No worries--I knew when I posted that I was in the minority, and the
more I respond to dissenters, the more I get to think about what a
consider a very cool idea.
> Actually, pretty much all the books about baseball ARE in one place...
> 796.357.
I guess my point is--if all the baseball books are in the same place,
why have a Dewey number assigned to it? Why not just throw a sign up
there and call it a day? What's the difference?
> perhaps the librarian can get up and walk around
> the library to ask patrons if they need help locating materials.
Right, this is exactly my point, too. So why bother with Dewey?
Helpful librarians are all you need.
> "Tags" are also called "subject headings" in libraries....in the
> online environment of an OPAC / online catalog, we also call them
> "keywords." "Tags" were invented to help organize resources online
> such as photographs, blogs, wikis, etc., all of which is located
> haphazardly on the Internet...also known as the "library with the
> books scattered all over the floor."
Yes, but when I think of tags, I think of making it possible for users
to add tags--folksonomies, if you like that term. More and more
libraries are adding this capability to their catalogs and I would bet
my MLS that this is the future of cataloging. They allow users to
think about books on their terms, not ours--the ability to add tags
will create more access points and allow for the fact that subject
headings can be pretty worthless sometimes.
> Signage is also a great way to showcase materials and direct patrons
> to areas of specific interest. Adding genre labels to book spines
> also helps patrons to immediately locate information on the shelves.
> Turning books to face forward (their best side) rather than hiding
> them on the shelves, also helps to showcase a specific area of the
> library....Let's take the display options from the bookstores and not
> the "wandering until I get frustrated" concept. The main thing that
> bookstores do that libraries don't....offer "customer service on the
> floor!" Sometimes we're too busy shelving books to stop and answer
> reference questions or directional questions. Be approachable...ask,
> "Do you need help?" "Can I help?" "Have you found everything that
> you've come for?" "Did you know.....that we have new books on...(name
> the subject)...that we are offering a summer program on....(name the
> program)....that we offer you to make suggestions for new
> purchases....?"
I agree! And all of these things, in my mind, reduce or eliminate the
need for Dewey.
> Other thoughts to consider..... what happens when you leave? After
> you've set-up the "new system" and the next librarian returns the
> collection to the "standard system"....what happens to the students'
> ability to locate materials in other libraries...in other
> schools....at the university level....in the same school under a new
> librarian?
Of course, I see this as happening over the long haul, not just as a
phase. I imagine more and more libraries will be following the Arizona
library's example. And as I've written already in this thread, I don't
think being able to use Dewey is crucial to being able to use other
libraries; feeling comfortable in a library is.
Sarah
On 5/31/07, Shonda Brisco <sbrisco@gmail.com> wrote:
> Not to "flame" or be disrespectful, but just an insight into this....
>
There are also options called "displays" of specific
> subjects that allow you to pull out books from both the fiction,
> non-fiction, videos, and biographies to showcase in one area of the
> library without disrupting the accessibility of the online catalog or
> other's access.
>
> Librarians can also create bibliographies of books on specific
> subjects and showcase them near the specific areas within the
> library...or (gasp!) perhaps the librarian can get up and walk around
> the library to ask patrons if they need help locating materials.
> (This was a MANDATE in the academic libraries when we were responsible
> for the reference desk. Every 20 minutes we were required to move
> from behind the reference desk and walk the floor to assist patrons.
> Most of the time we received more questions once we made our intial
> approach than if we had not spoken to individuals at all. In fact, we
> often ended up answering much more than the initial reference
> question...and we always had "return visitors" who would seek us for
> assistance! I loved this concept because it allowed me to talk about
> where items could be located each time without really "teaching a
> lesson.")
>
> "Tags" are also called "subject headings" in libraries....in the
> online environment of an OPAC / online catalog, we also call them
> "keywords." "Tags" were invented to help organize resources online
> such as photographs, blogs, wikis, etc., all of which is located
> haphazardly on the Internet...also known as the "library with the
> books scattered all over the floor."
>
> Signage is also a great way to showcase materials and direct patrons
> to areas of specific interest. Adding genre labels to book spines
> also helps patrons to immediately locate information on the shelves.
> Turning books to face forward (their best side) rather than hiding
> them on the shelves, also helps to showcase a specific area of the
> library....Let's take the display options from the bookstores and not
> the "wandering until I get frustrated" concept. The main thing that
> bookstores do that libraries don't....offer "customer service on the
> floor!" Sometimes we're too busy shelving books to stop and answer
> reference questions or directional questions. Be approachable...ask,
> "Do you need help?" "Can I help?" "Have you found everything that
> you've come for?" "Did you know.....that we have new books on...(name
> the subject)...that we are offering a summer program on....(name the
> program)....that we offer you to make suggestions for new
> purchases....?"
>
> We CAN assist our patrons / students and show our collections while
> retaining our systems of organization. Whether it's DDC or LC, it's
> better than trying to figure out something that isn't consistent
> throughout the general organizational program called "the library."
>
> Other thoughts to consider..... what happens when you leave? After
> you've set-up the "new system" and the next librarian returns the
> collection to the "standard system"....what happens to the students'
> ability to locate materials in other libraries...in other
> schools....at the university level....in the same school under a new
> librarian?
>
> Consistency is the key....showcase your collection...be proud and
> show-off what your library offers, but don't relinquish the standards
> for a path of least resistance. It's always THAT pathway that
> requires the most work later.... as you (or those who follow) replace
> the broken cobblestones of ignorance!
>
> As always...an opinion.
>
> ~Shonda
>
> --
> Shonda Brisco, MLIS
> Library Media / Technology Specialist
> Digital Bookends wiki / blog:
> http://digitalbookends.pbwiki.com
> http://shonda.edublogs.org/
> sbrisco@gmail.com
>
> "Digital Resources" columnist
> School Library Journal
>
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