The Rise and Fall of Union Classification

Abstract

Thanks to the work of Julia Pettee in the early twentieth century, theological librarians had an effective system for the classification of theological books. Her work spanned more than 30 years and numerous volumes and resulted in a system that would be known as Union Classification. This article traces the rise and fall of Union from its beginnings at Rochester Seminary, to its widespread use and to its decline in recent years. Included are past and current data regarding the use of Union in ATS libraries as well as some libraries in Australia.