Adams County Libraries Shelving Dewey- Denver, Colorado school libraries
Are the Dewey Decimal System's Days Numbered?- interesting article
The Demise of the Dewey Decimal System- Canadian librarian has incorporated the bookstore model in her school library
Dewey? At This Library With a Very Different Outlook, They Don't- New York Times article about the 15-branch Maricopa County Library District in Arizona. Here's a link to the NPR broadcast about the changes.
Dewey Decimal, Redone
The Dewey Dilemma- from the Library Journal
Dewey's Not Dead
Do We Dewey?-New York Times article from 2008
Has the Dewey Decimal system Finally Outlived its Usefulness?- blog post by librarian Roger Green
Red Hawk Elementary Scraps Dewey Decimal System for Bookstore Model
Saying Goodbye to the Dewey Decimal System- article about five Albany public libraries
Students Not Fazed By Dewey-less Library- Gilbert, AZ
Three Benefits of the Dewey Decimal System- from eHow
What's So Great About Dewey?
Will Dewey Still Do?- Massachusetts librarian airs her opinion about Dewey
Who's Killing the Dewey Decimal System?- article about the Gail Borden Public Library District in Elgin, IL
Would Your Elementary Library Work Better if You Scrapped the Dewey Decimal System?- from School Library Monthly's blog
This is a great list. Nearly 6 months into our changes, the tentative verdict is very positive. Books within the small 'departments' within each section are still dewey-ed, but books labelled in the 300's might be beside ones from the 900's (mummies/ancient Eqypt) and fiction set in ancient Eqypt will be in the same section nearby, so a student 'obsessed' with this subject can get their fill without consciously deciding to look up related books. Eventually I'll have all media and any realia I can find nearby as well. The kids love it! Thanks for the mention.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the list! I visited a public library in a Denver Suburb over a year ago that had ditched Dewey. That was one of the factors that made it so exciting and visitor friendly!
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting list: some of the links I was aware of, and some were new to me: thanks!
ReplyDeleteI am one of the librarians at an independent school in New York City, and this past spring and summer we created and then implemented a new categorization system which we have called METIS (after the mother of Athena in Greek mythology). We considered the bookstore model, but felt strongly that we needed a system that was child-centered in its categories, and based on the way that children think about information and books. We use call numbers (so books are searchable in the catalog); words in the call numbers; and visual cues and signposting. Our system gives us flexibility, encourages browsing and allows us to arrange our collection based on students' interests, but it also allows for searching in the online catalog. If you're interested, we have blogged about it at http://eye-fours.blogspot.com. We love our new system, and so do the students, teachers and parents at our school.
@Mary Alice
ReplyDeleteThank you for the input! I guess everyone is so familiar with Barnes and Noble that their public library is now easier to navigate.
@schoollibrarybeyondsurvival:
Seems like you have a plan that works. I've noticed that when I go to Barnes and Noble I have to readjust to the "bookstore model". Patrons tend to put books back in a particular section (i.e. photography)anywhere they please, and I've noticed that BN doesn't have shelf readers checking the stacks. Makes it a problem to locate a specific book.