Fiction vs. Non-Fiction

[Sandy Pomerantz <spomeran@MAIL.PHILA.K12.PA.US>]

Dear Tracey,
        I started a whole discussion about fiction versus non-fiction on
LM_NET several months ago!  Lots of librarians agreed with me that we need
to get away from teaching the sections of the library as Fiction and
Non-Fiction. There were many alternatives suggested:
(1)  The Dewey Decimal System contains classification numbers for all types
of books, but fiction novels in English are so popular and such a large
segment that they are separated and usually marked with F, FIC, etc. They
could have been given the Dewey numbers for American novels and British
novels and have been shelved in the 800's. (Short Stories, too, if these
are shelved as a separate entity at the end of the novels or integrated
within)
(2) Non-novel fiction and factual books numbered by Dewey classification in
one section - fiction novels in  English (and short stories?) in the other.
(3)  Reference as a third section containing factual and fiction works
given Dewey classification numbers. I have a few large poetry anthologies,
Reader's Encyclopedia, Books of Quotations (fact and fiction), and
mythology and folklore references in the Reference Section as well as the
usual factual references. And how about a copy of the Bible in the 200's
section of Reference?
                                        Sandy P. in Philly



"It's got to be the going not the gettin' there that's good." Harry Chapin
in song "Take the Greyhound"
"But then, you could go both ways!"  Scarecrow in movie "The Wizard of Oz"

Sandy Pomerantz, Librarian
Central East Middle School
236 E. Wyoming Ave.
Phila., PA 19120
(215) 456-3037
spomeran@phila.k12.pa.us

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