After reading and ruminating over all of your wonderful comments, I felt that I
just had to put in my own two cents!
I guess the reason I touch a nerve in so many people with the question of
"reorganization of the fiction collection into genres" is that we all have such
different ideas about our mission in school libraries. Some of us are more service
oriented-just wanting to get that perfect book in the hands of the student! Some of
us see our mission to prepare the students for "The Real World" by teaching them
library skills that will serve them in other libraries out "there." Most of us are
trying to strike a balance between the two.
I really feel that there is a lot of truth in the comment that a "true reader" will
find the books no matter where we hide them. Maybe it's my 17 years of teaching
learning disabled kids that makes my heart go out to those who really can't learn
to use OPAC. Or if they can, they're completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of
hits. Or maybe it's just my own feeling of panic whenever I find myself in a
Library of Congress system library without a clue! But I tend to lean toward making
the library easier for those kids.(I really love those
"Deer-Caught-in-the-Headlights" kids)!
When I think of this reorganizing as a radical change, I remind myself that
Melville Dewey, himself, put the fiction in the 800's-not on a separate shelf. I
wonder who was the first to get the great idea to take fiction books and put them
somewhere else (and how much flack did they get because "It's always been done that
way"?
Will I reorganize my fiction collection into genre? Probably not. The jury's still
out on that one. Actually, I'm pretty near retirement, and I'm afraid the librarian
who follows me might not appreciate my labors. But, I DO plan to get some spine
labels. And we'll go from there!
Please forgive me if I choose not to respond to other comments on this thread. I've
dedicated much too much time on this interesting and fascinating question.
--Deb
Deb Evers, Library Media Specialist
Cushing High School
Cushing, OK
devers@cushinghs.k12.ok.us
A house without books is like a room without windows. No man has a right to bring
up children without surrounding them with books.... Children learn to read being in
the presence of books. - Horace Mann
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation.
* LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
* LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
* EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/
* LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LM_NET
Mailing List Home