poppy Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 I'm surprised so many people reserve books and have the librarians find them. I do that a lot, but only for books in neighboring libraries that I want to have shipped to my own library. I wouldn't do it for my own. It seems like a waste of very limited resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 I would be so tempted to fully alphabetize the section! As it is, I like to put series in order. Yet another reason for me to put everything I need on hold and stay away from the shelving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNW Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 Believe me, I am so tempted to start alphabetizing every time I'm there! Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 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? 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. Our libraries do not allow anyone to reserve unless the book is loan out. The librarians don't find them, the volunteers do and it takes at least 24 hours from when a reserved item is returned. Library hours are cut at some local libraries because of shortfall in funding. So they open four or less days a week. ETA: Our libraries are funded by library tax and circulation is crazy. Just saying your suggestion may backfire. The circulation number for a city library that we frequent is 1.7 million in 2010. I know it went up but lazy to google for last year numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plath Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 I'm surprised so many people reserve books and have the librarians find them. I do that a lot, but only for books in neighboring libraries that I want to have shipped to my own library. I wouldn't do it for my own. It seems like a waste of very limited resources. If it's a choice between not going to the library at all (and them losing funding because of lower circulation) or checking out lots of books and having the employees do a little more work, I prefer the latter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 I would bring in my long list of books and ask for help finding them all...every time I go...so they can see how much easier it is. Or just use the hold system. Our library allows us to have 20 books on hold. So each of my kids would be putting books on hold as well, so we could get them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 In my experience as a page/shelver, it's very difficult if not impossible to keep the children's book shelves in order--not because the librarians and staff are lazy, disorganized dingbats (which seemed to be one PP's view) but because it's a lost cause and there is a limit on how much time can be spent re-alphabetizing every day. I can see why that organizational system would be annoying to adults, but I think it makes sense for picture books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 As it is, I like to put series in order. My younger DD used to do this all the time. She'd rearrange the series books on the library shelves to be in order of the series (Book 1, Book 2, etc.) It wasn't until my older DD started volunteering at the library that we learned that they shelve series books by author and then by TITLE, not the book order. Oops! Anyway, I used to inwardly moan about the picture books only being in very rough order but older DD confirms that it is the only possible way to keep the picture books unless they had 2 full time people doing nothing but straightening this section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 In my experience as a page/shelver, it's very difficult if not impossible to keep the children's book shelves in order--not because the librarians and staff are lazy, disorganized dingbats (which seemed to be one PP's view) but because it's a lost cause and there is a limit on how much time can be spent re-alphabetizing every day. I can see why that organizational system would be annoying to adults, but I think it makes sense for picture books. I totally agree! it doesn't take long to the skim the appropriate section of books and pull the ones you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 I totally agree! it doesn't take long to the skim the appropriate section of books and pull the ones you want. ...unless you are foolish enough to attempt it with all the children in tow. Guilty as charged. I'm pretty sure our library staff would prefer I request things ahead of time instead of trying to find each individual book while my children snag stacks of books to take out. My 5 year old has a habit of bringing home every single book from one of the shelves that holds a couple series she likes if I'm not right on top of her. Pocket cats or something? When I request things ahead of time, they aren't stuck with a half empty Pokemon shelf to fill either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galatea Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Since someone above mentioned adult paperbacks being shelved this way as well, I thought I'd point out you often see this type of organization in areas the library views as browsing collections. Children's picture books and adult paperback fiction are often primarily checked out by browsers. There may be some people (like people have mentioned here) who go into the library with a specific list of children's picture books in mind, but those people are by FAR the minority. I imagine if you looked at the children's non-fiction that it would be in Dewey decimal order, because those books are used more purposefully, in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingedradical Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 I am accustomed to the fiction being in alphabetical order by the name of the author, but when I first started homeschooling dfd last fall, we made a visit to the nearest library (the