Public Library Doesn't Arrange Books Alphabetically

[JNW]

I live in a tiny town and in the children's section the fiction books are arranged by the first letter of the last name of the author. Have you ever in your life???? It drives me absolutely bonkers when I'm looking for a specific title. Imagine looking for a book by Bill Martin and having to look through every single M book before I find it.

 

The only advantage is that I come across plenty of books that I'm NOT looking for that I happen to be interested in. LOL. I used to go to the library a lot when I first moved here, and now I've started going less and less. The non-fiction books are sort of all over the place. I really can't find much logic in the way they are arranged. This is going to be a real adventure when I start homeschooling and trying to find books.

 

I really do not want to be the new person in town (population 2,000) and start complaining to the library, or worse yet, start complaining to people in town and word gets around and on and on it goes. I suppose I could go to libraries in other towns, but that is not so convenient.

 

I don't suppose there is much that can be done. Or is there?

[zoobie]

That kind of crazy makes my brain hurt.

[*Lulu*]

.

[*Lulu*]

Okay, reread OP.

[Just Kate]

Wondering where you live because my small town library does the very. same. thing!!! I can't stand it and have definitely reduced my library time because of it.

 

I asked why they do it that way once and was told that its easier. Yes, seriously. :rolls eyes:

[*Lulu*]

Ack. My computer has lost it's mind!

 

Our children's picture books are similarly shelved, in part, i believe, because they are in low bins and it is very difficult to keep them alphabetical, (beyond first letter of last name), when children are pulling them out and putting them back in. If they are shelved like every other book in the library I would think they would be more particular about it.

 

I have used libraries in 6 cities in 4 states and all of them with children's fiction in bins were organized in a similar manner.

[plath]

In that situation, I would put books on hold/reserve and just pick them up at the desk... that's annoying. How do the librarians even find them?

[JNW]

It's also "easier" to not even put them in order of the first letter of the last name. Or maybe they should just dump all of the books in large bins. I guess they have a threshold for level of difficulty.

[LaxMom]

One of our larger small towns does it like that. It's the (lovely but ancient) children's librarian. The other librarians are totally understanding of the patrons' impulse to fix it.

 

Our tiny town manages to shelve books properly. Or, at least, the "Martin, Bill" books would all be together, though probably not narrowed to title order.

[SunnyDays]

Alphabetically by authors last name is the only way in which I've ever seen fiction books arranged, children or adults.

[JNW]

Alphabetically by authors last name is the only way in which I've ever seen fiction books arranged, children or adults.

 

Just want to clarify that here it's just by the first letter of the last name. So all the 'Ms' are mixed up together in no order. If "Martin" wrote 20 books, they are not together. They are mixed up with all of the other 'M's. I couldn't tell from your post if you misunderstood. :)

[poppy]

I think the OP is saying that they are not alphabetized, aside from the first letter of the last name. All the As mixed together, all the Bs mixed together.....

[JNW]

I think the OP is saying that they are not alphabetized, aside from the first letter of the last name. All the As mixed together, all the Bs mixed together.....

 

Exactly. Thanks.

[LaxMom]

 

 

Just want to clarify that here it's just by the first letter of the last name. So all the 'Ms' are mixed up together in no order. If "Martin" wrote 20 books, they are not together. They are mixed up with all of the other 'M's. I couldn't tell from your post if you misunderstood. :)

I think that was addressed to me. And, headsmack, I guess that's entirely true. They're so skinny and there are so many of them, I guess I just think they should be! :p

[gardenmom5]

I live in a tiny town and in the children's section the fiction books are arranged by the first letter of the last name of the author. Have you ever in your life???? It drives me absolutely bonkers when I'm looking for a specific title. Imagine looking for a book by Bill Martin and having to look through every single M book before I find it.

 

 

I don't suppose there is much that can be done. Or is there?

okay. If I'm understanding your correctly, they're too lazy to file by the authors last name and only use the first letter? that would be irritating. would submitting a suggestion request that they file by the authors entire last name? or at least the first three letters?

 

does your library system have a website where you can order books online?

 

I simply go to our library's website and order what books I want - then *they* have to pull them (and do so from any library in the system). when I pick them up, they're all nicely grouped on the shelf. takes about five minutes to pick them up, check them out, and leave.

