Behind the Maricopa County Library District’s Dewey-less Plan - 5/31/2007 - Library Journal
Follow-up from Library Journal who has the full scoop.
"Shore says the layout of the branch, which is part of a high school campus in the fast-growing town of Gilbert, also aims to echo bookstores with nooks and crannies aimed "to create a sense of intimacy and privacy." Maricopa outsources all of its cataloging, and Brodart, which provided the opening day collection, worked to translate Dewey to the new taxonomy. In the catalog, the record will indicate the subject heading, and books are then alphabetized by author. "We’ll be working with staff to develop the taxonomy," Shore said. "It’s a small branch, and the collection is not huge. If we open a larger branch, we’d need to fine tune it.""
AND
"Asked about potential pitfalls, Courtright said, "We might find out our customers don’t like it." Added Deputy Director Cindy Kolaczynski, "The pages are probably a little nervous," but she noted that the sections in the library would each be fairly small. She added that staff were hired for the branch who embraced the evolving mission. And, where, for example, might the biography of sports figure go? Probably biography, Shore said, but the library would remain flexible as it assesses patron response. In some cases, the new taxonomy might allow for more granularity; DVDs, for example, won’t be labeled simply as fiction, but will be broken down by genre, as in video stories. Movable bookshelves on wheels, added Shore, will help the library create flexible displays of books."
Interesting thought process. I remember when Basha Library in Chandler did roving reference and basically removed all service desks. The plan lasted about six months because patrons could not find staff to help them. I think it is smart to try something new and to be able to make adjustments to the plan so that is still workable. It is never all or nothing. Browsing is always the key. Very fun stuff.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
BookSwim: Netflix for books? | BlogHer
BookSwim: Netflix for books? | BlogHer
Interesting discussion about Bookswim. This is from the same person who spoke about moving from an area that had a great library. She is looking at Bookswim, but isn't biting. I think this company needs to read the Long Tail. They don't have the vast inventory like Netflix. I think reader's interests are more diverse as well. Many people would rather get it for free at a public library than pay $23 for a subscription for books. One might as well purchase one if it costs that much. Libraries also have interlibrary loan for whatever they don't have. This service may work for someone who does not have a public library to rely upon, but when there is that availability, I don't see this catching on. There is also a reply from a Bookswim rep at the end. There is also a reply from a public library staff member as well. Great discussion.
Interesting discussion about Bookswim. This is from the same person who spoke about moving from an area that had a great library. She is looking at Bookswim, but isn't biting. I think this company needs to read the Long Tail. They don't have the vast inventory like Netflix. I think reader's interests are more diverse as well. Many people would rather get it for free at a public library than pay $23 for a subscription for books. One might as well purchase one if it costs that much. Libraries also have interlibrary loan for whatever they don't have. This service may work for someone who does not have a public library to rely upon, but when there is that availability, I don't see this catching on. There is also a reply from a Bookswim rep at the end. There is also a reply from a public library staff member as well. Great discussion.
The Death of Dewey:Gilbert library to be first to drop Dewey Decimal
Gilbert library to be first to drop Dewey Decimal
When the new Gilbert library opens next month, it will be the first public library in the nation whose entire collection will be categorized without the Dewey Decimal Classification System, Maricopa County librarians say.
Instead, tens of thousands of books in the Perry Branch library will be shelved by topic, similar to the way bookstores arrange books. The demise of the century-old Dewey Decimal system is overdue, county librarians say: It's just too confusing for people to hunt down books using those long strings of numbers and letters. Dewey essentially arranges books by topic and assigns call numbers for each book.
END SNIP
This library is in the Maricopa County Library District and will be in the Town of Gilbert. This is the second library in Gilbert. The first being the Southeast Regional Library (66,000 square feet). I have also seen the layout there. Things are laid out in what they call "neighborhoods". This is also a joint-use facility.It should be interesting to see how this flows. Maricopa County has often been a leader in trying new things.
I wonder how this affects their technical services. Do they just not get call numbers or spine labels? I am glad we are forward thinking here, however, my big problem in a bookstore is that I cannot find the EXACT book I want. Some people like browsing the section and that increases finding through serendipity, but when I want to find the exact book, this model doesn't always work. I will definitely be paying them a visit.
When the new Gilbert library opens next month, it will be the first public library in the nation whose entire collection will be categorized without the Dewey Decimal Classification System, Maricopa County librarians say.
