Kim,
I know you feel this is an easier way to arrange things....That it takes
less time when you are helping them find books, etc. All your reasons are
valid - to a point.
One of our main jobs is to teach students how to find information. I don't
think K-3 are too young to learn how to properly find books on the shelves
when the books are arranged as they should be, using the same arrangements
as in other libraries. Remember, they will be going to other libraries and
will then be very confused. Since Kindergarten learns alphabetical order,
that should be no problem. Given that most students have been exposed in
some way to technology, even if you have an automated system, they should
be able to manage it.
Yes, I did teach even K level to find things properly. I had the old card
catalog. They were thrilled to be able to find things. They couldn't read
much, but they soon learned their letters. They also could find favorite
authors - or even subjects if it was written down so they could match what
they were looking for with what was on the cards. By 3rd grade, I seldom
had to help them use the catalog- they even helped shelve things. The
teachers were also thrilled. The students were applying what they were
being taught in the classroom ( earliest form of collaboration you can
find).
How was my library arranged? I had all the E level books on short shelves -
their height- Fiction were arranged by author last name with spine label: E
xxx; E level Dewey: E 398.2 xxx in the next section. Since I had K-8 (
about 570 students), the rest of the collection was arranged F, Dewey,
Reference. I did not color dot or label my books in any other way. I did
have dividers on the shelves with a large letter to separate the alphabet,
but that was mainly for help in shelving.
I started each year with a lesson on how the library was arranged-
explaining to the young ones that I had special books for them that I knew
they could look at and read and showed them where they were and how they
were arranged. I explained when they were a bit older, they could learn how
to find other books, but that these were their special books written
especially for someone who was just learning just how wonderful it was to
read. They were thrilled to find that there were so many books just for
them. As they progressed, they moved to those other shelves, but there was
never any problem looking at an E book - it was special!
Good luck in whatever you decide to do. But, and I don't mean this as a
criticism, don't underestimate what your students can do...or what you as an
experienced librarian can accomplish.
Toni Koontz
akoontz@cdeducation.org
Media Specialist
St. Charles Preparatory
www.cdeducation.org
Columbus Ohio
Carpe Diem
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU]On Behalf Of Kimberly Tison
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 11:55 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: K-3 library organization
I need corroboration on acceptable practice in how to organize K-3 fiction
section. I have a general fiction section organized by author's last
name. I have other sections organized for ease of use by students aged
5-8 according to subject. For example, I put all the books about dogs on
a shelf labeled "Dogs-Fiction", all the books about cats similarly on a
separate shelf, on through shelves for horses, Caldecotts, easy readers,
ocean stories, birds, farm animals, historical fiction, mysteries.
The books are arranged by author's last name within each separate subject
area. The general fiction section encompasses books that could not be
categorized clearly by subject. This is a small collection of under 6,000
books for a population of 370 students. I have been a children's
librarian for 30 years, 16 of them in a school library. I find it is much
easier for me to guide students to the particular shelf where all the
fiction books about cats or any other requested subject are located, than
to have a single alphabetically arranged fiction section and to have to
search for subjects in the catalog then find them alphabetically on the
shelves for every student, or even to code the books with corresponding
subject stickers. Kids have a hard enough time deciding which book to
choose, but when faced with one long undivided alphabet I feel that it
would be overwhelming for them and me. This grade level really can't
use the catalog proficiently enough to be self-directed in a search. I
have seen other libraries use this same organizational method, but have
had some criticism recently that I am not following acceptable library
procedure. I disagree and have signed on to the NET after a long absence
knowing that I can depend on all of you to advise me as to what your
opinions are on this matter, and to possibly corroborate my organizational
method as being perfectly valid. If I am wrong about this I will just
have to switch everything around, but thanks for your able assistance in
any case!
Kim Tison, library media specialist
Park Street School Library Kennebunk, Maine
ktison@msad71.net
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