We recently received our copies of DDC22, and today I was rather stunned to find that the Vietnamese conflict at 979.7042 was chopped from almost two pages to only one page of numbers. The numbers between 959.70433999 and 959.7044 were removed in one fell swoop. What happened here?

Even though the numbers have been removed from the printed page, the numbers have not been removed from the classification and are still valid.  The development for most wars with literary warrant are based upon the add table at 940-990.  A footnote instruction “‡Add as instructed number 940-990” at the number for the war indicates that the add table is to be used.  A project in Edition 21 was to make the development for as many wars as possible the same or similar development as the add table.  This readjustment required that the complete development along with relocation notes be given on the printed page.  In Edition 22, only the footnote instruction and the parts of the development that are different need to be given.  In Edition 22, the heading at 979.7042 is “‡Vietnam War, 1961-1975.”  The ‡ leads to the footnote instruction “‡Add as instructed number 940-990.  Because 959.70434 “Military operations and units,” 959.70436 Celebrations, commemoration, memorials,” 959.70437 “Prisoners of war, health and social services,” and “959.70438 “Other topics” can be built following the instruction, the records no longer need to be given.  Because 949.70433 “Participation of specific groups of countries, of specific countries, localities, groups” has a development not in the add table, that record and its subordinate records are still given. Thus, the reduction from two to one printed page.  Also, please note that the topics for the topics developed using the add table can still be found in the index of the full edition.
Please note that similar changes have occurred to other wars and their development, e.g., War of 1812 at 973.52 and Mexican War, 1845-1848, at 973.62.

Submitted by: Thanks to Kathryn Prescott, Defence Library Service, Australia, for submitting this question.
Last revised: 17 September 2004