HIT: Coding collections for different levels, Part I

[Charlotte Snyder <csnyder@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us>]

Dear Friends:
Thanks to everyone who responded to my question about coding collections;
several people suggested coding the nonfiction collection as well,
something I had not thought of. I have much to think about and many good
ideas to help me formulate a plan for my library. I am posting a hit
without names attached. I think this will be in several parts, since I got
so many responses.
* * * * * * *
We're a K-8 school and have our fiction in two areas.  The
picture/beginning reading books are in a section marked E FIC and then the
more advanced books are in a separate section.  The easy fiction is also
shelved on lower shelves so we don't have the problem of the little ones
trying to reach the top shelves.  It makes choosing a book easier for the
k-1s because then they don't have to look hard to find a book they might
like.
* * * * *
I am wanting to do the same thing.  My library (I'm new here) is big. 1st
and 2nd grade check out from one side and 3rd the other. At semester 2nd
has typically moved over to the 3rd grade side.  I don't like this at
all--it keeps me hopping from one side to the other looking for something.
We have 2 card catalogs.  I intend to combine the collections but have a
separate "E" section which I like to call "everybody " books.  I have seen
this done and may do it here: a separate section for beginning readers -
"red dot" books so called because they have been marked with a red sticky
dot on the spine.  This is where I would have "I Can Read" book which I
love and others like them. I am interested to know what you learn from
your posting.
* * * * * *
You are about to open up a can of worms, here. Many in the group will have
some suggestions regarding directing readers to "appropriate" materials,
but many will also quote the ALA's Freedom to Read and Library Bill of
Rights statements in asserting the belief that it is not up to us to
censor our collections, that students must have full and free access to
school and public library collections, and that only parents have the
right to control their children's reading.
* * * * * *
Years ago I was in a K-12 one-room library.  We had "E" books (for easy
picture books), YP books (for Young People's fiction books, chapter
books appropriate for upper elementary.  If I was doing it today I would
probably use a YA label above the regulation Fic Aar label, rather than
YP).  The books with only a "Fic Aar" label could only be checked out by
7th grade and older.  It worked well.
* * * * * *
I am in a k-6 school, and though I don't have many first graders selecting
fiction I have coded my fiction so my second and third graders who need it
can easily locate an easier book to select from the shelves. I have put a
pink dot on the spine of these easier books. (I have coded other
collections too, such as fairy tales and easy readres, but these are
shelved separately) I went through the fiction the first week of school
before any had moved off the shelves and based my choices on print size,
and total length. It went quickly. I think you could similarly code the
books that have YA content and limit these to sixth grade and above. Of
course that might call undue attention to those books- but I think this
might be the direction I would go. It will take awhile, but sounds like a
worthwhile project.  I emphasize the 5 finger rule and find that in the
lower grades that limits what the students select pretty well. Fourth and
fifth graders are often capable of reading any book you would have in your
collection,  but are often not mature enough emotionally to handle the
subject matter contained in todays YA books. I like to have challenging
books (emotionally and literarily challenging) in my media center,
but I do warn kids- "Oh, you're going to cry when you read this one" and
such, so that those who don't want that sort of story will have that
information, for what it's worth. Use this list to query the group on the
best grade level (or at least 8-11 vrs 11-13), on individual books if  you
can't actually read each book in question cover to cover. Good luck.
* * * * * *
  I have K-8 so I know what you're talking about.  I don't have much space
to divide the fiction beyond a separate section for easy picture books.
The problem though with "coding" is that it can keep younger but more
capable, mature readers from selecting books above the rest of their
agemates levels and can stigmatize older, but less capable readers who
might choose easier books.  I wish I knew the answer.  I do try with the
younger kids to watch what they're checking out and suggest that they
might want to wait a few years for a particular book they might have in
their hand.  Sometimes they listen, sometimes they don't.
If anyone else has some good ideas on this, please pass them on.
* * * * * *
I would like to know the answer to your question also.  I am a volunteer
for our library, just starting library school.  When I first came into our
library, all paper backs were together--fiction, non-fiction, younger age,
older age (audience), scary, religious, Newbery, and Goosebumps, classics
and some Easy.  We are a small Catholic school, and hope I can get away
with what I am doing. I separated it into several groups.  Easy fiction is
on its own, of course. Non-fiction is in the process of being categorized
according to Dewey--and then I will put a "Juvenile" sticker (from Demco
or one of those companies) on them.  The step-into- reading type books and
other easier fictions are now in a Juvenile section.  I am in the process
of putting a "Juvenile" sticker on each of them.  And I have started
classifying them for card catalogue with a "J".  (I saw that Fowlett gave
you an option to classify K-3 books as Juvenile.)I also separated out the
classics and Newbery, so students will begin to appreciate a good book
when they see one.  I intend to put a Caldecott or Newbery sticker on
their spines also, and eventually I probably should insert them into the
Fiction or Juvenile fiction section, wherever appropriate.  The other
group I have a separate section for is "Scary". Many of the students just
want scary, and now they can go right to that section. Plus a student who
doesn't like scary, no longer has to weed through lots of books they could
care less about.  I won't tell you what I did with the Goosebumps for the
time-being. I know it might not be totally acceptable, the way I have done
it, however, I have heard lots of positive comments from students (and
teachers) about "all the new fiction books we have in the library now."
(I hadn't bought any!) I am not bragging...I am just saying it worked for
us, for now.
* * * * * *
 I had just asked our middle school librarians for suggestions on
the very same problem.  We just added 7th & 8th grades to our K-6, and I
have an 8th grade teacher pushing for a separate fiction section.  I hate
to do it because then there are just too many places to look and too many
books that fall in that middle ground, etc.  Plus I didn't want to create
a "forbidden fruit" situation.
I started putting small stars on the spine of books that are clearly only
going to appeal to older kids or that are inappropriate for younger ones
(although I really prefer to deal with that area by not having anything
inappropriate--seems like there's plenty out there that are good
literature and wouldn't give cause for alarm.) I'm also sticking to my
policy of not buying Fear Street and things like that.  We have a good
public library for that stuff.  I also won't buy Seventeen or Teen.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Charlotte Snyder, Librarian         *
* The Waldorf School of Baltimore     *
* and Baltimore County Public Library *
* csnyder@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us         *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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