A Classificação Decimal Universal e as subclasses sobre religiosidades afrodescendentes e afro-indígenas

Abstract

This study analyzes the application of the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) in the collection of the Altimar Pimentel Library, linked to the Center for Documentation and

Research on Popular Culture (NUPPO), focusing on the limitations in representing Afro- descendant and Afro-Indigenous religions. It is based on the assumption that knowledge

organization systems, although standardized and widely used, may present gaps in representing culturally complex and historically marginalized themes. Adopts a qualitative approach and is characterized as an experience report combined with bibliographic research and documentary analysis. The study was developed from technical processing activities carried out in the library’s collection during the year 2025, within the context of an extension project. The research corpus consists of works related to Afro-descendant and Afro-Indigenous religions, classified using the UDC. The analysis focused on subclasses 259.4, 279.28, 279.285, and 279.287, evaluating their adequacy in representing the thematic content of the documents. The results show that the UDC presents limitations in representing these religions, mainly due to the lack of more specific subdivisions, leading to the use of generic or partially adequate notations. This insufficiency compromises the accuracy of information organization and retrieval, in addition to contributing to the invisibility of relevant cultural manifestations in the Brazilian context. It is concluded that, although the UDC is a well-established instrument, there is a need to revise and expand its structure in the field of Religion in order to more adequately encompass the diversity of Afro-descendant and Afro-Indigenous religions. This study contributes to a critical reflection on classification systems and reinforces the importance of more inclusive instruments in knowledge organization.