Synoptic Classification System
From Greek synoptikos (συνοπτικός) — syn- (together) + opsis (view)
A modified Dewey system for private libraries. Designed for browsing, not retrieval. For thinkers, not librarians.
The Problem
They optimize for retrieval—finding a specific book you already know exists. But private collectors need systems optimized for browsing—discovering connections between ideas.
Dewey scatters related material across the building. Want to understand the Cold War? You'll need to visit:
Library of Congress is even worse for browsers—designed for a single massive collection with idiosyncratic divisions:
Theory and history belong together. Letter suffixes separate narrative from commentary:
In Practice
Under Dewey, these books are scattered across disciplines. Under SCS, they sit with their intellectual neighbors.
Try It
Enter a book's details and get its Synoptic Classification. Powered by Claude.
Core Principles
The 900–908 block houses theoretical work that transcends specific places and times. Clausewitz sits next to Sun Tzu. Tainter sits next to Turchin. Theory provides the lenses; history provides the cases.
Everything about a specific place and time—political, military, diplomatic, economic—belongs together. Soviet military doctrine lives in 947, not 355. No more hiking across the library.
Narrative history stays clean. Policy debates and commentary get letter suffixes: E for economic, S for social, F for foreign policy, P for political, C for cultural. 973.926S = Reagan era social policy.
Ignore where the publisher or library put it. Ask: how will I use this book? If it's a lens for interpreting other books, it's theory. If it's a case study, it's regional history.