Organizing Home Mp3 Collection What Genres to Use

This detailed planning document provides an overview of the school project I undertook for LSC 530, Texts and E-Tools for Tots and Teens, at the University of Rhode Island. For this projection I "genrefied" a high school library in Massachusetts. "Genrefying" has been a topic that has interested me for many years; nonetheless, a project of this magnitude is hard to consummate without dedicated and focused staff time. When LSC 530 students were given the choice to cull a schoolhouse or community project, I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to merge theory with practice, applying the concepts and Learning Outcomes of the course to create something that would benefit thousands of high school students in the years to come.

Rationale

Texts and E-Tools for Tots and Teens focused on how media, of all types, impacts babies, children, and teens. For this project, teens and their human relationship to young adult (YA) books was considered, specifically how a library's fiction collection could exist arranged so that teens tin find books that meet their definition of "quality." "Genrefying" ways organizing books by subject, category, or genre and so that patrons can find materials that interest them easier. Related to the BISAC method, or the Book Industry Standards and Communication, in which customers at bookstores or patrons at libraries browse books past category or subject championship rather than by the Dewey Decimal System, it is an ideal way of organizing materials for people who are looking for a type of book rather than a specific title or author. By genrefying a loftier school library it helps teens find quality titles they may have never thought of trying. Equally Jack Martin, director of the Providence Public Library said, the best people to judge quality teen literature are the teens who are reading them (Hobbs, LSC530 Texts and Tools for Children and Youth, April 9, 2014). This helps librarians go more informed gatekeepers, enlightened of what their teen patrons want to read and developing the collection based on those needs. Instead of librarians being the judge of "high art" or "quality" literature, deeming what teens should exist reading rather than what they really want to read, shouldn't librarians consider, "the course of a piece of work and the enjoyment information technology brings,"(Verschoor, 2011)? Through genrefying the drove, it allows librarians to observe teens and the genres they flock to, it also specifies apportionment statistics by showing what genres receive the most and least checkouts. Instead of purchasing books that you lot think your patrons will similar, why not start ordering books yous know teens will dearest!

In this form, nosotros've read Kimberly Reynold'south text, Children's Literature: a Very Short Introduction, which talked about the power of genres to aid in literacy of children. For ELA students or those reading at very low levels, genres tin can be used as a literacy tool to become these teens excited about reading besides. Reynolds (2011) said of genres, "the constraints of convention tin be a spur to innovation, provoking writers to explore the possibilities for simultaneously conforming to and transcending genre expectations (p. 78). For teens who are struggling readers or having problem connecting to the English linguistic communication, the sense of familiarity genres afford, assuasive students to "anticipate" plots and giving them, "confidence, stamina, and satisfaction" as they connect with books, is some other do good to organizing a fiction drove by genre. Teen readers, like children, may be drawn to certain genres, and rather than inhibiting their literacy skills, choosing books from the aforementioned genre tin provide numerous benefits. Genrefying a fiction collection makes it easier for teens, and their teachers, to find books that may help them go amend readers.

Virginia Walter (2010) talked about the importance of reader's advisory in promoting reading (p. 30). Genrefying a library is a surefire way for librarians to know their collection and help them notice books that meets a specific patron's needs. Genrefying opens up and so many opportunities for reader'south advisory. Through this procedure, librarians need to choose a genre for every championship in their fiction collection. That means they accept to read what each book is almost. When students come to the library and enquire for recommendations of books, there is and then much knowledge to draw upon, and if no specific title comes to listen, the librarian can show the genre department that most relates to what they are looking for. Possibilities for reading maps, LibGuides, and volume talks are endless with a drove organized by genre.

Throughout this project, I heavily relied on reader'southward informational websites similar Goodreads, Amazon, and the database Books and Authors that provided me with clues to effigy out which books belonged in which genre. What I found actually useful were the professional reviews from places similar the Schoolhouse Library Periodical or Kirkus Reviews that are sometimes listed on these websites. They gave me additional genre clues and helped me learn more about titles. In this form, we talked almost the power of review websites and what they can practise for librarians. For my purposes, these reviews were very helpful for drove development and marketing. They gave me a wonderful base knowledge about hundreds of YA volume titles so I can better help my patrons. These are a few ways this projection aligned with the concepts and Learning Outcomes in this course. It provided me with extensive knowledge on the role media plays in the lives of teens, it taught me the variety of content available through YA books, and it helped me sympathise how to curate materials to meet teens specific wants and needs.

