Bliss 1 and 2

Bliss 1 and 2

BC1 was devised by Henry Evelyn Bliss and was first published in four volumes in the USA between 1940 and 1953. Bliss stated that one of the purposes of the Classification was to

"demonstrate that a coherent and comprehensive system, based on the logical principles of classification and consistent with the systems of science and education, may be available to services in libraries, "to aid revision ... of long established ... classifications" and to provide an "adaptable, efficient and economical classification, notation and index.""

The full BC1 scheme followed the publication of two theoretical works on the organization of knowledge (Bliss, 1929 & 1934). Its main feature is the carefully designed main class order, reflecting the Comtean principle of gradation in specialty.

BC2 was intended as a revision of BC1 by the Bliss Classification Association (BCA) founded in 1967 in England. However, the revision has been so radical that it is more accurately described as a completely new system, using only the broad outline developed by H. E. Bliss.

"The main features of BC2 are as follows:

The main class order is based on closely-argued theoretical principles; these are the principle of gradation, supplemented by that of integrative levels, developed by Feibleman and others.

Each main class, and every subclass demanding it (whatever its hierarchical level) is fully faceted; i.e., the vocabulary is organized rigorously into clearly defined and easily grasped categories. For example human biology and medicine is organized into Types of persons, Parts and systems of the person, processes in the person, Actions on the person, Agents of actions.

A comprehensive and consistent citation order is observed throughout, making the position of any compound class highly predictable. For example, the citation order in medicine in the order of the facets listed above; so a work on nursing child victims of cancer would go under (Type of person) Pediatrics - (Processes) - Pathological - Cancer - (Actions on) Nursing. This reflects the Standard Citation Order in which, for any subject, the primary (first cited) facet is that reflecting the purpose of the subject (its defining system, end-product, etc.) followed by its Types, Parts, Processes, Actions, Agents - always in that order. Medicine is definable as the study and treatment of biological processes in humans - hence the citation order in the above example.

The filing order consistently maintains general-before-special. In the example above, HMY Nursing in general files before HQE Cancer in general, which files before HXO Pediatrics in general.
The subject Children - Cancer - Nursing files after all of them at HXO QEM Y, being more specific. Note that the initial letter for this class (H) is dropped when combining subclasses.

The notation is fully faceted and synthetic. Any class may be qualified by all the classes following it in citation order (and therefore filing before it). The notational base is very wide - 35 characters (1/9, A/Z). It is also purely ordinal, i.e. it does not attempt the impossible task of always reflecting hierarchy. These two features produce class marks which are exceptionally brief in relation to their specificity (number of compounded concepts defining the class). For example, the class of a work on the nurse as a caregiver for terminal patients and their families is exactly represented by the class mark HPK PEY FBG K. No other general scheme can approach this degree of specificity without significantly longer class marks. No symbols other than numbers and letters are needed in BC2.

Fully detailed alphabetical indexes to all classes are provided, using the economies of chain procedure". (Quoted from THE BLISS BIBLIOGRAPHIC CLASSIFICATION, http://www.sid.cam.ac.uk/bca/bchist.htm)

"Bliss Bibliographic Classification (BC2) is an internationally accepted detailed general classification which is based on clear and comprehensive principles for both its overall structure (main-class order) and the internal structure of each and every class. The former is based on the theory of integrative levels first advanced by Comte. The second is based on the revolutionary theory of facetted classification developed by Ranganathan and elaborated by the CRG - (British) Classification Research Group. Each class provides an unrivalled map of the detailed relations between the concepts in the subject, which may be used for the classification of a library and its catalogues, as an aid in searching automated files or as a valuable educational instrument in the subject."

(Mills & Ball, 2007, back cover).

Literature:

Bliss, H. E. (1910). A modern classification for libraries, with simple notation, mnemonics, and alternatives. Library Journal, 35, 351-358.

Bliss, H. E. (1929).The organization of knowledge and the system of the sciences. With an introduction by John Dewey. New York: Henry Holt and Co.

Bliss, H. E. (1934).The Organization of Knowledge in Libraries and the subject-approach to books. New York: The H. W. Wilson Company.

Bliss, H. E. (1935). A system of bibliographic classification. New York: H. W. Wilson.

Bliss, H. E. (1940-1953). A bibliographic classification, extended by systematic auxiliary schedules for composite specification and notation. Vols. 1-4. [BC1]. New York, H. W. Wilson.

Maltby, A. & Gill, L. (1979). The case for Bliss. London: Clive Bingley.

Mills, J. & Ball, C. (2007). Bliss Bibliographic Classification. Class W. The Arts. München: K. G. Sauer Verlag.

Mills, J. & Broughton, V. (1977- ). Bliss bibliographic classification. 2nd ed. [BC2]. London, Butterworth (Later published by K. G. Saur).

Mills, J. & Broughton, V. (1977). Bliss Bibliographical Classification. 2. ed. Introduction and Auxiliary Schedules. London: Butterworths. (Especially chapter 6: The Bliss Bibliographical Classification, BC).

Thomas, A. R. (1997). Bibliographical classification: the ideas and achievements of Henry E. Bliss. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 25(1), 51-104.

Vorsaa, K. [=Kirsten Strunck]. (1974). Ranganathan, Bliss og DK5. Dansk decimalklassedelings forhold til et udvalg af Ranganathans canons og Bliss' principper illustreret ved eksempler. København: Danmarks Biblioteksskole. (Studier fra DB 7).

Bliss Classification Association: http://www.sid.cam.ac.uk/bca/bcahome.htm