Here are additional responses to my request regarding shelving series books.
I haven't done this because I am afraid the kids would only go to those
books, and might miss the wonderful non-series fiction books right next to that
favorite series. Many times I have seen kids looking for that "one series" that
was always checked out, and yet they were able to find another book that
pleased them just as much.
It will be interesting to see what others say.
I inherited a small 4 sided bookcase that has what we call "junior chapter
books." The previous library tech made signs for each shelf. Two sides are
alphabetical by author, two are grouped by series. I have Magic Tree House,
Junie B. Jones, A-Z Mysteries, Bailey School Kids, etc. on that bookcase.
There's nothing in the catalog to specify the location, but the books have a
green "fiction" sticker from Demco, so anyone shelving knows where they go.
I still have series books for older readers in the general fiction
section--HP, Lemony Snicket, Boxcar Children, Animal Ark. But pulling out the
easier
ones has been great, because the students feel like they can graduate from
the easy readers to the junior chapter books to the general fiction section.
My fiction section is huge, and I think it would be too intimidating to a
first or second grader to wade through it. The only other series I pulled out
was Goosebumps, because it was tucked in a corner of my R-Z shelving, and the
only spot I can't see from my desk. It would always be destroyed back there
after a class, so I took the Goosebumps books and put them on another
freestanding case that I can see.
One reason I don't like to move the series for older students is that I
think they should be developing their library skills, and that they should learn
the joy of discovering a new author who has a book or two next to their
favorite! That's how I always found great books as a kid--and still do sometimes!
I just told the students at our first class of the year where the series
were shelved. The books fit on one column of shelves that I outlined with a
narrow bulletin board border. I also showed this to my volunteers at their
orientation. If a geronimo stilton gets shelved with regular fiction, it's easy
to find. Students know that if a book is listed as "in" and isn't with the
series, then they should check the regular shelves (and also the book truck of
volumes waiting to be shelved!)
This is one of the very reasons I have not done
"pull-out" shelving. Unless the catalog is clearly
marked, I think it penalizes those students who know
how to use it. They go to the appropriate spot and the
books aren't there.
Another reason I haven't done it, is that I think it
discourages kids from broadening their reading
selections. They don't browse.
You could always put posters or stickers on the shelf
where the books are actaully located to call attention
to them.
If you decide to pull them out, please put a "space
saver" when the books should be saying where they are.
I do this with series books that have different authors
(American Girl, Dear America, etc.). I put a red sticker
on the spine with an S for series. I then have the prefix
SERIES above the F for the call number (SERIES F LAS). I
have them at the end of my fiction section.
We shelve the series alphabetically by series in the series section. The
call number is the word "series" and the beginnng of the series title.
There is a sticker on the book above the spine label to indicate it is a
series book.
I have cheap plastic basket for each series. The baskets sit on top of
the fiction shelves, above the letter they would be filed with.
For example, on top of the P shelf are two baskets with Junie B. books.
I have baskets for each of the America Girls, Judy Blume, Horrible
Harry, Magic Tree House, Goosebumps, Arthur chapter books, etc.
I do not change the spine tag at all.
Rachel Hinds
Librarian
Carleston Elementary
Pearland, Tx
_mcquita2@aol.com_ (mailto:mcquita2@aol.com)
"If you're here on Earth and you're not living on the edge, you're taking up
too much room."
- Farrah Gray
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