[TexasRachel]

They do it here too. It's one of many reasons I prefer driving 30+ minutes to other libraries.

[readinmom]

It's the same way at our library. Dd used to find her Angelina books all over the place. She definitely knows how to find a book there now.

[JNW]

"I simply go to our libraries website and order what books I want - then *they* have to pull them (and do so from any library in the system). when I pick them up, they're all nicely grouped on the shelf. takes about five minutes to pick them up, check them out, and leave."

 

I do appreciate the tip, but I literally laughed out loud when I read that! No offense, but I wish you could meet these "librarians." They don't sit or stand at the counter where you check the books out. They sit in offices with glass windows a ways back and they don't look up. I have to jingle my keys or something to get their attention. Then they yell, "What do you need?" or "I'll be right there." So I'm pretty sure requesting a pile of books to pick up is out. It sounds rather lovely though! Again no offense, it's just such a contrast to my world.

[JNW]

I think that was addressed to me. And, headsmack, I guess that's entirely true. They're so skinny and there are so many of them, I guess I just think they should be! :p

 

I know, people are reading this thinking, yeah, alphabetical order.

[Slartibartfast]

Ah! Edited because I misunderstood the op, that would be annoying.

[Matryoshka]

Our children's picture books are similarly shelved, in part, i believe, because they are in low bins and it is very difficult to keep them alphabetical, (beyond first letter of last name), when children are pulling them out and putting them back in.

 

This is how the picture books in our children's section are shelved as well. There are bins on top of the shelves that contain books by popular authors, but everything else is only by first letter of last name.

 

Biographies are shelved by the name of the person who the biography is about (but alphabetically, not just by first letter).

 

The chapter books and up and non-fiction are all shelved normally.

[stripe]

My library only seems to arrange picture books by the first three letters of the author's last name. I think it's because there is so much turnover? It is not a tiny library system. Anyway, it's usually enough that I can find them.

[milovany]

Our picture books are like this too. Nutty. And we can't solve the problem by putting a hold on what we want. If the book is checked in, they won't pull it (or any other book). They'll only let you out put a hold on books that are checked out at the time you're placing the holds. :glare:

[MFG]

How large a staff does the library have?

[HelenNotOfTroy]

I would check to see if they have a reserve or hold system. Do they have a computer card catalog? Are these books part of the catalog? Is the catalog available on the internet? If they do not have this, have a list of books (with title and author) and get a library employee's attention when you arrive and ask them to help you find the books you are looking for. Perhaps this will annoy them enough to put the books into more order.

[JNW]

I've seen 4 different workers.

[8circles]

That's crazy. Do many people actually use this section? Maybe they think it isn't worth their time for so few people... idk

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Okay, I'm not sure why this is a problem in a small library? We live in a small town, less than 1000, our library's childrens section is small enough it makes no difference.

[MFG]

I don't know about your situation, but in our area the library is continually strapped for money. When staff hours are short, a time intensive task, such as alphabetizing picture books past the first letter, may get pushed out of the way. I would rather sort through a bin of M picture books than pay more in local taxes to have library staff do it. Everything involves a trade off.

[Acorn]

Our board book section and the mobile library RV are shelved like that. The thought is that the kids on the mobile unit are in a hurry to just grab any book, and the board book is for the pre-reader crowd to begin with. I am okay with it in those circumstances. If the whole picture book section was like that, I'd go nuts and file them correctly every time I could.

[JNW]

I've never seen anyone else in the children's section.

[JNW]

I've never seen anyone else in the children's section.

[skeeterbug]

This is how picture books are arranged in our library. Then each shelf is by size. The size of the book is listed in the system, so if I'm looking for a particular book it is helpful to know the size, that makes it much easier to find. But mosty I just use the hold system. Junior fuction is alphabetical, it's only the picture books. It isn't too hard to scan a few shelves for a book, but it is annoying. I'm assuming it's more the high turnover in picture books than anything.

[happi duck]

Some libraries need to make due with people that aren't trained. Perhaps they don't realize that alphabetized by last name does not stop just at the first letter.

 

My library let me bring my kids in to 'read the shelves' so we could get some community service hours. We each worked on a children's fiction section putting it in perfect order.