Instead, tens of thousands of books in the Perry Branch library will be shelved by topic, similar to the way bookstores arrange books. The demise of the century-old Dewey Decimal system is overdue, county librarians say: It's just too confusing for people to hunt down books using those long strings of numbers and letters. Dewey essentially arranges books by topic and assigns call numbers for each book.
END SNIP
This library is in the Maricopa County Library District and will be in the Town of Gilbert. This is the second library in Gilbert. The first being the Southeast Regional Library (66,000 square feet). I have also seen the layout there. Things are laid out in what they call "neighborhoods". This is also a joint-use facility.It should be interesting to see how this flows. Maricopa County has often been a leader in trying new things.
I wonder how this affects their technical services. Do they just not get call numbers or spine labels? I am glad we are forward thinking here, however, my big problem in a bookstore is that I cannot find the EXACT book I want. Some people like browsing the section and that increases finding through serendipity, but when I want to find the exact book, this model doesn't always work. I will definitely be paying them a visit.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Businesspundit: Don't Look For Superstars, Look For Superteams
Businesspundit: Don't Look For Superstars, Look For Superteams
Businesspundit: Don't Look For Superstars, Look For Superteams
For all those people who didn't get the job, read this post. Sometimes it is just a matter of making the right fit. There is no way you can tell that in a job interview. You can be the superstar of the century and not get the job simply because they were not looking for that particular fantastic skill. Also, the super skills you have in one job, may mean absolutely nothing in another job.
Also, in Seth's Blog:Who You Should Hire, he talks about the ability to get things done. Too often we fall into the trap of one versus the other. We want people that get things done, but can work in a team. Teamwork can get the job done, but too often it ends up stifling creativity. Even when the superstar is hired, they are not one for long.
"Most fast-growing organizations are looking for people who can get stuff done.
There is a fundamental shift in rules from manual-based work (where you follow instructions and an increase in productivity means doing the steps faster) to project-based work (where the instructions are unknown, and visualizing outcomes and then getting things done is what counts.)
And yet, we're still trying to hire people who have shown an ability to follow instructions.
I'm almost done with my (sold out) book tour, and the biggest pleasure of the project was working with people who totally understand what it is to get things done. "
END SNIP
After reading these, it reminded me of the post from A Wandering Eyre:On Managing Anxiety, Work, Life, and all Things in Between
"Karen’s post talks about what we do to our motivated leaders. We overburden them. We steal their shiny with promises that never come. I am sorry to say that this has happened to me gradually over the past year. I am still an optimist, often annoyingly so, and I still love my profession, but this past semester made we rethink what my job and my life was and where the lines needed to be drawn. I needed more lines."
I hope that many of the superstars do not get burned out by organizations that want them to comply.
The line "steal their shiny" resonated with me the most. That is a very dangerous thing an organization can do, and sad for the new breed of librarians.
Businesspundit: Don't Look For Superstars, Look For Superteams
For all those people who didn't get the job, read this post. Sometimes it is just a matter of making the right fit. There is no way you can tell that in a job interview. You can be the superstar of the century and not get the job simply because they were not looking for that particular fantastic skill. Also, the super skills you have in one job, may mean absolutely nothing in another job.
Also, in Seth's Blog:Who You Should Hire, he talks about the ability to get things done. Too often we fall into the trap of one versus the other. We want people that get things done, but can work in a team. Teamwork can get the job done, but too often it ends up stifling creativity. Even when the superstar is hired, they are not one for long.
"Most fast-growing organizations are looking for people who can get stuff done.
There is a fundamental shift in rules from manual-based work (where you follow instructions and an increase in productivity means doing the steps faster) to project-based work (where the instructions are unknown, and visualizing outcomes and then getting things done is what counts.)
And yet, we're still trying to hire people who have shown an ability to follow instructions.
I'm almost done with my (sold out) book tour, and the biggest pleasure of the project was working with people who totally understand what it is to get things done. "
END SNIP
After reading these, it reminded me of the post from A Wandering Eyre:On Managing Anxiety, Work, Life, and all Things in Between
"Karen’s post talks about what we do to our motivated leaders. We overburden them. We steal their shiny with promises that never come. I am sorry to say that this has happened to me gradually over the past year. I am still an optimist, often annoyingly so, and I still love my profession, but this past semester made we rethink what my job and my life was and where the lines needed to be drawn. I needed more lines."
I hope that many of the superstars do not get burned out by organizations that want them to comply.
The line "steal their shiny" resonated with me the most. That is a very dangerous thing an organization can do, and sad for the new breed of librarians.
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