A Handbook for Classification Policies and Collection Management in Libraries

A librarian should be an efficient and effective practitioner who acts as an information seeker's guide and makes the user's information seeking task as easy, accurate convenient, quick and timely, as much as possible. The essence of a librarian's operation and practices is the active and prominent role he or she plays as a provider of the right kind of information, at the right time, to the right user. Many functions, such as acquisition, selection, cataloguing, classification, library administration and management, reference and information services, user education are directly performed by the librarians and the success of the library, documentation or information center depends upon, how the efficiency of these and other related procedures and functions are performed and how well the practical skills have been improved and utilized fully in a systematic manner under pre-determined objectives and policies. Practical classification is an important area that librarians will findessential if they are to succeed. Thus, this text focuses on practical classification as a means of facilitating decision making efficiency.