In the number 158.1280835 what does '28' stand for?

In this case, the digits 2 and 8 have only the meaning they are given in the schedule. They are not part of a built number that can be parsed according to a segment found in another part of the schedule and used here. The 2 and the 8 are successive enumerated subdivisions of the number 158.1 that means Personal improvement and analysis. In 158.12, the 2 adds the idea of meditation, that is, personal improvement and analysis through meditation. In 158.128, the 8 is used to identify collections of meditations (in distinction to the how-to works on meditation that are classed in 158.12. (The 8, by the way, is sometimes used to indicate collections, e.g., in literature numbers, like the third 8 in 808.8. But you cannot always count on 8 to mean collections even in literature where it is often so used.)

On the other hand, the segment 0835 does have a meaning drawn straight from Table 1, whose standard subdivisions may be added to any number that does not carry instructions to the contrary. Thus the full number 158.1280835 means a work consisting of texts of meditations intended for young people 12 to 20.

For religious meditations, 204.35 is used for comprehensive works on meditation, and the 435 from that number is used for meditations in Buddhism (294.34435) and Hinduism (294.5435) and many of the less widespread religions. Special numbers, however, are enumerated for the concept of meditation in the other major religions, e.g., Christianity 248.34.

While Dewey has made use of mnemonic notation since it was first devised, the concept of meditation was developed in various places before the editors realized that it was worthy of a pattern development, at least in religion. The number 204.35 now constitutes part of such a pattern development. The span 201-209 (relocated from 291.1-291.9 just in Edition 22) can be used as a pattern in new developments in 290, e.g., 299.71435 and related numbers that were revised and expanded in Edition 22 for religions of North American native origin. The final 435 indicates that this number refers to meditation in religions of North American native origin. But when we establish a new pattern schedule, we do not go back to revise old numbers like 248.34 that have a heavy literature, just to take advantage of newly developed pattern schedules.

Last revised: 30 December 2003