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At 12:40 PM 5/31/2007 -0400, you wrote: >Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 12:40:28 -0400 >From: sarah <sarah.ludwig@GMAIL.COM> >Subject: Re: Dewey Decimal System eliminated in new Arizona library. . . . >Why not put all the >books on baseball in one place, no matter what the *specific* topic >(individual players vs. how-tos vs. the economics of the game, etc.), Someone else might say, why not put all the books on economics in one place, even if the specific topic is the economics of baseball, or of auto manufacturing, or or international trade? Someone else might say, why not put all biographies in one place, whether the subject of the biography is a baseball player, a writer, or a business executive? Someone else might say, why not put all instructional manuals (how-to books) in one place, whether the topic is coaching baseball, building a redwood deck, or designing an accounting system? Interesting thought . . . but perhaps problematic, as everyone would have his or her own system, which is the problem that major systems like Dewey and Library of Congress address. Multiple topic listings let patrons look up by multiple topics. Seems reasonable. Look up the topic of interest, jot down the call numbers, and find the books in their proper places. Maybe some "see also" references help the patron to find some related books of interest that are not exactly on topic. By the way . . . a few decades ago, the California State Library switched from Dewey to Library of Congress. Rather than renumbering the books already on the shelves, the library started a new section numbered according to LoC. That section of course expanded and expanded and expanded over the years, as the Dewey section shrank somewhat through weeding. The Deweys are on the lower floors (if not all in the basement now), but still in their own section. The stacks are closed, so mostly it is the librarians and paging personnel who are affected by the layout. Ken ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ken Umbach Columnist, Knowledge Quest Policy Analyst, California Research Bureau, California State Library Writer, editor, researcher, consultant, www.umbachconsulting.com 916-733-2159 -- voice mail "The Pursuit of Publishing": http://www.lulu.com/content/740262 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------