1. Introduction: OCLC Research experimental classification service launched “Classify” (http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/) which is targeted to support the assignment of class number and subject heading by using the web. The interface can be used both by a machine as well as human being. It provides access to more than 36 million collectively build records from a large pool of related resources. Each record in the database contains Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) numbers, Library of Congress Classification (LCC) numbers, or National Library of Medicine (NLM) Classification numbers, and subject headings from the Faceted Application of Subject Terminology (FAST).

2. Access Points: In the database, by inputting any one or in combination of some basic information related to the document, the class number or subject heading can be obtained. The inputted information may be of the following types

i) ISBN: You can use the 10 or 13 digit ISBN. The ISBN should be used without hyphens in between. More about ISBN: http://www.isbn-international.org/

ii) OCLC #: Each bibliographic record in the WorldCat has a unique number that range from 1 to 9 digits in length. You can also use this number to find out the information from the database. More about OCLC # : http://www.worldcat.org/links/default.jsp

iii) Barcode / The Universal Product Code (UPC): You can used the 12 digits UPC number found in the document. More about Barcode: http://www.gs1us.org/

iv) International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): You can use the eight digits ISSN with or without hyphen (as it is appeared in the document). More about ISSN: http://www.issn.org

v) Title and / or Author: You can also use full title of the document or some portion of it or its author or both the title and author as a combined search.

vi) Faceted Application of Subject Terminology (FAST): You can also use the FAST controlled vocabulary that is based on the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). More about FAST: http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/fast/

3. Conclusion: My experiment with “Classify” shows that even if any one enter the ISBN / ISSN or any standard number correctly in the interface it sometimes shows a“ No data found for the input argument” error. But, if one used the title and some portion of the authors’ name of the same document it shows the result. Most probably, it was happened as because sometimes people may perhaps do not entered those fields in the records of the database, while preparing it. Again, my experiment shows that entering some portion of the title and the first authors’ surname (or some time forename) of the document in the interface mostly lead to the relevant document. You can use this latter option as your first approach to obtain the class number of the document or its subject heading i.e. some portion of the title and forename of the first author of the document.

Reference

OCLC (2010). Classify: An experimental classification web service. Available over web at: http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/.