main library of a suburb) and discovered the non-fiction shelved the same way. Fiction and non-fiction weren't together but if there was a book about African history by G. Jones, it would be between a book about gardening by I. Jones and one about epistomology by H. Jones. Talk about confusing! The main reason we went there (that particular time) was to use the encyclopedias - I was hoping for Britanica. They didn't have any encyclopedias- not even on-line. They also no longer had a reference section. They did have computers where you could access the internet if you didn't have access at home, but they had no encyclopedia or other reference I couldn't already get from home. I guess it makes sense, but it was a shock. They also had a gigantic "teen" section which probably used to be the reference section - from the layout. It only had fantasy and sex. I mean, I'm not opposed to fantasy but there was absolutely NOTHING else. There wasn't much in the adult section, either, except mysteries (which I like) and non-fiction. There were no classics except newer ones. Well, I take that back. They did have classics on cd. DFD talked to librarian and complained. The librarian we talked to said she agreed with us but that the changes had been made a year or so earlier. I also wrote a letter afterwards. We now drive a bit further to the next suburb over which has a lovely selection, arranged in the traditional way and print encyclopedias along with the computer ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Honestly I wouldn't expect them to be any other way. Wait until they start arranging the adults non-fiction in "living rooms" instead of by Dewey decimal number. That almost drove me crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 it doesn't take long to the skim the appropriate section of books and pull the ones you want. Unless they don't alphabetise at all, as was the case at our last library. A few times I was desperate enough to comb through the entire picture book section, but since that didn't guarantee finding what the catalog assured me was there, I learned not to be desperate for anything in particular... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNW Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 I sure have learned a lot from this thread. I really thought it was just a quirky thing at this particular library because I've moved around a lot, and this is the first library I've encountered that organizes the books this way. But apparently it is pretty common. Thanks for all the comments! "I imagine if you looked at the children's non-fiction that it would be in Dewey decimal order, because those books are used more purposefully, in general." There doesn't seem to be much semblance of order in the non-fiction section. I tried to make sense of it to no avail. Oh well! There's even a section of books that I thought might be "easy readers," but they are not in alphabetical order or by subject, or level, or anything! There are board books mixed in with non-fiction, fiction, chapter books, etc. Sometimes living here is like being in the twilight zone. But that's OK! I'm just going with it. I think they would look at me like I had two heads if I said, "Here's a list of 10 books. Can you find them for me and have them ready by X time on X day?" You would have to understand the culture here. :) Now that I have some insight into this system, I'm just going to play along. If I really need a specific book, I'll budget extra time at the library. I'm not trying to make anyone's job harder or to start a library revolution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 I'm surprised so many people reserve books and have the librarians find them. I do that a lot, but only for books in neighboring libraries that I want to have shipped to my own library. I wouldn't do it for my own. It seems like a waste of very limited resources. When I find a book online that I want to put on hold, I don't know which library it is going to come from. It comes from whichever branch picks up the hold first. If I see that my library has the book I might take the chance that it will be there if I know I'm going in the next day or two, otherwise I put it on hold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 The libraries in our area do that for picture books but all other fiction books are arranged in true alphabetic style. Board books are just in bins without any attempt to alphabetize them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 A few of our area libraries arrange the young children's pictures books that way- the spine of the book has a large capital letter of the author's last name, and they are not alphabetized. There are too many of them and it truly is not practical to put them in strict alphabetical order. Like others have mentioned, it takes much longer than you'd think, and the librarians and volunteers have many, many other jobs. Also, if I want a picture book, I'm more likely to know the title than the author. But our library system allows us to request books from any library in the system- they will be pulled and delivered to our home library. Much easier! Also, a tip from Diamond, who has been a library volunteer for 4 years: Unless you know exactly how to reshelve a book, they'd rather you throw it on the floor than reshelf it incorrectly. (Yes, I understand many of you here could probably shelve the books betteer than paid library employees :hurray: ) "Shelf-reading" is a standard job for teen volunteers- it involves walking slowly through the library checking and rechecking every.single.book to make sure it;s in the correct place. A two-hour shift can fly by with a very short section of books checked. Tedious, boring, and thanless... but it keeps her near her beloved books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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