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This past spring the 2008 Public Library Association conference included a session called “Dewey or Don’t We?” This phrase sums up the lukewarm feelings that many professionals feel toward the Dewey Decimal Classification system (DDC). Library journals and blogs are abuzz with first-hand accounts of libraries replacing DDC with more “user-friendly” systems. Library schools, professionals, and patrons continue to question its value in the library, especially with the ever-increasing body of digital information. Is Dewey necessary in our libraries or has it become an outdated relic of our past? Is there a future for Dewey?

Moving Beyond the Presentation Layer: Content and Context in the Dewey Decimal Classification System explores the past, present, and future of the Dewey Decimal Classification. It answers and addresses many of the concerns regarding the future of DDC in a digital environment. The collection of articles in this publication not only examines the development and function of DDC, but also discusses projects that have relied heavily on DDC and the way modern libraries are adapting it to fit their needs. While the writing is somewhat scholarly, the articles included in this publication explore the uses of DDC in a variety of contexts and applications.

The topic is timely. In 2007, the Maricopa County Library District and Phoenix Public Library in Arizona made library headlines when they decided to stop using DDC and replace it with BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications). This sparked heated debate about the future of DDC in today’s libraries. This debate is ongoing, and there is an ever-increasing number of libraries who are adopting other types of classification systems. Moving Beyond the Presentation Layer is making an appearance on the market at a time when professionals need to examine whether DDC has a future in the digital information environment, or if it is a classification system best restricted to the physical library.

At first glance, Moving Beyond the Presentation Layer gives the appearance of a textbook. Its unadorned cover may lead readers initially to hesitate to read what appears to be a collection of scholarly articles. The numerous pages advertising additional Cataloging and Classification Quarterly publications interspersed with the title page and sundry other Web site/Internet resources for bibliographic access to the journal serve to compound the situation. However, once the reader moves beyond this, the book follows a traditional layout that includes a table of contents, information on the editors, a preface, bibliographic references, and an index. In addition, through use of appropriate white space and clear, neat font, the reader is not further challenged by significant blocks of text, which are often associated with scholarly publications.

The preface, co-authored by the editors, provides insight into the nature and purpose of this publication.

Moving Beyond the Presentation Layer is broken down into three sections: an introduction, an international perspective, and a Web perspective. Each section comprises articles on topics relevant to the broad areas that each section tries to examine. Articles cover such topics as an introduction to DDC from its online inception, challenges that have been encountered and continue to be encountered, application of DDC on a world stage, and projects that have heavily relied on DDC. As a result, the strength of Moving Beyond the Presentation Layer lies in the depth and breadth of knowledge that has been gathered together in this work.

Drawing from a group of scholars within the cataloguing community, the authors explore DDC from a variety of perspectives. Taking advantage of this diverse body of knowledge, each author writes on a different aspect of DDC. For example, in the first section of the book, “Content and Context: An Introduction,” Karen Markey introduces DDC to readers. She explores in depth the birth of online classification systems, the DDC Online Project, and the expertise and evaluations involved in creating online, accessible bibliographic records. The strength of Markey’s article lies in the analysis of classification as an online tool for end users. Markey takes the time to examine the research that has been conducted in this regard, the evolution of information-seeking behavior in end users, and the role classification plays in information retrieval.

Also noteworthy is the article on teaching DDC. The Library of Congress recently created the Task Force on Competencies and Education for a Career in Cataloging to critically examine the education of catalogers. An important aspect of a cataloger’s education includes the examination of classification systems and their future in a digital environment. With libraries moving away from DDC, catalogers, as well as practicing professionals, need to be well-versed in the theory, application, and adaptability of DDC in order to knowledgeably defend or object to the use of this classification system in their libraries.

In a world where most people believe Dewey is not taught outside of elementary school, how can we make DDC relevant and stress its importance to students? Arlene Taylor explores the challenges of teaching DDC to students. Taylor also looks at the challenges of content and the importance of teaching subject analysis when determining content and assigning a DDC number. Her response provides a thorough examination of techniques for teaching DDC, including overcoming logistical problems such as access to WebDewey for educational purposes.

The third section examines several notable projects that have relied heavily on DDC in a digital environment. Recently, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) undertook a project using DDC to access and retrieve online information about Canada. The challenges that co-authors Dean Zeeman and Glenyss Turner faced in molding DDC to their needs at LAC is discussed in this section. These projects provide a glimpse into the potential and future of DDC in a Web-based and digital information environment.

Overall, the insight that Moving Beyond the Presentation Layer provides is relevant and provides a critical examination into DDC in the context of its present challenges. Each article explores DDC’s flexibility and relevance through illustration by the projects that professionals are currently undertaking that involve adapting DDC to suit their needs.

Moving Beyond the Presentation Layer provides professionals with an opportunity to acquire this unique collection of scholarly articles. The body of knowledge and exploration of DDC projects provides foundation and guidance into how DDC can be altered and applied to satisfy the needs of users and to fill the diverse needs of libraries today. As a result, this publication would be an asset to the professional collection of any librarian, scholar, or cataloger. Because of the theoretical foundation provided, it can also easily be used as a textbook. Moving Beyond the Presentation Layer is highly recommended for any professional looking to explore DDC’s functions, strengths, and weaknesses. The compendium provides insight into an advanced and ever-changing classification system that is not static, but rather is limited only by our own definition of classification systems and their application.