KOrg Virtual Presentation

Classifying Phenomena

By: Claudio Gnoli
Librarian
Science & Technology Library
University of Pavia, Italy

Thursday, March 2, 2017
10:00 – 11:30am
NWQB 3511
2025 E. Newport Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53211

Abstract:
While bibliographic classification systems traditionally list disciplines, several authors have suggested that phenomena instead offer a more general and natural unit for them. Indeed, phenomena are a more fundamental dimension of knowledge, prior to perspectives (including disciplines), documents, collections, information needs and people. Phenomena can be classified according to a series of levels of organization, each emerging from previous ones: forms, matter, life, minds, society, heritage. Every level has its own subclasses and its own facets. These principles allow to develop innovative classification systems, such as the Integrative Levels Classification, that join a classical hierarchical, faceted structure with a greater freedom to combine concepts to serve both disciplinary and interdisciplinary research.

Bio:
Claudio Gnoli is librarian at the Science and Technology Library of the University of Pavia (Italy). He is a knowledge organization scholar, with a particular focus on phenomenon-based knowledge organization systems. He is co-author with Rick Szostak and Maria Lopez-Huertas of the recent book INTERDISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION (Springer 2016). He is a prolific author, was one of those responsible for the famous Leon Manifesto in knowledge organization calling for interdisciplinary and an integrative-levels approach, and is active in ISKO and the UDC Consortium.