On October 24, 2014, the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) has organized a preliminary conference: Application of the Dewey Decimal Classification, Edition 23 in Vietnamese – DDC 23 to libraries in Viet Nam.

Attending the conference were Dr. Vu Duong Thuy Nga - Deputy Director General of Library Department, Mr. Do The Anh- official in charge of Library-Museum, Planning  and Finance Department, Mr. Andrew H. Wang-Vice President, OCLC Asia Pacific, Ms. Shu-En Tsai- Executive Director,Asia Pacific Services. OCLCAsia Pacific, themembers of Advisory Committee – DDC 23 in Vietnamese, representatives from bureaus, departments, institutions directly under the Ministryof Culture, Sports and Tourism, representatives from local libraries, library – information center of the universities, specialized and interdisciplinary libraries, library-vocational training centers in the country.    

In library – information’s operation, classification plays an important role as a stage of the library material process for the purpose of stacks’ arrangement, organizing information search engine, bibliographic control in order to impulse the development of exploitation and exchange of information domestically and internationally.

Since 2001, under the goal of integration and development, NLV - as the leading institution responsible for compiling and applying the new profession standards – has officially petitioned for the using of the Dewey Decimal Classification for cataloguing. Following the Dewey Decimal Classification, Abridged Edition 14 which has been translated into Vietnamese and published in 2006, and in August 2010, NLV had an agreement with OCLC – the copyright holder of Dewey Decimal Classification- to translate edition of the DDC from English into Vietnamese. In May 2011, DDC 23 has been released in the United States and issued abroad in July 2011. In August 2011, NLV received the whole volumes of DDC 23 – English version and started translating into Vietnamese.

With responsibility and efforts of the translating and editing team, on November 29, 2013 NLV has held the Announcement Ceremony of the Dewey Decimal Classification, Vietnamese Edition 23 – DDC 23 in order to apply in libraries and information agencies in Viet Nam to ensure the consistency of material classification. Shortly after the Ceremony, NLV has organized a training course for 62 source instructors who are representatives of libraries, information centers, special libraries, library – training agencies in Viet Nam. In 2014, NLV has organized the training courses in using of the Dewey Decimal Classification, Edition 23 – DDC 23 in Vietnamese in the North, Central and South of Viet Nam. Those courses had introduced the whole important knowledge and detailed instructions of DDC 23 in Vietnamese, helping trainees mastered the profession skills and be able to organize and deploy Vietnamese DDC 23 at their own agencies and local areas.   

The conference was held with the purpose of having a comprehensive assessment of the process in deploying, training and using the Dewey Decimal Classification, Vietnamese DDC 23 during a time previous to the present.

Reports and opinions from local and foreign experts have focused on the following issues:

• Assessing the training program of Vietnamese DDC 23 compiled by NLV under responsibility of satisfying the requirement of libraries, information agencies, training centers;
• Contributing opinions for Vietnamese DDC 23;
• Pointing advantages and disadvantages for libraries, information agencies, training centers when applying and lecturing Vietnamese DDC 23.
• Giving suggestions and recommendations from libraries, information agencies to management levels.

Photos of the same event:

Overview of the Conference

Mrs. Phan Thi Kim Dzung – Director of the National Library of Viet Nam delivered the opening speech at the Conference

Mr. Andrew H. Wang – Vice President, OCLC Asia Pacific presented at the Conference

Dr. Vu Duong Thuy Nga- Deputy Director General of Library Department presented her report at the Conference

Presentation of Ms. Le Thi Hue – Deputy Director of Binh Dinh Library

Presentation of Ms. Hoang Yen – Library information Center, Ha Noi National University

Presentation of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Nga – Institution of Social Science Information

Presentation of Ms. Dinh Thuy Quynh – Faculty of Library- information, Ha Noi University of Culture

Presentation of Mr. Vu Van Son – Associationof Viet Nam Informationand Documentary

Attendants to the Conference took a souvenir picture

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News: Thanh Hà; Photos: Viet Nam Library Magazine