You have to remember that Dewey DID have a preference in his religious
views....just look at the 200's and you can see where Christianity fits in
relationship to the "other religions"---Christianity fills 200 - 289...and
then he's given 290 - 299 to "Other & comparative religions."
As our world changes, so does this "living and growing organism" known as
the library....and perhaps so should the DDC.
Shonda Brisco, MLIS
MS / US Librarian
Trinity Valley School
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Savage" <c.savage@CMS.K12.NC.US>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2005 6:48 PM
Subject: Re: [LM_NET] Unique situation / classifying the 200's
> Ann Marie's comment about the location of religious tales is certainly
> true. I always use the Jataka tale of "Little Rabbit's Big Mistake" to
> introduce the 200's to second graders. They notice that the story is a
> lot like Chicken Little. I don't know what message that's sending and I
> wonder how many of our folk tales are based on stories from other
> religions. Another time, the third grade students were looking up folk
> tales to tell. One of our Indian (country in Asia) students showed a book
> to a classmate of the same heritage. He pointed out that the stories were
> about his "god." The book was in 398.2. Is it the system or the
> catalogers?
>
> I may be accused of heresy, but a Methodist minister and storyteller once
> told me that to other religions our Bible stories are like folk tales.
>
> Carol
>
> Carol Savage, NBCT
> Library Media Specialist
> Hawk Ridge Elementary School
> Charlotte, NC
> c.savage@cms.k12.nc.us
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Ann Marie Gordon <agordon@LIVONIACSD.ORG>
> Date: Thursday, April 28, 2005 4:08 pm
> Subject: Re: [LM_NET] Unique situation / classifying the 200's
>
>> An interesting point. It wasn't until very recently that I even
>> noticed(because of my own religious upbringing, I'm sure) the way
>> that some
>> materials are classed as religion, and some as folklore. For example,
>> when I checked the online catalog of my county public library, I found
>> that all library branches have cataloged the parables of Jesus in 226.
>> The Jataka tales of Buddha, though, are sometimes found in the 200's,
>> but far more often are classed in 398: folktales. From a young
>> child'spoint of view, finding a book about Buddha next to
>> Cinderella may
>> suggest something about its content.
>>
>> I certainly am not advocating that we all re-classify all the
>> 398's and
>> 200's based on any one culture's view of "the ultimate truth",
>> only that
>> we think about how our own beliefs affect the way we work, in ways we
>> may not even aware of.
>>
>> I've always found it beautiful, that books on Judaism, Islam,
>> Christianity, and all world religions, reside so compaionably together
>> in the 200's. If only the real world could be more like that!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Anne-Marie Gordon, Librarian
>> Livonia Primary School
>> Livonia, NY
>> agordon@livoniacsd.org
>> http://www.livoniacsd.org/primaryschool/gordon/index.htm
>> >>> Kristina Fallon <yasumani@AOL.COM> 04/28/05 10:14 AM >>>
>> What's interesting to me about this whole discussion is the fact that
>> Dewey himself made it very clear of his own bias on world religion by
>> reserving virtually the entire 200's to Christianity and various
>> aspectsof it and left only the 290's for everything else. Don't
>> shoot me but I
>> think this should change.
>>
>> Kristina Fallon, librarian
>> Robert Morris School
>> South Bound Brook NJ
>> yasumani@aol.com
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Linda Lucke <llucke@D70.K12.IL.US>
>> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
>> Sent: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 08:11:57 -0500
>> Subject: Re: Unique situation
>>
>>
>> Shonda,
>> I find this a very interesting question, and would love to
>> know how
>> the
>> opinions fall out. I'm afraid I would weigh in on the side of leaving
>> your
>> collection as it is, largely because the implications go far
>> beyond your
>> particular library. I am sure the Koran is placed in many libraries,
>> and I
>> cannot believe all of them arrange special placement for it.
>> Also, what
>> of
>> other books of other religions? I would imagine many have
>> traditions or
>> beliefs that are similar. Are libraries to start making
>> exceptions in
>> shelving for all of them? In the end, I think the Koran is in your
>> library,
>> and most other libraries, as a book, rather than an object of
>> religiousveneration. If it is there as a book, I think it must be
>> treated as a
>> book,
>> like other books. All books in the library should, and I think are,
>> treated
>> with equal respect. If the Koroan is, in and of itself, too
>> sacred to
>> be
>> treated as book, then perhaps it shouldn't be in the library, in the
>> same
>> way that other religious icons are not in libraries, but are in
>> churches.
>> Just some preliminary thoughts on the issue. Again, I would be
>> interested
>> in other opinions. Good luck,
>>
>> Linda
>> Lucke
>> Linda Lucke
>> Learning Center Director
>> Butterfield School
>> Libertyville, IL
>> LLucke@d70.k12.il.us
>> Happy are those who have learned to laugh at themselves, for they
>> shallnever lack for amusement!
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Brisco, Shonda" <briscos@TRINITYVALLEYSCHOOL.ORG>
>> To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 3:20 PM
>> Subject: [LM_NET] Unique situation
>>
>>
>> I just had a student who came into the library and wanted to let
>> me know
>> that our copy of the Koran (297.1) was located on the lowest shelf of
>> bookcases near his feet. In his religious experience (he tells me
>> that)the Koran should not be at the ground level or near the feet....
>>
>> The section which begins at the shelving top level with the
>> 292's....ends 6 shelves later at the bottom row with the
>> 297s...that is
>> where the Koran is located, as it just happens.
>>
>> Although I can adjust shelving and move books to accomodate the
>> student,this is the first time that I have been asked to move an
>> entire section
>> in order to make a religious book fit the "teachings" of its
>> followers /
>> readers. While I see his point, I also tried to explain that the
>> library isn't arranged according to a specific religious doctrine
>> (and I
>> won't go into those who worship cataloging and Dewey), but that it was
>> arranged according to the DDC--and it just happens that this
>> book's call
>> number ends with a number which happens to end at the lowest
>> shelf--which is ground level. I also tried to explain that within the
>> library, we try to remain neutral in all areas and provide the
>> studentsand teachers with the information they need, but that our
>> classificationand arrangement within the library isn't something
>> that we can modify
>> for one or two items---unless we have a special display
>> case....which we
>> don't.
>>
>> I'm not sure that this will become an issue...but wanted to see what
>> others thought. I'm not adjusting shelves yet, but if (or when) the
>> time comes, it might be nice to offer additional justification for why
>> we are remaining "neutral" on this type of issue rather than observing
>> the requirements for the followers of this religion and moving an
>> entireshelf of books to allow this book to "rise" above the ground
>> floor level
>> of others with the same call number. I am certainly open to ideas and
>> understand what he is asking, but this is rather unique and
>> possibly a
>> politically / religiously correct issue that might become nasty if
>> somebelieve that I am discriminating...which I'm not...
>>
>> Ideas, comments, solutions...?
>>
>> ~Shonda Brisco
>> Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
>> Fort Worth, TX
>> briscos@trinityvalleyschool.org
>>
>>
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