Book Indexing and the Limits of Classification

Members may well have comments to add to Ken Bakewell's letter in Update this month, which asserts the importance of book indexing:

I used to teach classification with Eric [Hunter], so I obviously agree with him about the importance of classificatory technique. Many years ago, however, I gave a paper at a Cataloguing and Indexing Group conference in which I stressed the shortcomings of classification. I used two books from my collection to demonstrate: Speak for England by Melvyn Bragg (Secker & Warburg, 1976) and Akenfield: portrait of an English village by Ronald Blythe ... (Allen Lane, 1972). Both these books defy classification because they cover a multitude of subjects which are best approached via the index. There is just one problem: neither book has an index! ...

There are still far too many books published without an index or with inadequate indexes and I should like CILIP, libraries and LIS schools to join forces with the Society of Indexers in attempting to convince publishers that a good index enhances the value of their books. I suspect that LIS schools do not pay sufficient attention to book indexes and book indexing. [1]

C&I is interested in hearing more examples of classification-defying books and, indeed, any other thoughts, opinions or recollections sparked by this interesting letter.

Ref

[1] Bakewell, Ken (2007) Books - with a good index - should be the core for public libraries [letter]. Library & Information Update, 6(5), May: 22.

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