[milovany]

Some libraries need to make due with people that aren't trained. Perhaps they don't realize that alphabetized by last name does not stop just at the first letter.

 

I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of man-hours and where they want to spend their money. Kids wreak havoc on the picture books especially so it's far easier to alphabetize by first initial of last name. Pain in the neck, though, when looking for books.

 

My library let me bring my kids in to 'read the shelves' so we could get some community service hours. We each worked on a children's fiction section putting it in perfect order.

 

I like this idea a lot!

[JNW]

I've never seen anyone else in the children's section.

[Farrar]

Our children's paperback picture books and easy readers are arranged that way. If they're in bins, I think it's nigh on impossible to fully alphabetize them. But I sympathize.

[Arcadia]

The children's paperbacks all have a sticker with the first letter of the author's last name. For example, the boxcar children paperbacks will all have a "W" sticker on their spine. The library has easily more than 200 boxcar children paperbacks though and takes up almost an entire paperback revolving shelve tower. It is the same at the other libraries we go to. All are relatively big city libraries with volunteers doing the bulk of the re-shelving.

[nd293]

When dd was little the picture book section was arranged in alphabet sections only, and I think it was mainly because the little ones would shove books back wherever and the library staff gave up fighting it. Sometimes I'd take a letter and arrange the books alphabetically while dd played nearby - alphabetising is good for the soul!

 

If you are looking for a specific book, can you reserve it online, so that library staff have to find it for you and put it aside for you? That's how our (admittedly big) library system works, and I do resort to that sometimes when the shelves are in a mess.

 

Non-alphabetical order of junior chapter books would make me crazy. The library system here already sub-sections by genre, which bothers me. I can see why they do it, but it is so limiting! No more stumbling on a book outside your favourite genre that piques your interest because of the cover or title. No. If you want Thrill and Spills or Other Worlds, that's what you get, and only that.

 

Even worse is the nearby library which sub-sections the non-fiction such that the same set of Dewey numbers might appear in two different areas of non-fiction. It's not possible to find something by Dewey number without first checking the catalogue computer for the section.

 

 

[QueenCat]

Nm.... saw the clarification

[QueenCat]

I simply go to our library's website and order what books I want - then *they* have to pull them (and do so from any library in the system). when I pick them up, they're all nicely grouped on the shelf. takes about five minutes to pick them up, check them out, and leave.

 

I have never seen a library that does that!!! The only books that are held are those reserved when someone else had them signed out. They do not go get books off of the shelves for patrons.

[skeeterbug]

 

I have never seen a library that does that!!! The only books that are held are those reserved when someone else had them signed out. They do not go get books off of the shelves for patrons.

 

Really? I've never belonged to a library that doesn't do that! I put holds on all my books and they are nicely waiting on a shelf for me. Saves heaps of time!

[Galatea]

The library I used to work for, which is one of the largest library systems in the country, is organized this way as well. Children's collections are the ones that are most moved around in the library. They get handled more frequently and by more people, including small children, who wouldn't pay attention to full last names anyway, and they are checked out more frequently than any other category of books. The sheer amount of manpower that would be required in order to keep a bunch of children's books in full name alphabetical order on the shelves would be crazy. And in a small library, where there are even less staff members, that time is exponentially more valuable.

[MooCow]

I live in a tiny town and in the children's section the fiction books are arranged by the first letter of the last name of the author. Have you ever in your life???? It drives me absolutely bonkers when I'm looking for a specific title. Imagine looking for a book by Bill Martin and having to look through every single M book before I find it.

 

The only advantage is that I come across plenty of books that I'm NOT looking for that I happen to be interested in. LOL. I used to go to the library a lot when I first moved here, and now I've started going less and less. The non-fiction books are sort of all over the place. I really can't find much logic in the way they are arranged. This is going to be a real adventure when I start homeschooling and trying to find books.

 

I really do not want to be the new person in town (population 2,000) and start complaining to the library, or worse yet, start complaining to people in town and word gets around and on and on it goes. I suppose I could go to libraries in other towns, but that is not so convenient.

 

I don't suppose there is much that can be done. Or is there?

 

 

 

I think we live in the same town. Drives Me Cuc-co for cocoa puffs.

