Fiction A-Z, My Way

This is my fourth year as a librarian and I opened a new school. While browsing School Librarian Journal, September 2004, I read with interest the column by Laura Stiles, "What Works." This particular column was titled, "Shelf Shifters." Ms. Stiles described using a Barnes & Noble approach to a middle school library, where books are arranged by genre as well as by author.

I was intrigued. Having had the book My Friend Rabbit given to me by at least three of my friends, I suddenly had an idea! My collection was small. At that time I had about 2500 total volumes. What better time to genrefy the collection than at the beginning? I made the decision that the DJMS Library would have the fiction section completely by genre.

I now had to decide how to determine which genres. As a new librarian I wanted some authority for choosing the genres. I began my hunt. (Have I mentioned how much I love research?) I started at Genreflecting, http://www.genreflecting.com. Convinced I was doing the right thing for my students, I chose a genre, "mystery," with which to begin. Some choices were very easy. Some choices were difficult. I needed more information, more authority. For my authority I chose to use the series of books from Libraries Unlimited, Best Books for Children: Preschool through Grade 6, Best Books for Middle School and Junior High Readers, Grades 6-9, and the supplements. I printed out a shelf-list and sat late into the evenings in the library with a pencil, a stack of books, and the references, determining the genres.

For the middle school student the authors chose "Contemporary Life and Problems," instead of "Realistic Fiction." I decided to go with the "Contemporary Life and Problems" genre. I ordered genre stickers, ordered fluorescent labels to make my own genre stickers for the CLP, and began working. I would add the genre to the 655 field for MARC, along with my source for the genre, and any additional information gleaned for the books. Books on my shelf not referenced in those sources were scrutinized by me to determine the genre. Occasionally, I would make a decision, read the book later, and change my decision. The books in the fiction section were shelved by genre when identified, and A-Z while those decisions were being made.

Very quickly a problem arose. My student assistants had no problem shelving by genre. However, when the student used the OPAC to find the call number there was no indication in the call number of which section in which to find the book. I had neglected to include that information in the call number. (I had not taken SLIS 5200 with Larry Enoch at this point or I would have known better!) This problem was easily rectified. MYS became the prefix for mystery, SPO for sports, HF for historical fiction, and so on.

As new books arrived I would stay in the evenings and determine the genre. I worked with the records with MARC Wizard and had a global changes template for adding the genre classification. I continued this process for three years.

What was the impact on the students? The students LOVED looking for books by genre. They were shelf browsers, not necessarily the most efficient way of finding a desired title. Students who were reading Harry Potter quickly found other fantasy series. Students who loved Goosebumps read Neal Shusterman's Full Tilt and the Dark Fusion series. Students who read Nancy Drew began reading Agatha Christie mysteries.

What was the downside? Caroline Cooney was all over the library (as were many other authors). The students would skip right past the historical fiction section, no matter how I tried to booktalk the treasures to be found there. The Johnny Maxwell trilogy by Terry Pratchett belonged in three different genres. Finally, the call numbers for DJMS were different than the call numbers for the other four middle schools in the district.

The fact that my numbers were different did not matter for those three years and it does not matter this year. However, next year we will be using a union catalog so we want the call numbers to be consistent. After much soul searching and many agonizing afternoons walking the fiction section I decided in May that the fiction section would return to A-Z. This was an extremely difficult decision. I am keeping the genre labels, however. I have added visual search buttons for each of the genres and have shown how to search within each genre with an advanced search.

What has been the result this fall? My eighth graders were very unhappy during library orientation. However, I chose a few authors who were now in only one place and sold the concept that way. I shared how the genre stickers are not going away while I'm the librarian at DJMS. And after my brilliant presentation, students still wanted to know where the "horror" section was. Students are still browsing the collection, though I have noticed that OPAC use is up. There has been an unexpected plus! More historical fiction novels have been checked out this September than had been checked out the previous year. Students are not bypassing a section and are actually considering those wonderful books.

I do not regret organizing by genre. I do not regret changing to A-Z. I am glad I try to meet the needs of my students.

Debbie

Why Now?

Thank you, David Warlick. After devouring (not literally) Classroom Blogging: A Teacher's Guide to Blogs, Wikis, & Other Tools that are Shaping a New Information Landscape, 2nd ed. I have decided to join the professional blogosphere.

I wonder what I can contribute to the world of information-techno literacy?

I left this draft yesterday. Today was another typical day in the middle school library, which means the day was like no day previously. Typical? I woke up at 3 this am and began reading email (couldn't sleep so of course I tried to catch up). I was immediately intrigued by an lm_net post which started the wheels in my brain turning on a grant idea. When I shared it with my principal his comment was, "I hope you get a granddaughter JUST like you." I chose to take that as a compliment. He was probably thinking, "Here comes My Friend Rabbit, again!"

This is year 30 and for the first time in my entire career I had a student ask to interview me. Of course, I was the only adult in the library and I think she had just finished writing down the questions as the bell was getting ready to ring. Two questions in her interview struck a chord with me. This budding reporter asked me what the best thing about my job was. Without a doubt, the best thing about being a middle school librarian is middle school students, teachers, and parents. I absolutely love this age group and the crazy bunch of adults who choose to work with seventh and eighth graders. I love collaborating with teachers. I love showing and watching a student discover how to search for just the right bit of information, be it a book, a magazine, an image, a newspaper article, the latest research. I just love to sit and visit with the kids, to browse the shelves together, to talk about what we're reading. I think it's an awesome idea when a student comes to me and says, "Mrs. A, did you know the latest (fill in the blank with your favorite YA series) is out?"

The second question was about what I dislike about my job. Some of these things I can "fix," and some I can't. I don't like limited resources. I write grants; I beg; I have bookfairs; I have other departments share the costs. I don't like the perception that I just read books. My job is so much more than books. I am a library SCIENTIST. My "ology" is informationology. I study information, how it evolves, how it is used, how it is delivered, how it can be retrieved, how it can be verified, how it can be presented and on and on and on and on.

I am an instructional specialist. I study the curriculum of all the departments on my campus. I have to if I am going to be a wise steward of the resources I am given and if I am going to manage those resources to have the greatest impact on the patrons I serve. I study new methods of teaching; I work on lesson plans with the teachers. I discuss with my administration ways I can impact the achievement of the students and the teachers while preparing the former for high school and the latter for the changing educational environment.

I am an instructional technologist. I work closely with the teachers. I seek out ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. I become familiar with a webquest, with a scavenger hunt, with designing a webpage, with using a blog, with using a wiki, with online research, with podcasts and on and on. I read everything I can on using the technology and seek out a willing accomplice (another teacher) to introduce our students to using the technology again.

I am an ethics instructor. I model ethical behavior in using the information of others. I cite my sources. I look up the answers to copyright questions. I grade the bibliographies of the students because I can and because I am passionate about giving others the credit they are due.

I am an advocate. I champion the cause of the reader. I champion the cause of the researcher. I champion the need to immerse oneself in the technologies of today to avoid the undertow of ignorance. I turn on my Yahoo! messenger so students can reach me at home while they are studying. I open early and stay late. I participate on leadership committees, on campus and within my district and region. I write letters.

I get frustrated. There are days I feel I am banging my head against the wall. And then the student comes in and says, "Mrs. A, you ARE the coolest librarian ever!" I am ready to battle again.

Debbie