CLASSIFICATION TERMINOLOGY:
Library classification as an academic discipline is about 125 years old. Its teaching and research has gained momentum comparatively recently. It must be admitted, however, that the terminology is not well settled. One of the principal contributions of Professor S.R. Ranganathan (1892 -1972) to library classification, besides his intuitive and intellectual contributions, is the terminology for expression of ideas. The development of the terminology of library classification in India came along with the development of the theory and practice of classification. It grew at a faster pace between the sixties and eighties. This is due to intensive developmental research in the field. The spread of jargons in classification to an international circle can said to be fostered by the CRG (Classification Research Group) in London.
The CRG members have had very close contact with Ranganathan and critically analysed each of his terms. They refashioned some of them and retained many of them as such and provided explanatory notes to the definitions and then spread them to library schools in Britain and other countries. Textbooks began to appear using many of the concepts, which Ranganathan had propounded. The First International Study Conference held at Dorking principally supported by CRG saw to it that a comprehensive glossary of terms was developed for use at the international level. The glossary was compiled by B.C. Vickery for the benefit of the new audience. This movement was very well complimented by the FID (International Federation for Information and Documentation/Federation Internationaled' Information et de Documentation) congress, and FID/CA (Committee on Classification Theory) in which Ranganathan himself was very much involved in the propagation of ideas. The growth of the terms in the second, third and fourth study conferences indicated a steady improvement in classification research.
Today, we can find that the contribution of Ranganathan to classification terminology is almost an integral part of any classification research, teaching, learning or writing.