Contents: Preface. I. Library classification: 1. Library classification: an introduction. 2. Library classification: theory and the internet. 3. Library classification schemes and user-oriented class associations. 4. Library classification schemes and internet resources. 5. Nippon Decimal Classification NDC). 6. Automatic book classification. 7. Classification practices in India. II. Library acquisitions: 8. Acquisition under contract: copyright in library. 9. Managing an acquisition windfall. 10. Evaluation. 11. Acquisition practice in India. 12. Policies on book selection and acquisition. Glossary. Select bibliography. Index.

"Human beings seem to have an innate need to organise. The need to organise large amounts of knowledge and information led to the development of classifications schemes and other organisational tools. Rapid changes in the way information is generated and accessed lead to changes in the way information is organised for retrieval.

The first edition of the Dewey Classification (DDC) was published in 1876 when knowledge was expanding at a fast rate and the public library system was becoming a more open system. The DDC provided a new organisational scheme for dealing with these changes. Today, the internet allows information to be generated and packaged in digital format. Can library classification improve access and retrieval of internet resources? This book examines the purpose of library classification and explores how classification schemes can add values." (jacket)