MostlibrariansdontquestionusingDewey,LibraryofCongress,orstrict alphabetizationasdefaultorganizationalmethods...thisishowitsdone,howitsalways beendone,sowhywouldwechangethis?Butisthisagoodwaytoshelvebooks,fromour usersperspective? Whenapatrongoestoalibrarylookingforabook,theyaccomplishthis independentlyintwoways:theysearchthecatalogtogetthecallnumbersotheycangoto theshelfandretrievethebook,ortheybrowsetheshelvesuntiltheyfindsomethinggood. Ofcourse,eachmethoduseddependsonwhethertheuserislookingforaspecifictitle, subjectarea,andofcourseonthepatronthemselves.Librariesservethesesearcherswell weteachhowtosearchthecatalogandfindabookontheshelvesoncetheyve discovereditslocation.Librariesdonot,ontheotherhand,servebrowserswell,despite signsordisplays. Youngchildrenarealmostexclusivebrowsers(thisisextremelytrueinourlibrary).

They(andlibraryusersofotherages)learnthephysicallocationofbookstheylike,and theylearnhowtousethelibrarybasedonthoselocationsnotonthelibrarys organizationalsystem.Thereareseveralproblemswiththis: Alphabeticalorderisnotatallhelpfulwhenbrowsingforgoodtitleskidswhoknow wheretheDiaryofaWimpyKidbooksareontheshelfgotothatarealookingfor somethingsimilarandaremetwithNancyDrewbecauseKeeneandKinneyarenearby. Theymayunderstandthatbooksareinalphabeticalordersothatitseasytofindthemon theshelf,ratherthanhavingajumbleofbooksinnoparticularorder,butitmakesnosense tothemthatbooksofasimilarsubject/genrearenotputtogether,whilestillusingthat alphabeticalordersystem. Deweyisnotdevelopmentallyappropriatefortheyoungercrowd.Theyjustdont understandhowitworks.Theydontseethelogicanditsdifficulttoassociatestringsof numberswithsubjects.Furthermore,whenbrowsinginnonfiction,theconnectionsbetween subjectsinDeweyareoutdatedandnonsensicaltokids.Oneofthemostrevolutionaryand innovativethingsabouttheDeweyDecimalsystemwasthatitprovidedrelativelocations forsubjectsbuttheserelativelocationsarenolongerrelevantintodaysworldandwere neverrelevantforthemindofachild. Aprimeexampleofthisisthe600s,whereyoucanfindinformationabout inventions,cooking,pets,andsome(butnotall)vehicles.Usersmaylearntoassociatethe 600swithtechnology...buttheydontseecooking,thehumanbody,orpetsasfittinginthat category.Theymaylearnthat590sareanimals,andcompletelymissdozensofbooks aboutpetsbecausetheyrearoundthecorneronanothershelf.Itseasytoassociate520s withouterspace...butthenwhyarebooksonastronauts,spaceships,andexploringspace aroundthecornerinthe600s?Therearemanyexamplesofthesetypesofsplitswithin Deweyorganization. SchoollibrarianscouldeasilysolvetheseissuesbysimplyteachingtheDewey Decimalsystemmuchbettersothatourusersaremorefamiliarwithit.Wecan,ofcourse, begintoprovidebettereducationofhowtofindbooksindependentlywithorwithoutthe useofalibrarycatalog.Inanidealworld,everyonewouldhavealibrarianworthyprimary

