number: O152c
Where,
O : Literature (main class)
O152 : Literature (main class), Hindi[P]
O152c : Literature (main class), Hindi[p], Concordance (ACI)
B.ACI applicable after space
facet
ACI applicable after space facet consists of two divisions –
r - administrative report
s - statistics
EXAMPLE :
1) Administrative report on education of West Bengal
Class number: T.4475r
Where,
T : Education (main class)
T.4475 : Education (main class), West Bengal[s]
T.4475r : Education (main class), West Bengal[s], Administrative report(ACI)
2. Administrative report of Finance department Delhi.
Class number: X7.4441r
Where,
X : Economics (main class)
X7 : Economics (main class), Public Finance [P]
X7.4441 : Economics (main class), Public Finance [P], Delhi[S]
X7.4441r : Economics (main class), Public Finance [P], Delhi[S],
Administrative report (ACI)
3. Demography of India 2023
Class number – y:5.44sp23
Where,
Demography –y:5(main class)
India-44(space)
Statistics – s(ACI)
Time – p23
C. ACI applicable after time
facet
The Anteriorising Common Isolates applicable only after the Time Facet consists of the following divisions –
t - Commission report
t4 - Survey
t5 - Plan
t6 - Ideal
v - Source material
v5 - Literature
v6 - Tradition
v7 - Archaeology,etc.,(as in V History)
v8 - Archive (as in V History)
These divisions are to be added only after time isolate.
Examples -
1. Survey of Agricultural Libraries in India,1989
Class Number : 249(J).44’N89t4
2 = Library Science (M.C.)
24 = Library Science(M.C.),Business Library[P]
24(J) = Library Science (M.C.), Agriculture Library[P]
24(J).44 = Library Science(M.C.).Agriculture Library[P],
India [S]
24(J).44’N89 = Library Science(M.C.),Agriculture Library[P],
India[S],1989[T]
24(J).44’N89t4 = Library Science(M.C.),Agriculture Library[P], India[S]
1989[T],Survey(ASI)
2. Survey of Agriculture Libraries in India, 2021.
Class number – 24(J).44’P21t4
(BC) (P) (S) (T) (ACI)
Ls Agriculture India 2021 Survey
2 4(J) 44 P21 t4
2. Posteriorising Common
Isolates (PCIs)
Posteriorising common isolates are of three types, personality, matter and energy’
common isolates. They are to be attached to the host(core) class with their respective
connecting symbols, viz., comma, semi colon and colon.
A personality common isolate stands mainly for institutions, some of which- are as follows:
It comes after the original class.
f – investigating- institution
f2 – observational institution
f3 – laboratory
g – learned body
h6 – museum
y – cultural organisations
Personality common isolates are listed on page 104 of the seventh edition of CC.
Types of Posteriorising Common
Isolates (PCIs)
• There are 4 types of PCIs
1. parsonality common isolates
2. Matter property common isolets
3. Energy common isolets
4. Space and time as common isolates
1.Parsonality common isolates
These represent institutions or organisations.
• A personality common isolate is ordinarily added after the space facet.
• The institutional element in the number can be worked out by what is
known as the alphabetical or chronological device.
• The alphabetical device consists of the initial letter of the institution’s name
used to represent it in the number.
• The chronological device consists of the year of establishment of the
institution.
• Personality PCIs
• d – Institutions
• e – Educational institutions
g - Associations
Examples of personality PCIs -
1. Indian mathematical society founded in 1931.
Class number – B.44,g,9N31
Where,
B Mathematics (main class)
44 India (s)
g Learned body (all lower case Roman letters represent common
isolates. An element added with a comma as the connecting
symbol indicates personality facet)
9N3 1 A national body is represented by 9 and the date of foundation;
N31 is 1931
2. Delhi University founded in
1921
• Class number –T,18.44,t4,N21
• Where,
T Education
T,18. University education. 18 from personality facet under the main
class T
44 India
t4 An institution of higher education. T4 is a personality common
isolate.
N21 Founded in 1921. Delhi University is a localised body and so
9 is not prefixed.
2. Matter property common
isolates -
• An exhaustive list of matter property common isolates appears for the first
time in the seventh edition of CC.
• A matter property common isolate is applied with a semi-colon as the
connecting symbol. Given below are a few examples:
1.The outgoing Tamil Nadu ministry – V,4411,2;aP5
Where ,
V History (main class)
4411 Tamil Nadu (S)
2 Cabinet(Ministry) (P)
aP5 outgoing- Matter property common isolate
2. The intrinsic value of paintings -
• Class number – N6;a72
Where,
N6 Painting (main class)
a72 is intrinsic value (matter property common isolate)
3. Energy common isolets -
• An energy common isolate, is attached with the connecting symbol colon.
• As in the previous examples, first a class number appropriate to “the subject on
hand is worked out and then, if necessary, a common isolate to be attached is
determined. Some of the energy common isolates are:
ab – establish, inaugurate eb – mixing
af3 – differentiate eg – cleaning
ak – compensate ev – washing
aD2 – infiltrate e3 – boiling
aR – investigation, research fZ6 – preserving
aR2 – observing p2 – describing
aT – evaluation pR4 – printing
dl – designing u1 - surveying
Examples of energy common
isolates -
1. Observing solar eclipse – BX,3;57:aR2
Where,
BX - astronomy
3 - Sun
57 - eclipse
aR2 - observation(energy common isolate)
Worked out according to the facet formula for BX.
2. Research on the ulcer of the
intestine -
• Class number – L,25;474:aR
Where,
L - medicine
25 - intestine
4 - disease
74 - ulcer
aR - research (energy common isolate)
Worked out according to the facet formula for L
4. Space and time as common
isolates
As space and time can be -
added whenever wanted, they have been treated as common isolates.
• They are also listed separately in the scheme. The application of space and time is much simpler and
easier to understand.
Examples –
1. University libraries in India – 2, 34.44
Where,
2 – library science (main class)
J4 – university libraries (p)
44 – India (s) Only space isolate is present.
2. Mass communication in India in the 1980s – 4.44’N8
Where,
4 – mass communication(main class)
44 – India (s)
NS – 1980s(t) both space and time isolates are present.
B. Special isolates:
• In the CC subject subdivisions of a main class under various facets are
called special isolates.
• Each main class has its own unique isolates under P, M and E
categories.
• These have no meaning in other main classes.
• For example,
rice, wheat, maze etc. Are special isolates in the personality of
(J) Agriculture in the CC.
