NJ18 Call Numbers (Obsolete)

Note:  NJ18 numbers are no longer being used for Arts Library material. For material that would have been classed in NJ18, please use the LC call number (050 00, or 050 _4) in bib records that have copy, or create an LC call number if you need to assign one.  (2/11/2016)

INTRODUCTION

NJ18 was a local classification scheme used at Yale for books about artists and architects or collections of reproductions of an artist or architect's works. NJ18 classification was originally derived from the Old Yale J18 classification scheme during the Library's conversion to LC classification in the 1970s. It is coded as an LC-style call number for indexing purposes.

This simplified version of NJ18 was adopted in 2001 by all Yale cataloging units using LC call numbers except the Divinity, Law, Medical, and Music libraries (The exception libraries did not file in the YUL union shelflist housed at Sterling Library.). Earlier versions of NJ18 rules were used prior to 1991 and from 1991- August 2001. Orbis numbers were part of NJ18 call numbers during the 1991-August 2000 period. There are no plans for converting these earlier call numbers to follow current practice.

SCOPE

In general, NJ18 corresponded to those numbers within the Library of Congress N-NA-NB-NC-ND-NE schedule assigned to individual artists and architects. Note that LC uses separate class numbers for artists/architects based on the medium in which the artist works (fine art in general, painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, etc.) and on the artist's nationality. NJ18 did not make such distinctions: all artists working in all fine arts media, and all architects, from all nations, were NJ18s.

Books about an artist/architect that focus primarily on the artist/architect's contributions in areas other than art /architecture (e.g. literature, artistic photography, music, politics, art or architectural criticism) were assigned the appropriate LC class. Books about the artist's contributions in multiple creative fields (LC class NX: the arts) generally classed in NJ18 if the artist/architect had already been established in NJ18 or if fine art or architecture seemed predominant.

Artists' books were generally classed in NJ18.

NJ18 was not used for artists in the applied and decorative arts; the appropriate LC class in NK was used instead. Exceptions were made when an artist established in NJ18 also produces works in the applied and decorative arts, e.g. Picasso.

NJ18 was not used for groups of artists (e.g. Cobra; Blaue Reiter) ; the appropriate LC class in N was used instead. However, NJ18 was used for artists who collaborate on a work (Gilbert & George), for families of artists, and for architectural firms.

NJ18 was not used for artists classed in ancient art, e.g. ancient Greek sculptors. (For example, Praxiteles was assigned NB102 rather than NJ18)

For books about more than one artist/architect, or for collections of reproductions of more than one artist/architect, the rule of 3 was observed. NJ18 was used for the predominant artist or the first artist named when the books was about no more than 3 artists. For books about more than 3 artists, the book was classed by topic (genre, country, etc.)

Bibliographies of works about the artist : if a Z call number was available when copy cataloging, it was used. Otherwise NJ18 was used.

Documentation on NJ18 has been archived on SharePoint.

Effective Date: 
February 11, 2016