Classifications can help to overcome difficulties in information retrieval of heterogeneous and multilingual collections for which linguistic and free text searching is not sufficient or applicable. However, there are problems in the machine readability of classification systems which do not facilitate their wider use and full exploitation. The authors focus on issues of automation of analytico-synthetic classification systems such as Universal Decimal Classification (UDC), Bliss Bibliographic Classification (BC2) and Broad System of Ordering (BSO). 'Analytico-synthetic’ means here classification systems that offer the possibility of building compound index/search terms and that lend themselves to post-coordinate searching.This is such a widespread problem we often just don't see it. I can't load classification records into my system like I do authority and bib records. Why is that? The LC classification schedules exist in MARC format. But they are not readly available. Nor is my system able to use them. Why is is so easy to share the other MARC fomat data but not the classification?