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Mine were separate, too, and after observing the circulation patterns for a year I started the following: Note that when I use the term fiction I mean the regular fiction collection. When I refer to paperbacks, they're on a paperback rack and separate from the rest of the fiction. The call number for fiction was F/AUT, for paperback it was P/AUT/T where type stands for the type of paperback section (sports, animal books, mystery, scifi/fantasy, general). 1. Pull all the PB mainstream fiction and add to the regular fiction (Kids who like Roald Dahl in paperback will like him just as well in hardback.) This was done haphazardly by the previous librarian, but she indicated the difference between them by putting permanent covers on what was going into the regular collection and just taping what was to remain in the paperback racks. We buy periodical covers (plastic, black paper edges) from I think Demco. I can doublecheck source when I get back in school. If the paperbacks went onto the fiction shelves. from the beginning, they ceased being paperbacks and became regular fiction by grace of these covers with a F/AUT call number and accession numbers. 2. The paperbacks that I consider part of popular culture (Goosebumps, for example) and that are not likely to end up as part of my permanent collection remain paperbacks. They are not accessioned, and are tracked simply by copy number. They have author and title cards in the card catalog, but not subject cards. I view these books as throw-aways. When they start to look ratty, I simply toss without worrying about replacing immediately and wondering about the effect on my holdings statistics. I can pick up this type of book as a freebie during the book fair, or with book premium points from book clubs. I do not spend $ to obtain these books, nor do I worry specifically about replacing them by title. If I worry about replacing a book by title, it's going to be permanent enough to go to the fiction stacks when/if I do replace it The problem with this--my kids prefer paperbacks. They'll hit the paperback racks before they head into the stacks. By moving the mainstream fiction paperbacks into the stacks, I'm luring more of them into the stacks. Those that read only Goosebumps will still have them, and at least I can see at a glance who's lingering at the paperback rack during class checkout and target those kids for some intensive booktalking. When all 25 were at the paperback rack it was harder to keep track of who was reading what. And even if I studied the cards after checkout, I still didn't see them for another week. (I hate fixed scheduling). A second problem--I have to very carefully weed the fiction. I'm human, and confess that I usually spent more time weeding the nonfiction. Now fiction requires more time because I have to do a lot more physical inspection of the paperbacks. I'm mending more paperbacks than ever, too, and I'm trying to figure out the most economical way to prepare them for the permanent fiction shelf. Maybe a combination of tape spine reinforcement along with those plastic periodical covers I described. I think if paperbacks are shelved in with hardbacks, kids thend to think of them as hardbacks and treat them as hardbacks (a little rougher handling). It'll take another year or so of observation before I can draw more definite conclusions. A third problem--because they didn't have subject cards to begin with, they still don't have them now. And I haven't found time to go back yet and change all the P call numbers to F. (We're talking about hundreds of books.) I posted a sign that said if you didn't find the paperback you want in the paperback rack, check the fiction shelves. That worked well for me the year I moved all the E books into the regular F stacks, so I'm not worried about rushing to fix the card catalog. In fact, since I just purchased the whole Follett software system, I may not ever get around to adding subject cards for the re-catalogued paperbacks physically to the card catalog, and just wait until I go online for them to be represented. The benefits, in terms of helping the reluctant reader, are tremendous. Basically, readers are readers, and they'll find books wherever you put them. My method helps me target at a glance those kids who need a little guidance in book selection, and if I can get to them, they leave with only one Goosebumps and another book I've talked them into. No, I don't regret moving the paperbacks, but remember that I only moved part of them. Deena Wells,Librarian Stewart Elementary Oxford,Ohio * willie@iac.net * dazbell@tlcnet.muohio.edu