Genrefying: Part III: Selecting Genres

A very important step in this genrefying project was to decide which categories to use. I opted to follow the method used by Kathryn Makatche. Relabeling every book didn't seem very practical, so I followed Kathryn's method of using colored label protectors to signify different genres. It could also be undone easily if the project didn't work, although I never would have taken on such a task if I wasn't sure it would be successful. It is also easy to change the location if I make a mistake or change my mind. I also used Kathryn's idea of pulling one genre at a time. It took me several lists to decide on the genres, but this is the list I came up with:

• Realistic - takes place in the last 20 years, appeals to both guys and girls
• Chick Lit - Contemporary realistic fiction that mainly appeals to girls (Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult, Louise Rennison, Gossip Girl)
• Romance
• Historical Fiction - I had many more than I realized!
• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• Horror - vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons, supernatural, Jaws, Exorcist, Stephen King
• Manga
• Mystery/Suspense
• Adventure - survival, quests, espionage
• Sports
• Guy Reads - opposite of Chick Lit, gangs, friends, gambling, humor, S.E. Hinton, Gordon Korman, Paul Volponi, Pete Hautman       

I debated a long time about the Chick Lit and Guy Reads sections, not wanting to turn off potential readers by the placement of a book. If a book could appeal to either gender, then it goes into the Realistic section. I decided to use stickers from Brodart and Demco to designate short stories, verse novels, graphic novels, Holocaust, Asian and war novels. All of these types of books are read in certain curricular areas or are popular with students. I decided that genre beat format for not pulling those books out into a separate section.

Since I did most of the project over the summer, I didn't have to worry about confusing my patrons as I made changes in the catalog and moved books around. I started by using my print shelf list and noting the obvious genres and started making changes. After that I did subject searches for "fantasy", "mystery", "science fiction", etc. Then I scrolled through the remaining records online and decided on genres for the titles I wasn't familiar with based on subject headings and summaries. Some books had incomplete records and I had to look those up elsewhere. I changed the records in the catalog to say "Historical FIC MEY" or "Chick Lit FIC PIC". After I changed the genre in the computer, I ran a new shelf list for that section, pulled the books, put the new colored label over the call number and set up the new section.

Obviously signs were going to be needed so that patrons could find the genre they were looking for. I used Tagxedo to make signs that had an image related to the genre, as well as keywords associated with it. Some were tough, but I managed to find an image that easily worked with each genre.

Now that everything was moved, labeled, and re-cataloged, the big question was would everyone like it?

Genrefying: Part II: Moving the Collection

After I had the fiction books weeded, I had to start rearranging the collection. As in ALL of it. My shelves are off to one side of the library with several rows in the middle and wrapping around along the wall to the outside. I decided that the fiction books, previously along one wall and some of the middle shelves, would now be on the outside. This would keep things a little more consistent and allow classes to spread out when selecting books rather than being jammed into two rows.

 Across the library there is an instructional area that housed the biographies and short story collection. I weeded both of those and integrated them into the main and fiction collections. I moved the Facts on File Yearbooks, encyclopedias, and professional books to this area. I also pulled out the career books, which are underused by the juniors when doing their career development projects, to create a special collection in this area. These changes freed up the space I needed in the main collection to move the rest of the books.

Between last spring and the end of the summer I moved every single book in the library. It took all of the carts I had and meant moving many books several times as I consolidated and shifted while separating the fiction into genres. I feel that the changes have consolidated the collection, removed confusing call numbers and increased the ease of usage by patrons. It wasn't easy, but the labor did help me sleep well on those nights!

Now that I had a plan for how I was going to arrange everything, the next step was splitting the fiction section into genres.

Genrefying: Part I: The Beginning

Part I: The Beginning

Last summer I decided to separate my fiction collection into genres. I like to think that I have a pretty good grasp on YA literature, but I was getting tired of drawing blanks when asked where the survival/adventure books were or for "books like (insert author or title)". I had my go-to authors and books, but felt that my students were getting shortchanged because I didn't know enough about the collection. It was also my first year in the library and I honestly didn't know the whole collection. I sought advice on listservs and got a lot of positive feedback. Some questioned why I would do this, but if our non-fiction is divided into genres, why not our fiction?

