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What do you think about doing away with Dewey?
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Comments
Dropping Dewey
What are the advantages of WordThink over Dewey Decimal Classification or Library of Congress Classification? A retail environment requires only subject/author organization, but a library requires some type of classification code. A key element of both DDC and LCC is that they condense the classification information, and thus, fit neatly right-side-up on the spine of a book. This is a tremendous advantage, and will be especially useful for youngsters moving on to university sized libraries. When locating a title on the shelf one can negotiate a short alphanumeric code much more quickly than one could read through the actual classifications for that book. Having said that, I do think OPL could wedge a Starbucks into the lobby.
Dropping Dewey
I don't know about dropping Dewey. I feel ambivalent. I think the WordThink system could work just as well as Dewey. We live in a visual/multimedia age, and perhaps, simple visuals to identify categories of books such as the signage used in WordThink would be more user friendly and facilitate browsing. The new system appears to be working great where it's been implemented. On the other hand, the Dewey system has been tried and true for over 100 years, and as one person commented, regular users of the library don't have trouble finding books. It's been reported in the news that many more people are using libraries nowadays so there's plenty of new people browsing for books. Librarians are always ready and willing to help patrons with book searches no matter what system is used.
Dropping Dewey
Often when people do not like the idea of dropping Dewey, it's because they think you will no longer be able to find a specific title. The book still has a very specific call number. It's simplified to a format that everyone can understand, not just librarians. So a cookbook on making sushi could have the call number "COOKBOOK ASIAN SUSHI AUTHOR". It's just a different way of interpreting Dewey.
Dropping Dewey
Although I am all for change, I feel that switching from the Dewey system would be a mistake. The amount of time wasted in a book store looking for a specific book is really not worth it. The great part of coming to the library is that I know that I can go to a specific number and find what I am looking for. At the bookstore, they send me to the subject, then they break it down from there. Time wasted is not time well spent.
Dropping Dewey
I'm wondering how many books are in a typical chain bookstore, or rather, how many unique titles? Bookstores seem big, but a lot of space goes to displays and such. The retail-based system might not work on a larger scale.
Dropping Dewey
It is easier to find a specific book with the Dewey Decimal System. When I go to Borders and know the title I am looking for I have to scan "all" the books in that category to find it. I think that swithching systems would be a mistake. People who use the library on a regular basis don't have any trouble finding a book. The people who do, are those who seldom use it. Should we change this for a small minority? I don't think so.
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