RESOURCE CENTRE MANUAL
HEALTHLINK WORLDWIDE
5.2 Developing a classification scheme
When developing a classification scheme, it is useful to work with members of the
resource centre advisory committee (see Section 2.2) and/or other users, as these
people will have a greater knowledge of the subjects to be covered by the resource
centre.
5.2.1 How to develop a classification scheme
Start with a brainstorming session, to identify as many subject areas of interest as
possible. Compare the list of subjects with subject areas identified by the most
recent needs assessment (see Section 1.1) to make sure that none have been missed.
On your own, write each subject on a separate piece of paper. Arrange the pieces of
paper in order, ranging from broad subjects to narrower subjects.
Diseases
Communicable diseases
Tuberculosis
HIV/AIDS
Parasitic diseases
Malaria
Non-communicable diseases
Diabetes
Place similar broad subjects near each other.
Women's health
Mother and child health
Reproductive and sexual health
Children and youth
When all the pieces of paper are arranged in a logical order, write down the order
on a sheet of paper. Show it to the resource centre advisory committee or other
users to obtain their agreement. Seeing the subjects in order will help them to notice
if any subjects are missing.
Once the list of subjects has been agreed, write a classification number next to each
subject. It is best if the classification numbers are made up of letters and numbers. It
is easier to remember the letter(s) for a main class, combined with a number for a
subsidiary class, than a long list of numbers. It also makes it easier to distinguish
different classes on the shelf, both when looking for materials and re-shelving.
Do not automatically assign a full sequence of letters (ABCDE…) or numbers
(12345…). It is important to leave gaps that can be used when new subjects are
SECTION 5: ORGANISING THE INFORMATION
5