The ease and flexibility of formulating composite subjects

The classifier, using the traditional enumerative schemes, is often compelled to choose a number to fit the information package in hand. Many important aspects of the subject of the item have to be omitted because the schedules do not list them. An expressive notation, therefore, cannot be built. To bring out these aspects, one has to rely on other tools like subject headings.

In addition, if a book has an interdisciplinary approach, for instance,

However, since only the basic concepts are given in the schedules of a faceted classification, the classifier can combine at will any concept with another to produce a tailored call number for the specific item. An infinite number of combinations can result.

The ease of accomodating new concepts

When a new subject is needed, a classifier using an enumerative scheme will have to wait until the scheme provides a term for that particular subject. On the other hand, since we start with the basic concepts and build towards our topic, it is much easier to combine already-existing terms to form a new subject.

Subject-oriented

There are many advantages to having a unique collection of facets for each class of knowledge. Because the facets for one class are compiled independently of another class, this ensures that the terms chosen are specific to that class and are the current terms used by people in the field.