Ranganathan

Ahead of His Century

INTRODUCTION

Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan (1872-1972) is one of the most influential figures in the field of library and information sciences. This paper argues that Ranganathan is a thinker ahead of his time. The fact that his ideas and his Colon Classification scheme are not well received and practised can probably be attributed to his vision being too advanced for his contemporary world of technology. Considering the progress that has been made since his times, Ranganathan's ideas deserve another investigation. Upon comparing the nature of his classification scheme with the various technologies like relational databases, online retrieval systems, or the World Wide Web, it is quite evident that Ranganathan's ideas of classification are more applicable now than before.

The following is a brief description of each individual page in this website:

Evolution of Classification

Describes the traditional, enumerative classification schemes and the disadvantages of such schemes, which call for a new way of organizing knowledge.

Faceted Classifcation

Provides a more detailed account of the mechanisms of faceted classification schemes.

Colon Classification

Gives a background of Ranganathan's classification scheme.

Database Design

Parallels the development of classification schemes to database data model's evolution. Suggests that perhaps the Colon Classification and other analytico-synthetic schemes are inherently more compatible with the construction principles of relational databases.

Online Retrieval Systems

Discusses why the Colon Classification can be useful in designing a more effective online retrieval system from a user's point of view.

Internet

Describes how Ranganathan's ideas of classification can be applied to the web.

Bibliography

Lists the sources consulted.