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JITA Classification Schema of Library and Information Science

Last Update: December 27, 2010

The JITA Classification Schema has been developed starting from a merger of NewsAgentTopic Classification Scheme (maintained by MikeKeen at Aberystwyth, UK, until 31st March 1998) and the RIS classification scheme of the (now defunct) Review of Information Science originally conceived by Donald Soergel (University of Maryland). JITA is an acronym of the authors' first names: Jose Manuel Barrueco Cruz, Imma Subirats Coll, Thomas Krichel and Antonella De Robbio. The authors thank Michael Keen, University of Wales Aberystwyth and Andy Powell, UKOLN for the permission of the using NewsAgentTopic Classification Scheme in the development of this schema. In addition, the authors are grateful for comments by Lorcan Dempsey (VP, Research,OCLC) and Sophie Rigny (Library of Congress).

1. [Theoretical and General]: general level

A. Theoretical and general aspects of libraries and information

• AA. Library and information science as a field.
• AB. Information theory and library theory.
• AC. Relationship of LIS with other fields.
• AZ. No one of these, but in this section.

B. Information use and sociology of information

• BA. Use and impact of information.
• BB. Bibliometric methods.
• BC. Information in society.
• BD. Information society.
• BE. Information economics.
• BF. Information policy.
• BG. Information dissemination and diffusion.
• BH. Information needs and information requirements analysis.
• BI. User interfaces, usability.
• BZ. No one of these, but in this section.

2. [User oriented, directional, and management functionalities]: intermediate level (socio-economical and legal issues included)

C. Users, literacy and reading

• CA. Use studies.
• CB. User studies.
• CC. User categories: children, young people, social groups.
• CD. User training, promotion, activities, education.
• CE. Literacy.
• CF. Reading and story telling.
• CZ. No one of these, but in this section.

D. Libraries as physical collections

• DA. World libraries.
• DB. National libraries.
• DD. Public libraries.
• DD. Academic libraries.
• DE. School libraries.
• DF. Government libraries.
• DG. Private libraries.
• DH. Special libraries.
• DI. Science libraries.
• DJ. Technical libraries.
• DK. Health libraries, Medical libraries.
• DL. Archives.
• DM. Museums.
• DZ. No one of these, but in this section.

E. Publishing and legal issues

• EA. Mass media.
• EB. Printing, electronic publishing, broadcasting.
• EC. Bookselling.
• ED. Intellectual property: author's rights, ownership, copyright and copyleft.
• EE. Intellectual freedom.
• EF. Censorship.
• EZ. No one of these, but in this section.

F. Management

• FA. Co-operation.
• FB. Marketing.
• FC. Finance.
• FD. Public relations.
• FE. Personnel management.
• FF. Funding.
• FG. Local government.
• FH. Reorganisation.
• FI. Unitary authorities.
• FZ. No one of these, but in this section.

G. Industry, profession and education

• GA. Information industry.
• GB. Software industry.
• GC. Computer and telecommunication industry.
• GD. Organisations.
• GE. Staff.
• GF. Biographies.
• GG. Curricula aspects.
• GH. Education.
• GI. Training.
• GZ. No one of these, but in this section.

3. [Objects, Pragmatics and Technicalities]: specific level

H. Information sources, supports, channels

• HA. Periodicals, Newspapers.
• HB. Gray literature.
• HC. Archival materials.
• HD. Rare books and manuscripts.
• HE. Print materials.
• HF. Microforms.
• HG. Non-print materials.
• HH. Audio-visual, Multimedia.
• HI. Electronic media.
• HJ. CD-ROM.
• HK. Online hosts.
• HL. Databases and DataBase Networking.
• HM. OPAC's.
• HN. e-journals.
• HO. e-books.
• HP. e-resources.
• HQ. Web pages.
• HR. Portals.
• HS. Repositories (OAI-compliant and not).
• HZ. No one of these, but in this section.

I. Information treatement for information services

• IA. Cataloguing, bibliographic control.
• IB. Content analysis.
• IC. Index languages, processes and schemes.
• ID. Data and metadata structures.
• IE. Knowledge representation.
• IF. Information transfer: protocols, formats, techniques.
• IG. Information presentation: hypertext, hypermedia.
• IH. Image systems.
• II. Filtering.
• IJ. Reference linking.
• IK. Design, development, implementation and maintenance.
• IZ. No one of these, but in this section.

J. Technical services in libraries, archives and museums

• JA. Acquisitions.
• JB. Serials management.
• JC. Withdrawals.
• JD. Stocktaking.
• JE. Record keeping.
• JF. Paper preservation.
• JG. Digitization.
• JH. Digital preservation.
• JI. Circulation.
• JJ. Document delivery.
• JK. Interlibrary loans.
• JZ. No one of these, but in this section.

K. Housing technologies

• KA. Resource centres.
• KB. Library, archive and museum buildings.
• KC. Furniture.
• KD. Vehicles.
• KE. Architecture.
• KF. Planning, Design, Removal.
• KG. Safety.
• KH. Disaster planning.
• KZ. No one of these, but in this section.

L. Information technology and library technology

• LA. Telecommunications.
• LB. Computer networking.
• LC. Internet, including WWW.
• LD. Computers.
• LE. Scanners.
• LF. Digital cameras.
• LG. Photocopiers.
• LH. Computer and network security.
• LI. Authentication, and access control.
• LJ. Software.
• LK. Software methodologies and engineering.
• LL. Automated language processing.
• LM. Automatic text retrieval.
• LN. Data base management systems.
• LO. Object-oriented DBMS.
• LP. Intelligent agents.
• LQ. Library automation systems.
• LR. OPAC systems.
• LS. Search engines.
• LZ. No one of these, but in this section.