[Luanne]

They do that here with adult paperbacks. You can never find anything in those sections... and I don't live in a small town either.

[km123175]

I live in a tiny town and in the children's section the fiction books are arranged by the first letter of the last name of the author. Have you ever in your life???? It drives me absolutely bonkers when I'm looking for a specific title. Imagine looking for a book by Bill Martin and having to look through every single M book before I find it.

 

The only advantage is that I come across plenty of books that I'm NOT looking for that I happen to be interested in. LOL. I used to go to the library a lot when I first moved here, and now I've started going less and less. The non-fiction books are sort of all over the place. I really can't find much logic in the way they are arranged. This is going to be a real adventure when I start homeschooling and trying to find books.

 

I really do not want to be the new person in town (population 2,000) and start complaining to the library, or worse yet, start complaining to people in town and word gets around and on and on it goes. I suppose I could go to libraries in other towns, but that is not so convenient.

 

I don't suppose there is much that can be done. Or is there?

 

 

 

My library was exactly the same. It drove me bonkers!

 

My solution was to go online from home and request every book that I wanted. We also browsed, but when I wanted something specific I'd request a hold. That made the library staff have to find the book for me.

 

After a bit over a year of that me requesting them in that way, they redesigned the entire children's section - now the juvenile non-fiction are even in that part of the library too. Now, the books are alphabetized. It's still hard to find books because children come and move things around - I think some signage would help - telling parents not to let the kids put them back would be a big help I'm sure. :0

 

I don't know that my requests is what put them over the edge or if it was the new library director - but all of my friends requested books that way - we had a plan to force them to change. On the other hand, I still request books that way, but I'm sure it's now much easier to find what I requested - so that saves them some time. :)

 

Good luck!

[kitten18]

I've seen 4 different workers.

 

Some libraries need to make due with people that aren't trained. Perhaps they don't realize that alphabetized by last name does not stop just at the first letter.

 

My library let me bring my kids in to 'read the shelves' so we could get some community service hours. We each worked on a children's fiction section putting it in perfect order.

 

I was thinking that maybe there is some kids/teens that could do some community service hours.

[arghmatey]

I would reserve books rather than look for them myself. Make them do the work. Eventually they'll have to evaluate the cost and decide if they'd rather get organized or pay someone to pick out reserved books all day long.

[Orthodox6]

Nothing unusual about this. You are "a victim" of the Dewey Decimal System as applied to juvenile fiction in a public library. Have you observed whether the arrangement applies across the board in the youth section, or whether this is primarily within the "picture book" section? The picture books often are set up this way on purpose because it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep them on the shelves in strict author-alphabetical sequence when every toddler and young grade-schooler is grabbing books at random and stuffing them back onto the shelves equally at random. A Possible Surprise: You will find this to be the same at a bookstore.

 

Without seeing the non-fiction section of your library, I cannot comment on whether it truly is disorganized, or just is organized in a way unfamiliar to you.

 

I live in a tiny town and in the children's section the fiction books are arranged by the first letter of the last name of the author. Have you ever in your life???? It drives me absolutely bonkers when I'm looking for a specific title. Imagine looking for a book by Bill Martin and having to look through every single M book before I find it.

 

The only advantage is that I come across plenty of books that I'm NOT looking for that I happen to be interested in. LOL. I used to go to the library a lot when I first moved here, and now I've started going less and less. The non-fiction books are sort of all over the place. I really can't find much logic in the way they are arranged. This is going to be a real adventure when I start homeschooling and trying to find books.

 

I really do not want to be the new person in town (population 2,000) and start complaining to the library, or worse yet, start complaining to people in town and word gets around and on and on it goes. I suppose I could go to libraries in other towns, but that is not so convenient.

 

I don't suppose there is much that can be done. Or is there?

[plath]

 

 

Really? I've never belonged to a library that doesn't do that! I put holds on all my books and they are nicely waiting on a shelf for me. Saves heaps of time!

 

Same here. Both of my kids have gone through a stage between the ages of 2 and 3 where they are impossible at the library - turning off computers, clearing shelves, running and screaming so this feature has been a lifesaver!

 

A town about 30 minutes from me even has a drive through pick up window. I can't even imagine that!