Re: [LM_NET] Dropping Dewey...a thought and question

[Kris Fallon <librarychickie@GMAIL.COM>]

I have heard of this before and I do believe it has caused some stir on
LMNET.  Honestly, I don't see how it could be any more complicated than
Dewey.  I imagine that once you come to a point of specificity ( where that
point is can vary with Dewey as well; do you stop at animals 590, mammals
599, large mammals 599.7, , bears 599.74, polar...etc) a book would be
shelved by author as I've seen in bookstores.

I remember being told by a professor in library school that catalogers were
very particular about their craft and I could imagine that many may not
agree with me.  But, I think Dewey was a very important system prior to the
digital/keyword catalogs...now I'm not so sure the number aspect of it is.

I know I feel a bit lost in a book store  with their system but is that
because it is an inferior one or is it because I'm not used it?  Are the
word based systems change for change's sake? Or, are they a better way of
doing things in today's world and I need to try an adjust?

I am contemplating a word based system for our new school library...any
other school librarians considering it?


-- 
Kristina Fallon, LMS
Robert Morris School, k-8
So Bound Brook, NJ
librarychickie@gmail.com
"Only the educated are free." - Epictus, (Greek-born, Roman slave and
philosopher- 55 AD - 135 AD)
On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 8:02 AM, Jacqueline Henry <JHenry@gananda.org> wrote:

> I have read articles such as this one before.  I know there are public
> libraries dropping Dewey and organizing the books more like a book
> store.  I understand the change in subject headings.  What I don't
> understand is - how is the location indicated in the catalog. And - if
> the heading is Animals (or even as specific as Mammals),  once you find
> the subject area, are the books then in alpha order by author?  By
> title?  Is there SOME sort of number assigned?  I can see that finding
> the right section might be easy for browsers - but what about quickly
> locating a specific book?
>
> Here is one of several articles I have read recently.  Apparently there
> is some sort of number assigned.   Can anyone enlighten me?
>
> Quoting from this article:  Rangeview Library District, CO, First
> System To Fully Drop Dewey
> http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6663145.html
>
> "there were small tweaks necessary to make to the ILS like changes to
> display the call numbers properly."
>
> Looks like there are call numbers of some sort.  Or is the call number
> simply a broad subject category and from there you have to scan the
> whole section to find a specific book?
>
>
>
>
> Jacquie
>
> "You see, I don't believe that libraries should be drab places where
> people sit in silence, and that's been the main reason for our policy of
> employing wild animals as librarians...."   (Monty Python)
>
> "The Librarian, whose job is to heal ignorance, to keep life safe for
> poetry and to put knowledge smack dab in the middle of the American
> way." ~ The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9-20-03
>
> “Education is not about filling a pail, it’s about lighting a fire."  ~
> William Butler Yeats
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Jacquie Henry, MLS
> Ruben A. Cirillo High School (GHS)
> Gananda Central School District
> 3195 Wiedrick Road
> P.O. Box 609
> Macedon, NY  14502
> 315-986-3521 x 3144
> jhenry@gananda.org
> Library Page: http://www.gananda.org/webpages/hslibrary/
> Blog - Library Links For Teachers: http://rachslibrary.edublogs.org/
> Blog - Wanderings
> http://wanderings.edublogs.org/
>
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