Gail,

I work in a middle school in Stamford, CT and I genrefied our fiction collection two years ago. The kids love it! They are learning how to use the online catalog to see what the 'sublocation' of the book is and then independently go to the section marked with that genre to look for the book by author's last name. 


They say the thing they like the best is that when they don't really know what book they want to read or which author they like best, they can just go to the section, like 'sports' or 'humor' and find something quickly. 

On the flip side, teachers who are looking for books by specific authors are frustrated because they have to go through the extra step of looking in the online catalog to see where that author's book is genrefied.


I chose not to genrefy the non-fiction section, but I did add shelf labels with Dewey numbers and the topic for that section so kids could find their topics without having to 'look up' the correct Dewey number. 


They know how to use Dewey, but they prefer using the genrefied system especially when looking for an independent reading book. Here's a doc with pictures for your reference. Good luck!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZmP_9ISB3s3BBY6yu8Wwwco5SUlvUe-5VwqEkwhgvlc/edit?usp=sharing


Keely Norton
Library Media Specialist
Scofield Magnet Middle School
203-977-2754
"Work hard. Be kind."
From: CASL-L <casl-l-bounces@mylist.net> on behalf of Gail Nelson <gwnelson100@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2019 9:32:26 AM
To: casl-l@mylist.net
Subject: [CASL-L] Genrefying Collection??
 
Good morning!

I saw the recent discussion about genrefying fiction. After spending years dug in defending alphabetical author (and fighting the knot in my stomach when I think about making decisions about which categories books belong in) I am considering dipping my toe in the genrefying waters. I already do alternatives to make the books easier to find: displays, genre labels on the spine, etc. 

I am still resistant because in my experience I can go into most public libraries and independently find the book I am looking for.  In Barnes and Noble I often have to ask for help to find a book.

Does anyone have a great experience they would like to share after genrefying? Persuasive reasoning why this is a good idea?  Contrary thoughts are also welcome! I know this is a tall order, but I would appreciate any input you are willing to share at a very busy time.

Thanks so much!

Gail Nelson
School Librarian
Harwinton Consolidated School