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

[Lynn Reynish]

They are using BISAC headings (which is what bookstores use). At the moment, they are only using the 50 top-level categories. The books have the BISAC category printed on the spine and are shelved by category and then by title. It is also interesting to note that they have chosen to interfile their juvenile, YA and adult non-fiction (not sure about fiction).

Jeff Scott (a manager at another Arizona library) recently went on a tour of this branch and he gives an even-handed discussion of their labelling decision and the other things they are trying out. See his post at:

http://gathernodust.blogspot.com/2007/07/doing-it-without-dewey-perry-branch.html

I personally prefer LC as a classification scheme (despite working in a public library). No matter what classification scheme you use, you will always have people that can find things just fine and you will always have people who need assistance.

Lynn

---
Lynn Reynish
ILS Librarian
Regina Public Library
lreynish at reginalibrary.ca
-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Brian Gray
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2007 4:07 PM
To: B.G. Sloan
Cc: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Innovation: NYT article on Dewey-less Arizona publiclibrary

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?
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