Classification Wizard

The Classification policy controls the treatment of call numbers in Unicorn. Some attributes of the policy are used in calculating shelving keys; other attributes are used to format the display of the call number.

From the List Policies window, you can create, display, modify, copy, or remove the Classification policies. Click Close to quit the wizard.

Attributes

The Classification policy contains the following attributes.

Name

This attribute uniquely identifies a specific Classification policy. This name is ten characters or less, and may not include spaces or punctuation, except for dash (-) and underscore (_). Additionally, the pipe character (|) may not be used.

Description

This attribute provides more information about the policy and its use by the library. The description may be up to 60 characters in length. Although the Description attribute may contain spaces and punctuation, the pipe character (|) cannot be used.

Sort Rule

When an cataloger selects a call number class scheme for a record at the workstation, the shelving key is derived automatically using the Classification policy's sort rule. The shelving key takes the call number and, depending on the sort rule, adds zeros and spaces to different parts of the number or number/letter string. There are eight possible sort rules. Select one from the drop-down list.

ASIS: The ASIS sort rule makes the shelving key the same as the call number; that is, it leaves the call number "as is."
ATDEWEY: The ATDewey sort rule makes the shelving key appropriate for sorting Dewey Decimal fiction call numbers by adding a 3-letter title cutter or a 3-letter author and a 3-letter title cutter to the existing call number.
ATDEWEYLOC: The ATDewey with Location sort rule makes the shelving key appropriate for sorting Dewey Decimal fiction call numbers whose class number is preceded by a location code. The call number is examined for cutters and a 3-letter title cutter or a 3-letter author and a 3-letter title cutter is added to the existing call number if needed.
DEWEY: The Dewey sort rule makes the shelving key appropriate for sorting Dewey Decimal nonfiction call numbers. This rule assumes that the first numeral encountered is the classification code. Any preceding letters are location marks that are to be left as is. Letters after the classification numeral group are to be left as is. Numerals after the classification group expand to six digits.
DEW_SANBRN: The Dewey Sanborn sort rule is used for call numbers that have cutters created from the Cutter-Sanborn tables (for instance, cutters in the form J J1234xyz).
EXP_NUM: This Expand Numeric sort rule makes the shelving key with every number in the call number expanded to six digits.
LC: The LC sort rule makes the shelving key appropriate for sorting Library of Congress call numbers.
LC_LOC: This LC with Location sort rule makes the shelving key appropriate for sorting Library of Congress call numbers whose class number is preceded by a location code.
SUDOC: This sort rule creates a shelving key appropriate for sorting SuDoc call numbers assigned to publications of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).
UDC: This sort rule creates a shelving key appropriate for sorting Universal Decimal Classification call numbers.

Note After changing a sort rule for a Classification policy, it is important to run the Update Shelving Keys report, and make selections for updating this classification (Class Scheme) on the Call Number Selection tab of the report.

Make Rule

The make rule is used when loading catalog records in batch from a file created by a bibliographic utility like SmartPORT, OCLC, PRISM, BiblioFile, SuperCAT, or MARCIVE. Make rules apply formatting to call numbers extracted from fields in the incoming record before creating the Unicorn call number.

Note Make rules apply formatting to only the first subfield a in a MARC entry. The only exception is the ASIS make rule, which is typically used for call numbers in the 099 entry.

There are five types of call number make rules. Select one from the drop-down list.

ASIS: No formatting is applied to the call number.
AUTO: The Auto make rule ignores everything in the bibliographic record and makes a unique Unicorn call number in the format XX([internal number].[call sequence number]), for example XX(1423.1).
DEWEY: Only letters, digits, spaces, and periods are copied into the Unicorn call number. Commas, slashes, and other characters are ignored.
GPO: All characters except commas are copied to the Unicorn call number. The first comma encountered is skipped; any additional commas are replaced with spaces.
LC: The LC make rule removes the space, if present, between the classification letters and numbers. It also inserts spaces between cutters if missing.

