Kungliga bibliotekets klassifikationssystem över den svenska samlingen år 1887
We have carried out a study of a classification system for the Swedish collection at The Royal Library in Stockholm from 1887. It was printed in 50 copies. The constructor, Bernhard Lundstedt, and his colleagues used it as guidance in lack of a catalogue. We regard it a local classification system. Little research has been done on old classification systems, but Francis Miksa points out the importance of examining them. The aim of this thesis is to present and describe the system, and to contribute to the knowledge thereof. Moreover, we aim to place the system in its contexts: in the library and its staff, and in the surrounding society. The study shows that the system has 56 main headings, starting with bibliography and the humanities eg theology and literature and ending with science eg technology, mathematics and medicine. The headings are divided into several sub hierarchies. Common subheadings are periodicals, treaties and societies, followed by subheadings about subjects. The hierarchy sometimes ends in an enumeration of material. The progress in a heading tends to go from the general to the specific. A common division is into a foreign and a Swedish class. Moreover, the study shows the resemblance to the Swedish SAB-system, which was first published in 1921. This thesis also points out that the system was not constructed in a vacuum, but in strong connection with late nineteenth century society.