Farewell to Dewey?

The internet is buzzing today about one library's decision to do away with Dewey. [There is some debate about whether or not this statement is really true.]

Most people aren't too happy about it, judging by the reaction on LM_NET and in the library blogs.

I've always wanted to create subject-specific mini-collections that are highly browsable, like in a bookstore. Lump all the sports books together and then arrange by sport and then author's last name. I know this is really similar to Dewey, but not quite--it's not as specific. So books about baseball, books about specific baseball players, and books about the Black Sox scandal will all be in the same place, and intermingled. No need for highly-specific Dewey numbers.

And tagging will allow users to identify books using their language, not ours.

This is still a fairly nebulous and potentially problematic idea, but I definitely subscribe to the bookstore model. Like Linda Braun says, people go to bookstores to a reason--and by the same token, don't go to libraries for the same reason.

Hmmmm....

Right now I am planning a major library reorg to take place this summer. It's a bit overwhelming, but in the end I think it will do good things for the library. One of the most difficult things is actually showing people that change is a good thing. I love change. This might mean something about me, you know, psychologically. I was the kind of kid who was always rearranging her bedroom. In the middle of the night. I don't think we should change public spaces for the sake of changing them, necessarily, but if shaking things up a bit will mean you've got a better library on your hands, don't stress about "how it's always been."

I know this takes diplomacy, though, and that's hard. I'm still learning how to argue my case with empathy, understanding, and an open mind.

On another note, I was THRILLED to see the recent post in the YALSA blog about hip hop. The list of artists that they put together is fantastic, with a lot of my favorites on there. Take a peek, and stock your shelves with this stuff!

Not using the library is still a cool thing to do

At the end of the year, all the students have to come in and have me sign a sheet of paper proving that they don't owe the library any books. This way they can get their diploma.

And for the past two years, I have noticed this phenomenon where the students come in, hand me their sheet, and tell me that they haven't checked out a book the entire year--and sometimes, seniors tell me they've never checked out a book, EVER, in their four years at the school. I'm not sure how to react to this; I usually nod and say something noncommital, like "oh." I don't want to get pissed at them; it's not my business whether or not they use the library. I also don't want to give them the reaction they may be looking for--shock and dismay. To be honest, I don't care if they've checked out a book within the last year or not, but it IS troubling that this is a cool thing to say. Why is that? Is it simple teenage rebellion? Is it a larger social issue--kids still don't want to be perceived as nerds?

I think that, more than answering those questions, it's important to figure out how I can provide better services to these kids. Outreach, outreach, outreach.

I subscribe to a couple of marketing feeds. This is a good idea, I think, because it has nothing to do with books. I need to know what teens are watching on TV and in the movie theatres. What music are they listening to? How are other industries and organizations reaching out?

In a 2006 entry on one of these blogs, Thinking Outside the Book, Jill Stover lists the following tactics for getting non-users into the library:

Bring a friend: I'm a fan of the idea that our current patrons could be terrific partners in reaching out to new patrons, particularly since there is so much distrust of traditional forms of promotion. One way to do this would be to sponsor a "Bring a Friend" event, where current patrons bring friends and family who have never been to the library, have them sign them up for a library card, and enter a raffle. You could even feature your more enthusiastic borrowers by asking them talk to the newcomers about what the library means to them.

Win over key leaders: Every community has key leaders and influential people who may prove to be effective in getting non-users inside your doors. Are there any civic, business or social groups in your community that could benefit from what your library can offer? Contact the leaders of these organizations for a brief meeting or presentation in which you outline specifically how the library can be an asset to members. Perhaps offer to lead an on-site workshop on a topic of interest to members. To be convincing, you may have to change/redesign/repackage your services to fit the needs of these targeted groups. For example, last month the Associated Press reported that libraries in New York and Pennsylvania are reaching out to small business owners through customized online resource aimed at helping them to write business plans and do market research. Tailoring your services leads to the next tip...