Notes

The LC make rule does not remove all inconsistencies in LC call number formatting.
Make rules should not be confused with classifications. For example, to retain slashes in Dewey call numbers, do not change the classification of the call numbers from DEWEY to ASIS. Instead, change the make rule of the DEWEY classification from Dewey to ASIS. This would not correct call numbers which had already been loaded; it would only keep the slashes from being stripped out of future call numbers.

Case

Each make rule is associated with a case statement: Mixed or Upper. If the make rule is marked as Mixed, then the case of call number characters is retained when copied into the Unicorn call number. If the make rule is marked as Upper, all call number characters convert to uppercase.

Note This attribute will only appear if the Use Mixed Case for Call Number attribute in the Display Item Number Case global configuration policy is turned on.

Display

The display rule determines the order in which call numbers appear when multiple call numbers are attached to a bibliographic record.

Ascending: An ASCENDING display rule means that the call numbers appear in order from lowest to highest.
Descending: A DESCENDING display rule means that the call numbers appear in order from highest to lowest.

Example Ascending display rules are useful in closed sets (for instance, multivolume works that will not grow, such as encyclopedias). Descending display rules are useful for open sets (for example, open-ended reference works such as "Contemporary Literary Criticism").

Analytic File Prefix

The Prefix portion of the Classification policy references a special /Unicorn/Custom file outlining the sorting/treatment of dates, volume, issue and other analytic call number parts for each Classification policy. The name of the file is the prefix name plus.clas.

If a prefix is recognized, Unicorn automatically inserts a subfield z in the Unicorn call number. Portions of the call number that follow a |z are considered analytic information, and are fully expanded to enhance sorting of call numbers. Analytic information is not displayed as part of the base call number that appears at the top of a single item view window. A |z may be manually inserted by a cataloger to improve sorting. In printing or displaying call numbers, |z is replaced with a space. Select a valid prefix from the drop-down list.

Preceding Year Part of Analytic

This attribute specifies whether the preceding year will be part of the analytic file prefix. If a Classification policy is defined to include preceding year, then after the analytic term is found by using the prefix file, the preceding call number characters are examined. If a two– or four–digit number or combination is found before the analytic term, then the analytic subfield (|z) is inserted before the number.

The following patterns are recognized as years.

99
1999
98/99
98–99
2001/2002
2001–2002
2001/02
2001–02

Example The call number in the bibliographic record is as follows.

PN2312 .N37 2001–2002 PT. 2

When calculating the position in which to insert |z, if a Classification policy that includes preceding years is used, |z will be inserted as follows.

PN2132 .N37 |z2001–2002 PT. 2

If a Classification policy that does not include preceding years is used, |z will be inserted as follows.

PN2132 .N37 2001–2002 |zPT. 2

Leading Text

The Leading Text and Substitute Text attributes are used in combination to create a user-defined call number, rather than the item’s actual call number, for public display. For instance, you would like the term "Periodical" to display in the OPAC rather than call numbers for your periodicals collection.

Use the Leading Text attribute to specify the leading characters that will be replaced with a text string. From 1–40 leading characters can be specified. Typically, the leading characters are XX, unless the library has specified otherwise.

Note This attribute is case-sensitive. If you specify xx, but the call numbers begin with XX, the text will not be substituted.

Substitute Text

This attribute is used in combination with the Leading Text attribute to create a user-defined call number, rather than the item’s actual call number, for public display.

Use this attribute to specify the replacement string for the leading text. The substitute text can be from 1–40 characters in length. If the replacement string consists of only a single blank, no replacement text is supplied; in effect, this suppresses the display of the leading text altogether.

Strip AUTO Number

This attribute specifies whether the numeric portion of an auto-generated call number will be stripped. If a call number begins with the characters XX, the numeric portion of the call number which appears after the XX can be suppressed.

Example A library could create a Classification policy for unclassified periodicals that uses display substitution to suppress automatically generated call numbers from public display. Instead, a different call number would appear. The call number of an existing periodical record is as follows.

XX(12365.2)

Through the use of a separate call number for public display, the XX could be replaced with a text string.

PERIODICAL STACKS(12365.2)

By stripping the automatically generated portion of the call number, the following call number would appear to the public.

PERIODICAL STACKS