knowledgeofhowanonfictionsectionisorganized,andwouldbefamiliarenoughwith authorsthattheycouldbrowseconfidentlyandfindappropriatebooks. Ihavenevermetorheardofanyonewhoeverhadthistypeoflibraryeducationin elementaryschoolanditseemsbasiclibraryeducationisbeingpushedmoreandmore tothebackburner.Kidslearntosearchthelibrarycatalog&howtofindabookontheshelf basedonwhatthelocationsaysthishasalwaysbeenastapleoflibraryteachingin elementaryschools.Inordertomakestrongbrowsers,wewouldhavetochangethis educationtoincludebasicknowledgeofDeweycategories,fictionauthors,etc.Thisjust isntgoingtohappen. Asschoollibrarians,weneedtoputourstudentsatthecenterofourlibraryput theminmindratherthanourorganizationandtraditionlovinglibrarianselves.Whatour studentsneedisanintuitiveorganizationalsysteminwhichtheycanwalkuptoacertain shelfofthelibraryandnotonlyknowexactlywhatisonitwithoutreadingdozensand dozensofsigns,butfindunexpected(yetrelevant)books. Agenreandsubjectbasedcategorizationsystemaccomplishesthisbycreating opportunitiesfororchestratedluck.So,howcanwemeetourstudentswheretheyalready areandwheretheywanttobe?HowcanweevolveMelvilDeweysrelativeshelvingtoan innovative,kidfriendlysystem? Metisisaflexible,intuitive,andchildfriendlysystemoflibrarycategorization.Ituses wholelanguage(entirewordsonaspinelabelratherthannumericalcodes),visualcues, andlogicthatreflectschildrensownexperiences.Itputsthechildinthecenterofhisorher ownsearch.Thesystemisntacutdownversionofadultthinking.Kidsfeelempoweredto navigatethelibrarybecauseitisorganizedinawaythattheyunderstand.Metisincreases thesuccessrateoffindingbooks,whichfostersselfrelianceandproducesjoyous discovery.Metisremovesthebarriersoflongcallnumbers(forexamplesofthis,seethe 394sinAcorn,wheresomeDeweynumbersgoouttothe5thor6thdecimalplace...),is visual,andmostimportantly,childcentered.Studentsarenotexpectedtoevenlearnor masterdecimalsofthissizeuntil4thor5thgrade.Theorganizationsystemisflexiblefrom librarytolibrary,fromleveltolevel,andfromyeartoyear.Thelevelofspecificitywithinour organizationofshelvesentirelydependsonourcollection. TherearetwentysixmaincategoriesintheMetissystem,oneforeveryletterofthe alphabet.Thesecategoriesarechosenandassignedlettersinmuchthesamewaythat Deweyorganizedhis10categoriesofnumbersanattempttoplacelikesubjectsnear eachother.ThecategoriesbeginatA,withFacts&Concepts,andendatZwithMiddle GradeFiction.Eachofthesemaincategoriesallowsforsubcategories(example:Bisthe Machinescategory,whichbreaksdownintosubcategorieslikerobotsandtransport(which canfurtherbreakdowntosubsubcategorieslikecarsandtrains).Thelibrarianswho developedtheMetissystemrecommendbreakingdownintoasub(orsubsub)category whenacategoryreaches30booksoriswellusedenoughtorequiredistinction.Itis importanttorememberthatwiththeMetissystem,weareatthemostbasiclevelreplacing Deweynumberswiththewordsthattheystandfor.Ratherthanhaveanencyclopediaabout animalssittingontheshelfwithaspinelabelthatsays590AUTHOR,wearetranslating 590forourstudentsandsayingwhatwemean:ANIMALSAUTHOR. Fictionisdealtwithbyageaswellasgenre.TheXcategoryencompassesall

picturebooks,whileYfitseasyreadersandchapterbooksthrough2ndgrade,andZ containsnovelsforgrades35.Thesethreefictioncategoriesarefurtherbrokendowninto genres.Certaingenresareshelvedwithintheirindividualcategoryratherthankeptwithin fiction(example:sportsfictionisshelvedinthesportscategory). Ofcourse,discerningthegenreofafictionbookcanbeincrediblysubjective. Sometimesbookswillcrossgenres.Sometimesauthorswillcrossgenres.Whenwe encounterthesetypesofsituations,ourstudentsmindsneedtocomefirst.Wheredowe thinkourstudentswilllookforthesebooks?Wecategorizethemthere. So,whatdothespinelabelslooklike?Theyaresimple.Shortbooksspinelabels