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DECIDING DEWEY OR DON'T WE?

Gathering Data

 

  • Student surveys

    • experiences

    • frustrations

    • preferences

  • Circulation data

  • Librarian observations of student searching 

Remaining Questions

 

  • Fiction and Non-Fiction, just Fiction? Just Non-Fiction? 

  • Merging multimedia holdings onto the shelves

  • Combining Reference materials into main collection

  • Fully training staff and volunteers

  • Explaining changes to students, teachers, and parents

Initial Considerations

 

  • Systematic plan

    • Which sections will be changed

    • Which sections are priorities

    • Will design changes be needed to current library layout

  • Time to transition

    • Weed collection prior to changing over

    • Volunteers to help with moving and relabeling

    • Calculate shelf space needed for each new section

  • Cataloging Concerns

    • What will be added/changed in records to insure accessibility

So, how do you decide if losing Dewey will be a gain for your library?  Going Dewey-less isn't for every library; it requires having a clear understanding of your users and their needs.  It also requires librarians to think about books differently and focus on the content and look for connections.  The Nov/Dec 2013 issue of Knowledge Quest is devoted to the Dewey Dilemma. 

 

 

2014 Christy James  Proudly created with Wix.com

All pictures Creative Commons licensed for reuse unless otherwise noted.  

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