การศึกษาระบบจัดหมู่หนังสือที่ใช้ในห้องสมุดมหาวิทยาลัยในประเทศไทย / ประยงศรี (โรจน์วณิช) พัฒนกิจจำรูญ = A study of library classification schemes used in academic libraries in Thailand / Prayongsri (Rodvanich) Pattanakitchamroon
The objectives of this thesis were to study the history and development of library classification from the ancient time up to the present time, the library classification schemes used in the academic libraries in Thailand including the performance of catalogers and classifiers and their problems and obstacles in using the schemes as well as the trends, causes and methods of transferring the classification from one scheme to another. The research methods used in this thesis are documentary research through books, periodicals and other printed materials concerning the history and development of each library classification scheme as well as the methods of reclassification in foreign countries; the distribution of 94 questionnaires to head librarians, heads of the cataloging and classification departments and catalogers and classifiers of 12 academic libraries, of which 80 (85.11%) were answered and returned; and the interviews with the people whose responsibility involves the reclassification of certain academic libraries. Research results conclude as follows : There are 12 academic libraries in Thailand; seven use the Library of Congress Classification, four use the Dewey Decimal Classification, and the other one uses the National Library of Medicine Classification. Five out of seven libraries which presently use the Library of Congress Classification have been reclassified from their previous classification schemes, most of which are of the Dewey Decimal Classification. One out of four which use the Dewey Decimal Classification in planning to change to the library of Congress Classification in the future. The type of reclassification of the five academic libraries was of the partial reclassification. The catalogers and classifiers classification of new books. Almost all of them did not reproduce new catalog cards. They merely changed the call number of each card into that of the Library of Congress Classification. Two Libraries have already completed their projects, and the other three are on the process of reclassifying. The major problem encountered by most of the catalogers and classifiers is the incompetence in their work. That is to say, they often lack the basic knowledge in the subject fields as well as the thorough understanding of the classification scheme used in their libraries, especially that of the Library of Congress Classification which has no explanatory notes attached. The main problems faced by the cataloging and classification departments are the lack of a catalog for searching classification numbers for Thai books and the fact that the Thai Subject Heading Handbooks available are very few and out-of-date. Other problems include the shortage of staff and the inadequacy of office area. The main recommendations are as follows: 1. The Library Schools in Thailand should accord some improvements in the curriculum and the teaching methods of the library classification course in the Bachelor’s Program in order to help solve the problems of inadequate understanding in the library classification scheme and the lack of basic knowledge in the subject fields required in classifying books. 2. The catalogers and classifiers of academic libraries and those of the Thai National Library should cooperate to great extent in producing a catalog comparable to the Library of Congress: National Union Catalog. The Thai Library Association should encourage all types of librarians to prepare a complete Thai Subject Headings Handbook to conform with those of foreign counterparts. 3. The data, ideas and recommendations given in this thesis should serve as a guideline for consideration by all academic libraries so as to diminish the problems of library classification encountered by catalogers and classifiers and, hence, to help facilitate the work.
