Out with Dewey, in with....What?

I recently read an article, "The Dewey Dilemma" by  Barbara Fister, which discusses the new trend in libraries to abandon or change the Dewey Classification System in favor of more commercial classification, like bookstores. One point she addresses in this article is that while Dewey does have its problem; the answer should not be to throw it out altogether.

In particular, one library she discusses had implemented a system in the children's section which used open source software to map visually color-coded categories to make it easier to find books by category and age level while still keeping the Dewey system. This allow children to find books by browsing categories and age level while still keeping Dewey to pinpoint a particular book in the catalog. According to the librarian, Hams-Caserotti, "Since we opened in January 2009, the children's book circulation has been up about 30 percent each month and still growing as we fine-tune the collection and the room” (Fister, np).

 This article offers a great idea to help organize children and young adult non-fiction collections so children and teens can better understand and utilize the collection.

Work Cited
Fister, B. (2009). "The Dewey Dilemma: In the search for better browsability, librarians are putting Dewey in a different class." Library Journal, October 1, 22-25. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6698264.html

Pinterest: Beware of Copyright

http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2012/03/29/pinterest-copyright-concerns/#more-18088

The YALSA has an very interesting blog warning about possible copyright infringement when pinning things from the web. While Pinterest is a great resource for librarians and other professionals, Pinterest users need to be cautious when they pin content from the web. Their blog also list a set of guidelines to follow to ensure that you are not violating copyright when "pinning."

New and Upcoming YA Titles

YALit - your guide to current and upcoming young adult books
http://yalit.com/index.php

This is a great site to see what new and continuing series YA books are coming out soon.

Teens Planning their own Summer Reading Program

http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2012/10/04/connect-create-collaborate-faythes-teen-planned-summer-reading-program/#more-20361

This blog post on the YALSA blog is a great example of getting Teens involved in their library. This library gave over the planning of the Summer Reading program to their Teen Advisory Board. This new approach to library programming is great for actively involving teens in their library.  Allowing the Teen advisory board to create the theme and programs for the Summer Reading at the library will almost definitely guarantee a popular program that teens are sure to enjoy because they created it. This is a creative way to give teens what they want and insure a summer reading program that has the "cool" factor (whatever that may be).  

Teen Spaces...not just an afterthought

The Importance of Teen Spaces in the Library

Today in class we shared our library observations. One theme seemed to ring through most public library observations: Teen Spaces. Many people observed that the spaces set aside for the Teens are often very small, poorly placed, and often ignored in their local public libraries. It can clearly be seen in most cases that the Teen Space was an afterthought for the library. In the libraries' defenses, when they were originally built, creating a space for Teens was not on the radar. It has only been recently that libraries are attempting to accommodated their Teen patrons and because of space limitations, the Teen Space has to be carved out of an existing building plan. As a result, Teen Spaces are clearly recognizable as an afterthought to original planning. This is tragic for Teen patrons who are left with spaces that are small and poorly located in the library, especially compared to the Children and Adult areas. Is it any wonder that reading drops off when kids become Teens. Without a useful space to call their own in the library, teens are left wondering rather aimlessly between the children's section (that they have outgrown) and the adult section (that they are too young for).

Libraries need designated spaces for Teens that are accommodating  comfortable, and useful. Obviously this problem is not easily solvable for most libraries without a complete renovation or rebuilding in most cases. However, libraries should be aware that Teen Spaces are important and they should try their very best to create a user friendly space for Teens within their building spacial limits. And libraries building new buildings or new branches should most definitely allocate funds and create floor plans specifically for Teen Spaces.  

Reading Programs just for Summer?

Fellow blogger Maggie wrote a great post about her school’s year-long reading program. She brings up a great point: if students respond well to Summer Reading Programs at their local libraries, why can't schools implement similar programs during the school year? I think this is a great idea for schools to try to develop. Check it out by clicking on the link below:
http://mamslibraryadventure.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/reading-programs-just-for-summer/ 

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL "TALK LIKE A PIRATE" DAY