[Publib] Dewey Decimal Classification

[Sanderson, James W.]

I know I am from the Dark Ages, but we had Library Class once a week in my elementary school.  Before promotion to the 4th grade we had to pass a library skills test ( Dewey for the most part).  This was a New York City Public School.  Dewey was not hard to learn then and it is not hard to learn now.  It is not the only way to organize a collection but it is one of the most universal and I believe useful.

James W. Sanderson
Supervising Librarian
West Avenue Library
Newport News Public Library
2907 West Avenue
Newport News, Virginia. 23607
(757) 247-8505
(757) 247-2344
www.nngov.com/library
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Paula Laurita
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:48 PM
To: 'Robert Balliot'; 'Melissa Rice'; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Dewey Decimal Classification

R. Balliot Wrote:

"I like the idea that a child who attends public school can learn how to use their school library and that knowledge will transfer forward to public libraries, colleges, and Universities and back to public libraries."

As a former school librarian this was one of my constant messages to my K-8 students.  That by being familiar with DDC they could walk into the public library and know where to find things.  I would ask them, "What are you going to do if the computers are down or they are all busy?"  They knew that if they were looking for books on Greek mythology to head to the end of the 200 section.

I was the mean person who required all 5th graders to get a public library card.  They also had a homework assignment about library programs and resources.  (You can do these things in a Catholic school.)  In 6th grade they had to get an Alabama Virtual Library card.  As summer library pages they were often the only ones allowed to shelve books because they KNEW DDC.

I'm not just sharing my marvelousness, but thinking of what the impact of cuts in school library positions and the hyper-focus on Accelerated Reader.  Our school libraries don't have the opportunity to teach students how use a public library or a college library that uses DDC and find their way around.  Even a library that uses LLC won't be foreign to them.  Students know that there is a logic to the shelving system.

I spent 2 hours at a big bookstore yesterday and was constantly frustrated by the organization.  I know, I know, I'm not familiar with the system used.  But, if it's not intuitive to me than I can only imagine the frustration other customers felt.


Paula S.W. Laurita, MLIS
Coordinator of Public Services
Athens-Limestone Public Library
Athens, AL 35611

plaurita at athenslimestone.lib.al.us

We have found that a library is not an end in itself, but a means to many ends.
Charles E. Rush, 1939
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