Classification is thought of by many librarians as either a fearful complication of a very simply act, or an outmoded, almost prehistoric, method of … - Douglas John Foskett

The retrieval process begins when a lack of information shows itself in a human mind and the decision is taken to find out if this information has been discovered and published

One of the most prominent figures in contemporary British library and information science, Douglas John Foskett made many, varied, and important contributions to library and information science. Classification was always one of Foskett's major interests, and in 1952 he was one of the founders of the Classification Research Group in Britain. But he proved equally influential in the fields of comparative librarianship and library education and in the development of the Library Association (LA).

In 1948, it was agreed that a study of classification should be made, and a committee of scientists was appointed under the leadership of Professor. J. D. Bernal.