Wendy Daniel
2014-10-23 12:10:41 UTC
To Dewey or not to Dewey? We are researching the Metis Classification
system as a possible replacement for Dewey in a K-5 school library. What
are your thoughts about replacing Dewey? What was your experience in your
school library if you have made a change from Dewey to another
classification system? Any thought you have on this would be extremely
helpful. We have summarized an article by Jud Copeland below.
Copeland, J. (2013). To Dewey or Not to Dewey. *Arkansas Libraries*, *70*(1),
4-8.
Copeland’s article presents the reader with the Metis classification system
created by librarians at a K-5 school in New York. Metis is based on
“whole-word labeling, child-friendly categories, and visually compelling
signs.” The strengths of this type of classification system are enumerated.
Champions of a Metis praise it because it is browsable, flexible, fosters
independent searching, is visually interesting, and has led to an increase
in circulation. In addition to quotes from proponents of this system, he
includes feedback from skeptics. Some librarians believe moving from a
numeric Dewey to an alphabetic, word-based classification will “dumb down”
lessons learned in the library. They fear children will be unprepared for
research in higher education. They maintain that Dewey provides
consistency across all libraries, while Metis and other bookstore models
risk making it difficult to carry search skills from one collection to the
other. Copeland reminds of Ranganathan’s five laws, focusing on “save the
time of the user” and “the library is a growing organism.”
--
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system as a possible replacement for Dewey in a K-5 school library. What
are your thoughts about replacing Dewey? What was your experience in your
school library if you have made a change from Dewey to another
classification system? Any thought you have on this would be extremely
helpful. We have summarized an article by Jud Copeland below.
Copeland, J. (2013). To Dewey or Not to Dewey. *Arkansas Libraries*, *70*(1),
4-8.
Copeland’s article presents the reader with the Metis classification system
created by librarians at a K-5 school in New York. Metis is based on
“whole-word labeling, child-friendly categories, and visually compelling
signs.” The strengths of this type of classification system are enumerated.
Champions of a Metis praise it because it is browsable, flexible, fosters
independent searching, is visually interesting, and has led to an increase
in circulation. In addition to quotes from proponents of this system, he
includes feedback from skeptics. Some librarians believe moving from a
numeric Dewey to an alphabetic, word-based classification will “dumb down”
lessons learned in the library. They fear children will be unprepared for
research in higher education. They maintain that Dewey provides
consistency across all libraries, while Metis and other bookstore models
risk making it difficult to carry search skills from one collection to the
other. Copeland reminds of Ranganathan’s five laws, focusing on “save the
time of the user” and “the library is a growing organism.”
--
***********************************************************************
AUTOCAT quoting guide: http://www.cwu.edu/~dcc/Autocat/copyright.html
E-mail AUTOCAT listowners: autocat-request-JX7+OpRa80SJISurH+***@public.gmane.org
Search AUTOCAT archives: http://listserv.syr.edu/archives/autocat.html
By posting messages to AUTOCAT, the author does not cede copyright
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