Monday, May 20, 2013

World Class Obsession

The Mundaneum, a Proto-Internet Made of Index Cards
To address the daunting task of arranging bits of paper into a coherent compendium of world history, Otlet developed a system called Universal Decimal Classification. Over the next few decades, a growing staff created and cataloged more than 12 million cards summarizing the contents of books and periodicals. Having assembled this wealth of knowledge, Otlet began offering a fee-based research service. Queries came in by mail and telegraph from around the globe at the rate of 1,500 per year. 
My peeps.
Back when compulsive organization was a career skill instead of a neurosis.