The first step was to weed. I pulled many titles that were classics and/or on reading lists. I wandered the fiction section with my shelf list printout and, according to circulation statistics, there were many books on reading lists or that were assigned for literature analysis papers that were no moving. It was easy to see why once I started handling the books. They were OLD, smelly, in some cases, falling apart. I couldn't blame the kids since I didn't want to handle them either. Yeah, yeah, the words didn't change, but obviously new copies were going to be needed if these titles were going to circulate again. I crossed out titles on my list to delete from the catalog and made notes of which titles to replace. Any title that I wasn't sure of I tried to view from a 15 year old's perspective. Would the book appeal to him/her? Most of the time the answer was no.

Now that the weeding was done, the next step was to start rearranging everything.

Fiction eBooks

I have been debating the ebook thing for a long time. My number one goal with ebooks is accessibility. In other words, two unlimited simultaneous access ebooks on the Irish potato famine can serve the six students doing projects much more than the two print books I have.

Some school librarians are doing ebooks and ereaders. I haven't been convinced to delve into that yet. It appears to be a  hassle with setting up accounts since they aren't designed for library use, only personal use. I have taken the approach with fiction that I will train patrons how to download from the public library on their own device and will stick to purchasing research materials in ebook format. I am also in an area where many students have their own technology, so this works well. With a limited budget, and only so much time to work on projects, my priority is on updating my print fiction and going digital as much as possible with reference materials.

What is your perspective on ebooks and ereaders?

The Rise of Pinterest

Pinterest is a great site. I have used it personally (is wedding planning too cliche a use?) and professionally. For my students, although I honestly don't know how many have accessed the page, I try to use it for reading promotion. I have set up boards on my GVLMC account for One Book, One School (Maze Runner) and reading lists for chemistry, summer reading, and various award winners. I have also added fun library pictures, book art images, and children's literature.

How are you using Pinterest in your library?

Integrating the Short Story Collection

I have been rearranging and weeding the entire library over the last 6 months. The latest target is the short story collection. It is currently housed across the library and out of sight of the rest of the books so it doesn't get used often, especially voluntarily. I ordered "Short Story" stickers and either labeled or weeded each book in that area. I have been integrating the books into the rest of the collection to try to make the students more aware of them. The books in which all of the stories are clearly in one genre go into the appropriate area of the fiction section. The ones that are mixed genres (or classics that frankly I'm not 100% sure where they should go) I have been putting in the 800s. With the space I have freed up, I'm going to pull out the career and college prep books. My juniors have a quarterly career prep course, so there are many projects that use these books. However, with the career books scattered throughout the main collection they seem to be underused.

How do you shelve your short story books?

Weeding

This year I did something you aren't supposed to do your first year in a new library. I weeded. Yup. I did it. A lot. I tried to resist, but I couldn't. I did wait until the second semester, but I just couldn't justify some of the titles anymore. Plus, this isn't my first time at the rodeo. I'm not spending an extra day inventorying books that aren't going to be used. I won't put out numbers, but it was significant. It was really easy though. I ran a list of circulation stats and hit the stacks. Fiction books that were really old, yellowed and smelly are easy. Paperbacks with out of date covers and plot lines could go. Non-fiction that was way out of date in science, biographies, and social studies didn't make the cut. Many titles I will replace, such as classic fiction titles on the Literature Analysis reading list (no wonder they weren't circulating!). I won't throw out numbers because it always freaks out non-librarians. However, when you have all of the weeded books in a pile it becomes quite obvious to all that it would be hard to justify putting the books back on the shelf.

This year I managed to get a district mini grant to get some new science titles and I'm going to apply for an LSTA grant to fix up the social studies section, although I'm having a hard time deciding which area needs it more. I'm probably going with the Western Civ research paper topics since those teachers used the library pretty heavily this year (collaboration gets rewarded!). I'm excited about applying for the grant since it is the first time I've done it. I attended a workshop at the PSLA Conference this year that gave a lot of good advice and inside tips. My biggest concern is that while my budget isn't great (but I do have one and every library is staffed making it hard to complain these days) my district's demographics may be too good to get outside funding. I'm curious to see how this all plays out.

There are a lot more books that need to go, but frankly I ran out of boxes. And I need to be able to weed a certain percentage of the collection every year to apply for LSTA grants, so if it is a success I plan on doing it every year.