aresidewayssothatstudentscanreadtheentirecallnumber.Thecallnumbersbeginwith thecategorycode,thenthecategoryname,subcategorynameifapplicable,andthenthe authorslastname.AWrinkleinTimeforexample,usingtheoriginalMetisschedule, wouldhaveacallnumberofZFANTASYLENGLE.Amorecomplicated(Metis classificationwise)booklikeFrogandToadcouldfinditselfinYBEGINNINGREADER (ERifwewantedtokeepourterminology)ANIMALSLOBEL,orperhapsintheEcategory, foranimals,EANIMALSAMPHIBIANSLOBEL. Then,ifinterfilingfictionandnonfiction,whatdoesashelflooklike?Letslookat petsasanexample.Wehavedozensofnonfictionbooksaboutdogs.Thesebookswould havethecallnumberFPETSDOGSAUTHOR.Wehavepicturebooksaboutdogs.We havenovelsaboutdogs.Weneedtofigureouthowthiswouldwork.Doweaddarowof textoracolorcodedlabeltothecallnumbertoindicateagelevelandfiction/nonfictionand separateagelevelandfiction/nonfictionwithinaMetiscategorygrouping? Someotherpressingquestionsarethese:Whatwillourshelveslooklike?Willwe implementMetisorganizationinER,inAcornfiction/nonfiction,andalsoinpicturebooks, asthreeseparateareas(orperhapstwo),orwillwecombinethethreesubsectionsofthe Acornlibraryintooneareaofcategorialorganization?Imsuremanymorequestionswill arisefromourmeeting. BelowisthebasicMetisschedule(maincategoriesonly)foryoutolookatrather thanlistingallthecategories&subcategorieshere.Ifwedecidetomoveforwardwith categoricalorganizationinourlibrary,wewillevaluatethesecategoriesand subcategories,andalterasneededtofitourcollection.Therearesomebigquestionswe needtoansweraswedothis,asItoucheduponaboveDowewantMetisorganizationin AcornandGeneral?Dowewanttointerfileourfictionwithnonfiction,asinthesports example?Ifwedothis,howwouldwethenindicatetheagelevelofthebookswithinthat interfiling?WouldwerepurposetheWcategorytoencompassbiographiesaswellas memoirs,orwouldweprefertointerfilethosebookswithintheappropriatecategories?Do wewanttokeeptheverbiageoftheMetiscategories? IthinkweshouldimplementMetisonlyintheAcornsection.Thesestudentsarethe mostdisservicedinourlibrarybyourcurrentorganizationsystem.WithLane&Katies plannedstandardizationofcallnumbersintheGeneralsection,thenonfictioninthatarea canbeeasilyadaptedtobetterfitourusersneedswithoutacompleteoverhaul.Wehave alreadydecidednottogenrethefictionbookssoastonotalienatereadersbasedona

labelorstickermovingtoMetiswiththeGeneralfictionwouldeliminatethatdecision. IfwemoveforwardwithMetiscategorizationintheAcornsection,alikelyplanof attackwouldbethe201314schoolyearspentorganizingandsolidifyingouradapted Metisschedule,thenassigningeachAcornbooktothatschedule.Wewouldwantideallyto relabel&rollouttheactualphysicalreorganizationoftheAcornlibraryoverashortschool break,tomaximizetheimpactofthechange.DependingonhowquicklyouradaptedMetis scheduleiscomplete,SpringBreak2014couldbetheperfecttimetoroundupsomegrad studentvolunteerstohelprelabel. A.Facts/Concepts B.Machines C.Science D.Nature E.Animals F.Pets G.MakingStuff H.Arts I.Sports J.Ourselves K.Community L.USA(Then&Now) M.Countries(Then&Now) N.Languages O.Traditions P.Tales Q.Verse R.Humor S.Mystery T.Adventure U.Scary V.GraphicNovel W.Memoir X.Fiction/Picturestories Y.Beginningfiction Z.Middlelevelfiction