[Web4lib] Innovation: NYT article on Dewey-less Arizona publiclibrary

[Brian Gray]

I was wondering the same thing. Were they still using a card catalog?

I do not see the problem switching the classification it serves the
need of their users. Does anyone know how the books are labeled now
and how you do find a specific book within a subject area? I cannot
tell from the pictures within the story. The article stated people did
not know what the numbers meant, but there has to be a new system they
are going to need to know now.

The people no search by subject on the computer. Where are these being
derived from? Is the library defining their own or pulling from
another source? How much extra work have they created for staff?

Brian Gray
mindspiral at gmail.com


On 7/15/07, B.G. Sloan <bgsloan2 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Forgot to mention...I found this to be a rather odd statement by the authors of the article:
>
> "So at the 24,000-square-foot Perry Branch, there is not a hint of a card catalog. (Mr. Courtright says most people do not know what the numbers mean anyway.) Visitors may instead search for books using an automated computer system..."
>
> As if this was the first library to do away with the card catalog and allow users to "search for books using an automated computer system"?? Wonder when was the last time the authors had visited a library?