Differentiate yourself: It's likely that one reason your non-users haven't made the leap to users is that they probably don't understand why your library's services are different or more useful than other sources of information they regularly use. When you reach out to these community members through e-mail or print mailings, events, etc., be sure to let them know what it is you can do for them that no one else can. Marketers call this your Unique Selling Proposition, and if you have one, flaunt it whenever possible. However, positive selling points will vary between target markets, so it's useful to fit your USP to each segment.

Let people talk back: Perhaps your non-users have all kinds of good reasons for not visiting your library, but how will you know what they are (and how to address them) on an ongoing basis unless you give people opportunities to share their thoughts with you? As you go out into the community, make it a point to ask people what you could do differently or better, or for any "Wouldn't it be cool if...?" ideas they may have. Include suggestion cards with mailings or when doing outreach events, and make sure that your Web site clearly shows how patrons can contact staff with questions or concerns.

These ideas are not school- or even youth-oriented, but they can still be applied to high school library services:

Bring a friend.
This is a great idea for school library programming (and one I hadn't thought of before), but I think there needs to be an incentive. Maybe for a movie night, everyone who brings a friend gets their name entered in a raffle for a pair of movie tickets.

Win over key leaders.
This boils down to forming some kind of teen/student advisory group. These kids can help you plan events that they know their friends and peers would like. They can help you spread information--and that information is far more effective coming from a peer than it is from a librarian. I am blessed with a teen group full of dynamic and highly-visible students.

Differentiate yourself.
I've only been here for two years, and while I feel that there have been some changes in the students' perception of the library, it's impossible to cause a sea change in such a short time. And I think this kind of action often takes place one-on-one, which takes a while. Differentiating yourself can be as simple as having a pizza party or telling middle schoolers that you'll buy any book they ask for--if they're not used to this kind of treatment, they might sit up and take notice. What are some other good PR moves?

Let people talk back.
I get feedback in a couple of ways. One is through the library suggestion box. Obviously, this doesn't reach kids who aren't in the library. I have distributed surveys through English teachers for two years now. These are good for both gathering data and letting kids know what is available in the library. And I have web-based polls, which ask anything from "what's your favorite TV show?" to "do we have enough of the books you like to read?" I think focus groups would be a great idea for this community, too--I have no experience planning them, but I'd like to learn.

Last year, I asked one student who told me he hadn't checked out a book in his four years here why he hadn't--and he said that the library was confusing. He couldn't figure out what books were where. That resulted in me purchasing larger and clearer signage, as well as proposing (and getting approval for) a more major library reorg that should help students find books more easily. So I guess these kids proclaiming that they're too cool for the library is a good thing--because it can bring about positive change. You just need to figure out how it all fits together.

Books I Need to Read

I have a long list of books that I need to read this summer. I need to keep track!

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
Twisted
A Bad Boy can be Good for a Girl
Tyrell
Skin
What my Girlfriend Doesn't Know
Private
HP7
The 4th Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book
Tangerine
Pretty Little Liars
A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith
Hattie Big Sky
Shug
You are SO Not Invited to my Bat Mitzvah
Surrender
The Case of the Missing Marquess
Pants on Fire
Prom Dates from Hell
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Boy Proof
Sloppy Firsts
Second Helpings
Monster Blood Tattoo
Shock Point
The Higher Power of Lucky
Beige
Born to Rock
Firegirl
Clay
Secrets of my Hollywood Life
The Loud Silence of Francine Green
In Search of Mockingbird
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation
The Christopher Killer
Hello, Groin
Bad Kitty
Kiki Strike
Prom Anonymous
Life as We Knew It
The Unresolved
Flora Segunda

....I'll keep adding to this as I go

Library management

I love a noisy library. Unfortunately, not all of my colleagues feel the same. Nothing gets my blood boiling more than a teacher trying to manage my library. But I know that I am not like most school librarians in this regard, and so it's not really fair of me to get frustrated with my colleagues. I also worry that some teachers might think I am not doing my job when they walk into a library full of loud, boisterous students.

