Forest Press

Forest Press. It was a specialized publishing imprint established in 1967 with the sole purpose of publishing, maintaining, and promoting the Dewey Decimal Classification system. Founded by John C. Frémont and based in Albany, New York, its operations were later integrated into OCLC, a global library cooperative. For over three decades, Forest Press was the authoritative source for new editions and revisions of one of the world's most widely used library classification schemes.

History

Forest Press was founded in 1967 by John C. Frémont, a prominent figure in American library science and the then-Director of Libraries at the New York State Library. The establishment of the press was a strategic move to ensure the continued stewardship and professional publication of the Dewey Decimal Classification following the death of its creator, Melvil Dewey. Initially operating from Albany, New York, the press's early work was guided by the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC), a body of the American Library Association. A key figure in its history was Sanford Berman, who served as its Head Cataloger and was a vocal advocate for modernizing and making the DDC more responsive to contemporary needs. In 1988, seeking greater resources and global reach for the classification system, Forest Press was transferred to the stewardship of OCLC, a major nonprofit library services and research organization. This merger effectively ended its status as an independent entity, though the "Forest Press" name was retained as an imprint for DDC publications for several more years under OCLC's management.

Publications

The core publication of Forest Press was the full edition of the Dewey Decimal Classification. Its major releases included the comprehensive 19th edition in 1979 and the landmark 20th edition in 1989, the latter being the first edition produced under the auspices of OCLC. These editions were accompanied by the Abridged Dewey Decimal Classification, designed for smaller libraries, and a wide range of supporting materials. These included the Dewey Decimal Classification Additions, Notes and Decisions (DC&), a periodic newsletter for subscribers, and various manuals, workbooks, and guides such as the Dewey Decimal Classification: A Practical Guide. The press also published related scholarly works and conference proceedings focused on classification theory and bibliographic control, cementing its role as the central hub for DDC-related knowledge and tools for librarians worldwide.

Impact and recognition

The work of Forest Press had a profound impact on global librarianship by ensuring the systematic and professional evolution of the Dewey Decimal Classification. Under its stewardship, the DDC was translated into over thirty languages and became the standard classification system in more than 135 countries, used in libraries from the Library of Congress to small public libraries across Europe and Asia. The press's collaboration with the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee helped democratize the revision process, incorporating input from the international library community. This governance model was recognized as a benchmark for maintaining a major intellectual property for public good. The 1988 integration with OCLC leveraged new information technology to accelerate updates and distribute the DDC electronically, fundamentally transforming how libraries accessed and implemented the system. The enduring legacy of Forest Press is the sustained relevance and adaptability of the DDC as a foundational tool for knowledge organization in the digital age.

See also

* Library of Congress Classification * Universal Decimal Classification * Bliss bibliographic classification * Cutter Expansive Classification * Subject heading * Knowledge organization system

Category:Library classification systems Category:American publishers (people) Category:Organizations based in Albany, New York Category:Organizations established in 1967 Category:OCLC