It's A Fact (or Things I Learned From the Nonfiction Un-Dew)

Now that I am a seasoned pro (with weeks of experience- haha!), it is time to reflect upon the nonfiction transformation much like I did for the fiction un-dew.  So here are some lessons learned:

1) It was a lot of work.  Let me repeat that.  IT WAS A LOT OF WORK! It was valuable work.  It was rewarding work.  It was needed work.  But it was a lot of work.  If I had it to do all over again (or if someone asked), I would have them schedule a longer period of time ( or more warm bodies) for the physical moving, reshelving and labeling of the books.

2) Again, pregrouping the books into their respective categories saved a lot of time.  This step helped to speed things up or we would probably still be working.

3) This is an EXCELLENT time to weed.  I thought I knew my collection really well but I really only knew the high traffic areas (sports, military, animals, fairy tales and such).  The lesser checked out areas had many books that were either too sophisticated in language/content or outdated or just plain uninteresting to my population. (Hope you didn't fully erase my name off that Librarian Wall of Shame!)

4) With no disrespect to Mr. Dewey, some of the Dewey classifications made us scratch our head.  Why are the Star Wars Clone Wars novels in 791?  Hmm. Based upon a movie? So looking at every book was important as was trying to think like my students (to some degree).

5) Some books never seem to have a clear home. These books needed to be put to the side and explored further as time permitted.  If not, the flow and progress we were making would have been stymied. 

6) Some books are going to get mislabeled.  This can be because we were moving so fast that we accidentally picked up poetry books and labeled them as jokes (Yes this really did happen and was discovered by a student looking for joke books after they had all been checked out but 6 books were still on the shelf) or it could be because we labeled it in the most logical way we, as adults and educators, thought best at the time.  But, after living with the collection, the book needs to be recategorized.

7) In regards to thinking like a student, things like choosing to group biographies with their corresponding sports and military vehicles with military books,  has produced many an exclamation of, "I didn't know we had this book" and "Look at the new book" and "Triple H book - cool!"  It is worth noting that these are books we have always had in our collection.  They have just been relocated to where the students would instinctively think of looking for them.

8) Speaking of thinking, students struggle with this.  I can see the part I will play in extending their critical thinking skills during book check out.  The exchanges go something like this:
Student:  Where are the cat books?
Me:  What section do you think has cats in it?
Student: Animals?
Me: Correct.
Student merrily goes to animal section and stands before starting to look at every shelf and exclaiming that they can not find them.
Me: What kind of animal is a cat?  Is it a wild animal?
Student: No. 
Me:  So which category (pointing to the shelves) do you think a cat would be in?
Students: Pets?  Oh here it is.  It's a pet.
Me:  Yep!

9) Subcategories (like the Pet subcategory within the Animals category) have been a HUGE hit and asset for finding books.  Our OPAC computers have been disconnected as we move some furniture and have some wiring completed and students have, unwittingly, been exploring the stacks and making new discoveries.

So the learning continues as I strive to keep The Five Laws of Library Science by S.R.Ranganathan in perspective. (See them here)  Today I feel like I am doing well with these!

And, as always, here's the REVISED REVISED REVISED revised timeline from this post:

1) Create classification headings for the FICTION section of the library based upon the interests of my students and DESTINY classifications.
2) Work with the library office to design spine labels that include a graphic and word for each section. A matching larger sign will be created to be displayed above sections.
3) Complete Fiction section re-do by Friday, November 14th. Just in time for American Education Week!
4) Create classification headings for the NONFICTION section of the library by Friday the 21st!
5) See #2
6)Complete the NONFICTION section re-do by December 3rd. That's right!  Just 2 short days!!!!!
7) Remember to run circulation reports and statistics before during and after the process.
8) Document, in pictures, the transformation.
9) Document, via this brand new blog, the transformation highs and lows.
10) Complete Common Ground proposal before December 21st.
11) Update library wiki (Ok, let's be honest, CREATE library wiki)
12) BREATHE!
13) Finish the signage for the Fiction section.
14) Get the subcategories in order and shelves labeled.
15) Get large signage posted.
16) Work on a plan for location field in Destiny OPAC.
17) Begin coordinating visits from librarians who want to come take a peek! (OK librarian ... only 1 has asked)