Larger agencies have more people filing and retrieving records. The needs of the people filing and retrieving records must be considered when choosing a filing system. The Dewey Decimal System would be inappropriate for specialized subject files where a few people with intimate knowledge of the subject use the records. It would be very useful for an agency library, however, where many people use records with which they may be only generally familiar. Direct access allows a person to find a record by going directly to the files and looking under the name of the record.
Alphabetic systems are usually direct access systems.
Indirect access requires the use of an index or authority file to determine the code assigned to a record. Alphanumeric and numeric systems are usually indirect access systems. In deciding which access system is best for your agency, consider the following features. Without knowing the coding system, individuals cannot access specific files. An index must be consulted before a file can be located.