FID  (International Féderation for Information and Documentation)

Organization founded in 1895 by Paul Otlet and La Fontaine. The original name was The International Institute of Bibliography (IIB). Renamed in 1932 to Féderation Internationale de Documentation (FID); Renamed again in 1986 to International Féderation for Information and Documentation, but it keeps the acronym FID from 1937. FID was dissolved 2002, cf., Keenan 2003.
 

One of the aims of IIB/FID was to establish a universal bibliography. For this purpose was the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) developed, which is a very detailed and much used library classification system.

UDC is directly based on the Dewey Decimal Classification, which demonstrates a historical connection between ”library science” and the documentation movement. This is an indication of some cooperation even there often have been very different views and interests at play. For example, the norms and ideals associated with library catalogs have been very different from the norms and ideals associated with scientific bibliographical databases. (The last often developed on commercial conditions). 

FID is known, among other things, for the foundation and administration of the UDC (Universal Decimal Classification) and the publication of International Forum for Information and Documentation (formerly: ).

Literature:

Keenan, S. (2003). FID [Federation Internationale de Documentation]. IN: International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science. 2nd ed. Ed. by John Feather & Paul Sturges. London: Routledge (pp. 196–198).

Rayward, W. B. (1994). The International Federation for Information and Documentation (FID). IN: Encyclopedia of Library History,  edited By Wayne A. Wiegand and Don G. Davis, Jr. New York: Garland Press. (Pp. 290-294). Available: http://people.lis.uiuc.edu/~wrayward/otlet/FIDHIST2.htm

Birger Hjørland

Last edited: 20-06-2006

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