I was wondering if library media programs in colleges & universities are still
treating use of the Dewey Decimal System, cataloging, processing, etc. in the same
light as they were when I went through classes 20 years ago?
I had never heard of any school library not filing by the DDC except over the past
few years. When we were all on the same page, students (and adults) could
literally go into any library using the DDC and be familiar with the set-up. As
some make the decision to go to a "bookstore" format, it's going to be a hassle to
look for books. I've had to ask many times to find certain books at the bookstore
that aren't shelved in what I would consider the correct manner...sometimes by
genre and sometimes they haven't even filed the author's name correctly.
Our local public library has had their fiction books sorted by genre for
ages...FICTION, WESTERN FICTION, MYSTERY FICTION, SCIENCE FICTION, etc. While I
like this format to go and browse through the Science Fiction, I've discovered that
whoever catalogs doesn't necessarily catalog them all correctly. For instance,
while reading the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, some titles were missing in the
SciFi section. I know I could have gone to the on-line catalog and looked...but
what's the fun in looking that way! ha... Anyway, I was looking in the general
Fiction section and discovered that some books in the series (some duplicate copies
and some of the copies I couldn't find in the SciFi section) were filed there. I
started looking and noticed the same thing with other titles as well. I've learned
to always check both areas since they may be cataloged in two different sections.
I have also wondered what training those who determine the DDC number for the MARC
records for books we purchase have received. I've found some books with what I
considered to have the incorrect DDC # in the MARC record. Recently while
determining books to discard, I discovered several books in a non-fiction series we
had on animals in the 500's to really be Fiction books. When I checked the CIP
information...it had Fiction! So those books had been filed incorrectly for about
15+ years. The MARC records had to come from whomever we had purchased the books
and records from...I had never thought to doublecheck this data before.
I guess my point is that at one time we all seemed to be on the same page. As
libraries deviate from this arrangement, are we heading to a system that makes it
impossible to train anyone to search for a book in a standard way? One person may
classify a book as one genre while another classify it as another. I do like to
browse, but also like to browse in a system I think I know!
Just my two cents!
Tony Pope
Library Media Specialist
McHenry Primary School
100 McHenry Dr.
Rome, GA 30161
pope1966@att.net
________________________________
From: Jo Reinmiller <Jo_Reinmiller@CDS.ED.CR>
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 3:50:41 PM
Subject: After spine labels
To all you movers and shakers,
This conversation about spine labels got me to thinking. What do the libraries do
who have chosen to organize more like a bookstore? No labels? I love the Dewey
system; I understand it; I use it. But even though students are taught Dewey from
early elementary up at my school, many students could not find a book if left to
their own devices. I know that I could find a book by Dewey number without any
previous exposure to the system simply by following the signage that shows which
way according to the number. It's rather like looking for your hotel room. Why is
it that students seem unable to do this? I'm wondering if there is a silent
rebellion going on. Perhaps students are rejecting the system, and it is time for
the rest of us to move on. I'm serious. How do we remain relevant?
Jo Reinmiller MLIS
Jo_Reinmiller@cds.ed.cr
Country Day School
Costa Rica
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