I think this is one of the challenges I face as a school librarian trained in grad school as a public YA librarian. I wonder if this happens often in private schools, since many of us are uncertified MLSes. (How do you make MLS plural? Bahama Mama, thoughts?)

Hello

I read a lot of blogs. I have 80+ in my Bloglines blogroll. How many more times can I write the word "blog"? Blog blog blog. Anyway, I decided I should start blogging. I mean, I used to have a personal livejournal, and I have a blog for our school library, but I need a space where I can write about library-related issues that aren't specifically about my library, and where I can be a regular person instead of a school person.

Here are a few things you should know about me:

1. I am almost 30. In a month, I'm marrying someone who's a few years younger than me. This makes me feel a little dirty, and very old. But I'm excited to marry him, nonetheless.

2. I am a middle and high school librarian. I love being a librarian and I love working with this age group. I also love being around little kids, and I wish that happened more often.

3. I work at a boarding school, and I live on campus, so I am also a dorm parent. This means I act more like a teenage girl than I maybe should. Sometimes I try to act like a mom, but no one can take me seriously.

4. Did I mention I look like I'm 18? I am frequently mistaken for a new senior, especially by potential parents on their campus tour. This gives me a great deal of authority. I am super intimidating. See no. 3.

5. Everyone thinks I am VERY boring. This may be because I watch a lot of TV. And I don't like, oh, going out. And I am a librarian. And I blush a lot. However, I am not boring. I am fascinating.

6. I live in a tiny zoo. My apartment is itsy-bitsy, and I share it with two cats and a dog. Here are some things you should know about my pets:

Mamie
My favorite, and she knows it. Mamie is a crazy calico who will do just about anything for attention, including flopping out to her full extended length (at least four feet) right in front of you as you're carrying a pot of ravioli to the sink to drain it. Loves cardboard. Loves paper. Will lick your entire arm from wrist to shoulder. Sticks her butt in your face when you're trying to read. Speaks, according to my finacee, with a French accent. Gets an awesome, blank look on her face when she's using the litterbox (ask me to imitate it sometime). My first pet as an adult. Named for Mamie Eisenhower....for no good reason.

Bodie
Mamie's loving and terrified companion. A big gray neutered male. Scared of everything: people walking, people talking, sudden movements of any kind, thunder, weird shadows, the air conditioner, the sound of me folding laundry/fluffing pillows, etc. HATES the dog. LOVES me. According to my fiancee, walks around thinking: "Sarah Sarah Sarah Sarah Sarah." Would probably prefer to live in a small, dark room with only me. Would keep me as his slave. He and Mamie clean each other; watching this, once, I teared up. Named after a character on Dawson's Creek, not Jenna Elfman's weird husband.

Matilda
Funny little dog. According to the place where I adopted her, she's a Golden Retriever/Basset Hound mix. Everyone thinks she's a corgi. She is fat and untrained. She tried to eat a really old dead mouse the other night. She wheezes a little. My fiancee [I need to come up with a code name for him; I know it will be something related to Joyce or Faulkner if he has his way, but if I have mine it will be something slightly emasculating] calls her his Goose. Why? No one knows. Her life's dream is to capture and devour a squirrel. She weighs 45 pounds, but is a lap dog all the same.

7. One of my favorite things to do is help a kid who has sneered at me or the library before, and see their opinion change, if only a tiny bit and not around their friends.

8. I live for new Meg Cabot, Sarah Dessen, and Maureen Johnson books. As well as cancelled shows on the WB/UPN/CW (BASTARDS) and super dorky point-and-click flash games.

9. I often write in all capital letters for EMPHASIS.

Okay. That's it for today. I plan on using this blog for little mini book reviews, commentary on stuff that's happening in library land, etc. etc. Maybe no one will read this....we'll see! Bye!