Hit: Shelving Series

[Jane Dougherty <jdoughe@SRVUSD.K12.CA.US>]

Thank you to everyone who answered my plea for ideas on shelving
series books. It seems almost everyone agrees it is "okay" to shelve
as series. Here are the replies:

I would make a note in my records that I was cuttering or using the
series original author as the 2nd line in the call number to keep the
series shelved together.  Very few libraries have I ever found who
always used the "correct" main entry for everything to shelve by.
Most books will have a statement that either the series or the
character of something was originally by XYZ.

I think you might as well make the kids aware that this type of
shelving may be done.  Some people do a third line with the first 3 or 4
letters of the real author.

I like to make it as easy as possible for both myself and the
students.

I cutter under series when they are by different authors such as Dear
America.

I have this same problem with other series such as the wishbone, diary
books, and american girls - all different authors.  I think I am going to
put them together with special color stickers, but I am not sure about what
to put on the call number or on the catalog.  let me know what you find out.

I would put it with the other Christophers. The whole point of cataloguing
is so patrons can find what they need.

Jane, cataloging is meant to shelve like with like and find the
books. Adjust what you need for your library. If you want to get
technical about it, you are providing access by a Uniform title...
that you will make up. <grin>.  You now have a built in lesson
about how to find books in a library, since you will probably be
different from others.

    Although the Great Librarian In the Sky will someday strike me with
lightning, I'm going to keep them all FIC CHR.  You can be sure to list the
real authors on your catalog, but the kids will find them best in the spot
they like to look.  If one author emerges with twenty titles, you'll probably
want to switch those over some year down the road.  My $.02.

I shelve Matt Christopher books, Junie B. Jones, A - Z Mysteries, Hardy
Boys, Great Illustrated Classics, Hank the Cowdog, Bailey School Kids, Dear
America etc in the Popular Series area. They are shelved alphabetically by
series name--PS FIC DAD--popular series fiction Dadey. It works for me.

We started shelving series books separately when we got Dinotopia
books and the American Girl books by various authors.  Then last year
we found ourselves running out of fiction shelf space.   (We've only
been open 7 years!)  Our solution was to put all series books on the
top shelf.  (Our shelves are only 36 inches high so the top shelf is
countertop level.)  We got corrugated cardboard book holders from
Demco or Highsmith.

        Please post a hit on what you learn.  My fiction section is full.  I
can't fit in any more books.  But I have several 'free' shelves near
reference and I have been debating between the last few letters of the
alphabet moving over to the free shelves....or moving some of the series:
Babysitters, Goosebumps, Animorphs, Matt Christopher....  I'd love to see
your feedback!

There is a similar situation with the Arthur chapter books. Stephen
Krensky writes those instead of Marc Brown. But interestingly, Marc
Brown's name is on the cover and not Krensky. I have changed all the
call numbers to reflect Brown and if I receive the new Matt Christopher
series, I will also change those to Christoper and not the "ghost"
writer. I don't see the point in confusing kids.Hope this helps.
Please do not include my name if you post a hit. TIA.

I usually stay with the original author and then do an additional author
entry.  I don't like to have lots of different places to shelve or look for
things.

I use the F CHR approach.  I know it's not technically correct but it's
what works.  I used to put the author's last 3 letters on a third line but
don't bother with that anymore.  We shelve them in with the other fiction,
not separate.  I think if you separate them, the students might miss nearby
books that are not in a series.  A number of years ago I cataloged a
popular Time Life series "correctly" in nonfiction.  Even though they had
quite diverse call numbers, somehow they'd all end up on the same shelf
together anyway.  I took that as my little lesson on practicality over
total correctness.

For the ease of the Children I would keep them under Matt Christopher.
I also put sports labels on the spine of all my sports fiction.

When I was in library school (about 7 years ago), my cataloging
instructor stressed that ultimately it was the librarian's decision
as to where to best place an item.  Thus, in my K-5 elem. school
library, I use F AME for all of my American Girl books (even though
they are written by several different authors); I use F CHO for the
Choose Your Own Adventure series, F BRO for all of those new Arthur
begining chapter books, and so on.  My first goal is to get my
students reading - anything that helps them find the books they want,
I do.  Thus, I would put F CHR on all of the new Matt Christopher
books, even though he didn't write them.  Perhaps it's not exactly
fair for the authors who did write them, but I'm more concerned about
my students reading than the author's egos!

I will keep them together.  I feel that making sure
the kids get them is top priority.  And this is the
easiest way to do that.

We have found the same problem with the Wishbone series, Star Wars
series, and the Mary-Kate and Ashley books. We are currently changing
the spines to reflect the series such as:  F WIS,  F STA,  and   F OLS
(for Olsen). Even though it isn't correct, it is much easier to find.

Jane Dougherty, Library Media Coordinator
jdoughe@srvusd.k12.ca.us
San Ramon Valley Unified School District
Montevideo Elementary School (K-5)
13000 Broadmoor Drive * San Ramon, CA 94583
Tel: 925-803-7450 * Fax: 925-828-1727
Voice Mail 925-552-2435
E-mail: jdoughe@srvusd.k12.ca.us

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