[Publib] RE: Mixing genres with regular fiction

[Barbara Buehler]

We long ago combined our genres and denote them on the spine label as
SF/
FAN, MYS, WES and so on. Otherwise, you separate authors' works and you
create constant shifting of collections to accommodate growth or lack
thereof in particular genres. Also, harder on the shelving staff.
Working in a small public library, one not only must consider the reader
but also the facility and the human resources to get the nitty gritty
done each day. Easy to make the call for separating genres when one
doesn't actually deal with it.

Barbara Buehler
Library Director
Allen Public Library
Allen TX


Message: 14
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:19:40 -0400
From: "Jessica Moyer" <jessicaemilymoyer at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Publib] Mixing genres with regular fiction
To: "PTomka at aol.com" <PTomka at aol.com>
Cc: publib at webjunction.org
Message-ID:
	<7e3848f30609220819w1135f967sf4626d3701524d64 at mail.gmail.com>
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Several months ago I wrote an article for the Libraries Unlimited
Newsletter on just this topic, mostly lamenting the fact that few
libraries consider the wonderful research done in this area before
making this big decision.

Here's the link to the article, Bringing Research Into Readers'
Advisory Practice: the Case of Fiction Classification
http://lu.com/ranews/mar2006/moyer.cfm

I'm also writing a longer chapter on this and I've come to the
conclusion that it is much better to keep genres separated than to go
sticker crazy. Personally I dont like stickers much because they often
cover up vital info on the spine.  Also if you have a speculative
fiction collection, you might want to sticker either the SF or the
Fantasy books or the Horror in this separate collection.

Finally, in RUSQ the RA column in the upcoming Winter issue there will
be two columns, one of each sides of the genrefication debate.

This was also extensively discussed on fiction-l last spring and might
be worth checking the archives at
http://www.webrary.org/rs/FLmenu.html

Jessica

On 9/21/06, PTomka at aol.com <PTomka at aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> For many years, we have kept our mysteries, science fiction and
westerns
> separate from the general fiction collection. We will soon be moving
to a
> new facility and have thought about shelving them all together as one
> collection, with stickers on the spines denoting the special genres.
Felt it
> would be easier for all of an author's works to be together.
> What is the experience of those of you who have done this?
> Pam Tomka
> Washington District Library
> Washington IL
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-- 
Jessica E. Moyer, M.S., C.A.S.
Reference and Instruction Librarian
Milne Library, State University of New York College at Oneonta
Phone: 607 436 2025 Email: moyerje at oneonta.edu
Cell: 217 493 7226 Email: jessicaemilymoyer at gmail.com