[Data-modeling] Library of Congress and Dewey Classifications

[Kirrily Robert]

----- "Jeff Prucher" <jeff at metaweb.com> wrote:
> 
> Here are some example Dewey numbers for the 1994 Modern Library
> edition of
> Adam Smith's "An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of
> nations" from different libraries:
> 330.153 
> 330.15
> 330.1
> 330
> 330 S642i 1994
> 330.153 SMI 1994
> 330.15 SMITH 1994
> 330.153 S642w, 1994
> 330.15 Sm51i
> 330.153 Sm51 1994 
> 
> The obvious thing to do would be to cut the value after the space,
> since the
> additional data seems largely to do with disambiguating the edition
> from
> others in that library. That would still leave us with four different
> values, which in this case are at least hierarchical, but I've seen
> others
> (can't find them right now, unfortunately) where different libraries
> had
> values like "330" and "808".

With regards to the hierarchical values in the 330 namespace, at least they're all compatible!  I mean, looking at that set, it seems to me that 333.153 is the "correct" classification and any library that uses less precision simply does so because their collection is small (at least in that area) and they don't need the precision.

So for cases like this, I'd tend to say "the most precise value possible, without causing incompatibility."

A counter example:

330
330.153
330.152

The most precise value possible without incompatibility would be 330.15

This works for anything that doesn't diverge until after the decimal point.  In your 330/808 example, I dunno.  Makes me think we should store catalogue numbers as a CVT:

* catalogue number
* numbering system (dewey/loc/other)
* library we got this one from

> 3) Is it worth even trying to capture these values?  What advantages
> are
> there that would make it worth trying to wrangle this rather messy
> dataset?

Too early in the morning for philosophy.  All I can say is it gives me warm fuzzy feelings, in a general sort of way, and I'd like us to have this data.

K.

-- 
Kirrily Robert
Freebase Community Director
kirrily at metaweb.com