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Maybe.  But each (physical) book still needs to be on a shelf where anyone 
can find it. That means some sort of numbering scheme.

If libraries all had closed shelves, books could as well be organized by 
ISBN or accession number -- or by size to maximize efficient use of shelf 
space. But open shelves?  Subject organization seems like a wheel that does 
not need reinvention.

It seems to me that there are two separate issues: (1) physical placement 
on shelves (with required indication of where each belongs on the shelves) 
and (2) topical classifications (including subsidiary topics and 
cross-references).  Each book can be in only one physical place but can 
have an indefinite number of topical classifications and 
cross-references.  Computers facilitate the latter, but the book still has 
to be *somewhere*.

Items that consist only of bits and bytes, now that is a different 
matter--but even then, a hierarchy of subject headings is not exactly 
irrelevant. It just requires different implementation.

IMHO

Ken

At 03:00 AM 6/9/2007 -0400, you wrote:
>Date:    Fri, 8 Jun 2007 20:42:16 -0400
>From:    Laura Brooks <brooksla@NORTHVILLE.K12.MI.US>
>Subject: Demise of Dewey and Tagging
. . .
>Will we eventually
>teach tagging methods or structures to students instead of DDC?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken Umbach
Columnist, Knowledge Quest
Policy Analyst, California Research Bureau, California State Library
Writer, editor, researcher, consultant, www.umbachconsulting.com
916-733-2159 -- voice mail
"The Pursuit of Publishing": http://www.lulu.com/content/740262
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