Genrefication

JULY 2019

of Non-Fiction Collections in School Libraries

The arrangement of a library’s fiction collection by genre is not unusual. However, a number of school librarians are debating a new issue – to genrefy or not to genrefy the non-fiction collection.

These librarians are looking to help their students find non-fiction books that will reflect current interests and encourage new ones, and of course they are also aiming to increase the circulation of their library collections.

There are online resources available covering all aspects of the discussion, and a list of links presenting a variety of viewpoints is included at the end of this blog.

However, if you are grappling with this complex question may we suggest three important points to consider, based on feedback from school librarians who have already faced this issue [i].

• Firstly, you should have a very clear idea of your reasons for choosing genrefication as your library classification system.

Presumably the main reason will be dissatisfaction with your existing classification system, which is most likely to be the Dewey Decimal Classification system.

Perhaps you want to help reluctant readers more easily find books that reflect their interests.

You might want to encourage your students to become more independent library users by giving them visual clues to enable them to look for books by themselves.

There might be potential time saving benefits – students often have limits to their class time in the library, and library staff never have enough time to give all students individual attention and assistance.

Once you have identified what you hope to achieve, you will also need to work out how you’re going to measure your progress in reaching those goals.

• Secondly, identify the key challenges involved in changing your library’s classification system.

The first challenge will almost certainly be the time involved! A project like this might have to be undertaken without additional resources and on top of your normal responsibilities, so it’s important to be realistic about the amount of extra work required, and your ability to manage it.

Buy-in from students and teaching staff will be essential, and there could be some resistance to a major system change. A well-thought out project plan with clear goals is an essential tool for addressing any concerns that might arise.

A major challenge of course, will be the selection of genres to use. How will decisions be made regarding the genres to use – and who will make them? How many genres will you have – how general or how specific will you want your list to be? Too many genres could confuse students just as easily as too few. What terminology will you use? And what about the books that don’t seem to fit in anywhere? You may want to use existing lists of genres, or consult with other schools that have already changed their classification systems, and you will certainly want to seek input from your students and staff.

A further challenge will be the physical arrangement of the non-fiction collection in your library, after genrefication. How will the different genres be located within the existing space available? Which genres will be adjacent to each other? Is there any relationship between genres, or will they stand alone?

• The third issue to consider is the question of the availability of resources and products to help you if you do decide to genrefy.

The most important resource required will be people, because a project like this consists of a number of significant areas of work.

Weeding:

During the genrefication process every book in the collection will need to be handled, so seize the opportunity to decide whether that book should still be in the library. Weed out books that are no longer popular, relevant or deserving of a place on the shelves.

Amending existing catalogue records:

Firstly, you will need to decide how your existing records are to be changed to reflect a new genrefication system, to ensure that library users can easily find what they are looking for. Willing and capable helpers will be needed to assist with this work, which will require accuracy, consistency and perseverance.

Displaying genres on books:

People power will also be needed when it comes to displaying genres on your non-fiction books. There are two frequently used methods of genre display, both involving adhesive labels.

The first is to use a spine label with an image and/or text that identifies the genre. At int.workspaces we have a wide range of genre labels available, or you may wish to design and print your own.

The second option is to use colour-tinted label protectors to identify different classification categories. These can be used on their own, or placed over your existing spine labels as an alternative to introducing a completely different classification system.

Whichever method you choose will require hard work from committed helpers to ensure that every book in the collection is clearly labelled with the appropriate genre.

SUMMARY

The question of how best to classify and arrange the non-fiction collection in your school library is a complex one, and there are plenty of voices presenting a variety of opinions and recommendations.

Three important issues to consider are your reasons for wanting to genrefy your non-fiction collection, the key challenges involved, and the availability of necessary resources.

Ultimately, whatever system you decide to use should be the best one for your library and your students, and whether you decide to reorganise and genrefy, or whether you decide to stay with Dewey, your aims should be the same.