Islamic Libraries: A Resouce Guide

Bear in mind that the library cataloguing and classification systems used around the world do not adequately cover the myriad and detailed nature of the subject of Islam. Libraries in Muslim countries may have modified these systems to meet the demands of their users or may even have designed an Islaamic library organization system.

The Origins of Classisfication

The scheme for shelving of books varied from library to library, with the exception of the location of the Qur’an, which was always placed on the highest shelf, a practice that is still in the mosques (BenAicha, 1986 : 256). One of the earliest known library catalogues is known as the al-Fihrist, written by Al-Nadim (987 A.D.) using the dominant method of cataloguing of his time, which ranges from the Qur’anic studies and exegeses to literature, philosophy and the sciences.

The ten main classes listed by Al-Nadim were :

1. Qur’an
2. Grammar
3. History
4. Poetry
5. Dogmatics
   1. Jurisprudence 
   2. Philosophy
   3. Light literature
   4. Religion
   5. Alchemy

    

The first six classes dealt with literature of Islam and the last four with non-Islamic literature (Aman, 1975 : 107-108). Other classification schemes are used in libraries today of which the Dewey Decimal Classification scheme is an example.

Source: Historical development of Islamic libraries internationally and in South Africa : a case study of the Islamic Library in Gatesville. by Roldah Adams, 2003

Some muslim countries have adapted the DDC division 200 (for religions) in an attempt to classify their materials. The King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies has devised its own classification scheme geared toward organising islamic and Arab documents and uses it to organise its own libraries.