Table of Contents: 2021 SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER No. 442
Willis, S. NLM Classification 2021 Summer Edition Now Available. NLM Tech Bull. 2021 Sep-Oct;(442):e1.
2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the NLM Classification. The first edition of the classification was published in 1951 as the U.S. Army Medical Library Classification. The name changed to the National Library of Medicine Classification with the second edition in 1956 to coincide with the library's name change. It is still recognized as a standard classification system for the arrangement of library materials in the field of medicine and related sciences used by health and medical libraries all over the world.
The classification has been steadily built for over 70 years based on the scientific knowledge and current events of the time. A major restructuring of the entire classification is not feasible, but an annual systematic review of selected schedules is conducted.
The major focus of the 2021 summer edition was the systematic review of the following schedules: WU (Dentistry. Oral Surgery) and WV (Otolaryngology).
| New Class Number | Caption |
| WU 29.1 | General coverage (Not Table-G) |
| WU 29.3 | Medical emergencies during dental care |
| WU 29.5 | Dental infection control |
| WU 115 | Oral hygiene |
| WU 120 | Dental health education |
| WU 140.8 | Mouth diseases |
| WU 192 | Dental cements |
| WU 194 | Dental porcelain |
| WU 195 | Dental synthetic resins |
| WU 215 | Tooth |
| WU 235 | Tooth root. Root canal therapy |
| WU 240.5 | Gingiva |
| WU 241 | Periodontal diseases (General and not elsewhere classified) |
| WU 246 | Tooth diseases (General or not elsewhere classified) |
| WU 247 | Tooth injuries |
| WU 260 | Tooth abnormalities |
| WU 272 | Fluoridation. Fluoride treatment |
| WU 355 | Dental restoration |
| WU 510 | Dental prosthesis |
| WU 511 | Crowns |
| WU 512 | Dentures |
| WU 450 | Public health dentistry |
| WU 626 | Maxillofacial prosthesis |
| Deleted Class Number | Former Caption | New Instructions for Classification |
| [WU 18.5] | Education of dental assistants, hygienists, and technicians | Classify works on education of dental auxiliaries in WU 18. |
| [WU 105] | Dental emergencies (General) | Classify works on medical emergencies during dental care in WU 29.3. |
| [WU 141.5] | Specific diagnostic methods, A-Z | Classify specific diagnostic methods in WU 141. |
| [WU 141.5.C3] | Cephalometry | Classify works on cephalometry used in dentistry in WU 141. |
| [WU 141.5.O2] | Odontometry | Classify works on odontometry in WU 215. |
| [WU 158] | Oral and dental injuries (General) | Classify works on tooth injuries in WU 247. Classify works on mouth injuries in WU 140.8. |
| [WU 170] | Dental chemistry (General) | Classify works on chemistry in LC's QD schedule. |
| New Class Number | Caption |
| WV 257 | Vestibular diseases |
| WV 268 | Vestibulocochlear physiological phenomena. Hearing |
| WV 480 | Larynx |
| WV 485 | Laryngeal diseases (General or not elsewhere classified) |
| Deleted Class Number | Former Caption | New Instructions for Classification |
| [WV 280] | Deaf-mutism | Classify works on mutism associated with deafness in WV 270. |
| [WV 310] | External nose | Classify works on the nose in WV 300-WV 301. |
| [WV 400] | General works | Classify general works on the pharyngeal region in WV 410. |
| [WV 401] | Anatomy. Physiology | Classify works on anatomy and physiology of the pharynx in WV 410. |
| [WV 510] | Inflammation | Classify works on laryngitis in WV 485. |
The 2022 winter edition will be published in late January 2022. It will encompass the additions and changes from the 2022 MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) vocabulary as evaluated for inclusion in the Classification index. All main index headings will be linked to the 2022 vocabulary in the MeSH Browser at that time.
By Sharon R. Willis
Cataloging and Metadata Management Section, Technical Services Division
