Page 83 - October Sun Rays

News from the SC Stacks
By Nancy Davis
Earlier this year when the library
conducted the non-fiction survey, I
considered possibilities for making
our non-fiction collection easier to access.
Instead of the Dewey Decimal System,
why not use a more logical classification
system that everyone can understand so
they can easily find a certain subject? I
remembered the B or BIO for biographies
that we used in the school libraries where
I worked. That system was successful, so
why not expand that concept to other non-
fiction as well? Using the survey results as
a resource, I worked out some categories,
changing and combining or deleting the
classifications we had used for years.
We have now completed the transition,
and we are presently relabeling returned
books that still have the Dewey classifica-
tion numbers. Book labels will indicate
categories with three classification letters
above the first three letters of the author’s
name. Here is a list of categories with sug-
gested topics found in each.
– AME: AMERICAN HISTORY - his-
tory and culture of U.S., Canada and
Mexico; separate from general world
history.
– ANI: ANIMALS AND PETS – per-
sonal accounts and stories about the
influences animals have on our lives.
– ART: FINE & APPLIED ARTS – art,
architecture, crafts, film, gardening,
interior design.
– BIO: BIOGRAPHY – biographies ex-
cept military and sports, which will
be found in the appropriate categories;
lengthy memoirs.
– CUR: CURRENT EVENTS & SO-
CIAL ISSUES – present-day political
events, civil rights, women’s issues, in-
ternational events, economic, environ-
mental and technological issues.
– HEA: HEALTHY LIVING – personal
health and fitness, nutrition, safety is-
sues, disease, self-improvement, family
issues.
– HIS: HISTORY – historic world and
political events, the Holocaust, ancient
and archeological discoveries.
– HUM: HUMOR & SATIRE – humor-
ous not-quite-memoirs, political satire.
ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG
– LAW: LAW & GOVERNMENT – true
crime, constitution and the judicial sys-
tem, espionage, law enforcement.
– LIT: LITERATURE – early classics,
poetry, drama and other forms written
by well-known persons; modern clas-
sics and almost classics will be found
in fiction section.
– MEM: MEMOIR – all memoirs except
military, sports and travel categories;
must involve the author in the story-
line.
– MIL: MILITARY & WAR – history of
wars, weaponry, personal experiences
and memoirs, biographies if primarily
about military and war.
– REL: RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY
– descriptions of religions and philoso-
phies, all religious beliefs.
– SCI: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY –
all natural and abstract sciences; engi-
neering, inventions, space exploration.
– SPO: SPORTS & GAMES – athlet-
ics, games and puzzles, biographies
of athletes if primarily about sports.
– TEX: TEXANA – history and geog-
raphy of Texas, including some fiction
with pertinent Texas facts.
– TRA: TRAVEL & GEOGRAPHY –
personal accounts or memoirs, moun-
taineering, voyages, topography, cul-
ture and customs.
Nancy is the representative for the
Sun City Texas Library.
Under the new classification system,
book labels will indicate categories with
three classification letters above the first
three letters of the author’s name.
These classifications may change some
over time, but I think the basic premise
is workable and will be easier to use.
Shelf labels and a chart with these clas-
sifications will be posted for everyone’s
convenience.
This change in our non-fiction is just the
beginning of what is planned for this
coming year. The renovation process has
become more than a new look for our li-
brary space. Our new shelving will be user
friendly with slanted bottom shelves for
easier viewing. The layout will be more
accessible for wheelchairs. Our two spe-
cial collections, Large Print and Local
Authors, will be expanded and easier to
access. We will have space available for
more books. There will be other changes
that primarily affect the volunteers, en-
abling them to better help patrons. The
library volunteers are excited about our
changes, and we hope you are too.
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