Context

If you have ever visited a high school library, one of the problems you might observe is the little time students have to search for a volume. Another common problem for classes that require their students to cull a book for an assignment are the complaints from students who say they can't find a book that interests them. However, what you lot're likely to hear most from students are reader's advisory questions where they ask the librarian to help them find a certain type of book, rather than a specific championship or author. Here are some mutual questions:

• "I don't really read, but I did likeWhere the Red Fern Grows in the fourth class. Practise you take any books like that?"
• "Do you lot have any mystery or horror books, something scary similar Stephen King?"
• I like series books, like Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief. Does the library have any series books like that?

These are the type of questions the school librarian and I, the library assistant, field regularly at Monty Tech, a high school with a student body population close to one,200. Since the beginning of the school yr, nosotros accept had many students ask us where they can find books like the Hunger Games, or mystery or horror books. With the exception of John Light-green and Ellen Hopkins, we have had few questions from teens asking us to find books by a certain author. The fiction drove is organized alphabetically so information technology was articulate that our arrangement could be designed in a mode that would aid our patrons in finding books they similar. Besides, many teens, if they don't find a book by browsing the expansive alphabetized collection leave without proverb anything. There are patrons that enquire for our help, but I've only seen a few really look up books using the kiosk. Teens just take problem finding the books they're looking for. Genrefying was the best solution to connecting teens with the books they love.

The high school renovated their nighttime, dingy, and unoccupied library media center into a beautifully designed schoolhouse library that students honey. The current collection has a total of more than five thousand books, and the fiction collection makes upward a little over 2000 of that. When I started working at Monty Tech at the get-go of the year, the school librarian and I were put in accuse of ordering new materials, taking older materials out of storage, and arranging the new library. Aware of the needs of teens in school libraries, one of the ideas we had was genrefying the fiction collection. While the librarian did create foundational Google Docs to become the process started, the library was very decorated with class visits, assisting students, and daily operations that the genrefying projection took a back seat.

When a schoolhouse or customs project was proposed as an pick for the final projection in LSC 530, I knew this would be a keen opportunity to utilize what I was learning in class in a way that would do good the students at Monty Tech. I asked the schoolhouse librarian if I could have charge of the projection for this course, and she was very receptive of the idea but questioned if information technology could be finished by the end of the semester. It was a project she was planning to have at least a few years to stop. I was confident it could be finished; not understanding how long a project of this size really takes if only one person is working on information technology. I cataloged from home, chipped away $.25 and pieces at work when the library was slow, and stayed after work to the complete the project on time.

Aims and Goals

My goal is that we will see a significant increase in apportionment by the same time adjacent year. Many libraries that genrefy their collections say their circulation statistics increased by 30% within a few months. While I remember this may be a fleck slower in a school library because students have other schoolwork, I exercise remember nosotros should see results past the beginning of next year. This matters because a busy library is a funded library.

Another goal is to be able to physically see what genres we need to build up and those that demand weeding. It is difficult to assess this when all the books are mashed up together. For instance, I believed science fiction was one of our biggest genres because those are the books I see cross the circulation desk most often. After the books were separated, the library didn't accept well-nigh equally many scientific discipline fiction books equally I thought. Related to this goal, I hoped to figure out how the collection could be developed to attract male readers or the traditional "non-readers."

My educational goals were to get more knowledgeable of YA literature throughout the project, acquire about the pop content in YA materials, and use this information to curate a collection that meets teen's definitions of "quality."

Ane of my aims for the next twelvemonth is to see more students using the school library to find books. Some of our teens are devoted to certain authors (similar John Green or Ellen Hopkins), and the genrefying projection volition put like books next to their favorite authors, hopefully introducing them to new books they may have never considered. For the non-readers who complain that there are no expert books, categories that are created (similar War, Sports, or Graphic Novels) may pique their interest. An alphabetized system can exist intimidating for teens that don't utilize or don't know how to apply library. Because of this, some students avoid the library entirely. If non-readers have a place to start, a place that informs them of the books they are about to selection upward, perchance they'll find materials they volition enjoy.

Stephanie Sweeney (2013), a secondary library teacher, wrote virtually her experience genrifying her library in YALSA saying, "The chore required a great bargain of planning and hard work, but I believe information technology has improved patron access by helping them be more independent searchers and discover new authors in genres they already favor" (p. 45). A patron of the Darien Public Library (2009) in Connecticut had this to say most the library'south new browsable model, "The books everywhere, just especially in the children's room, have been shelved, labeled, and organized in a way that makes me feel less similar a moron and more empowered to notice what I'chiliad looking for on my own." A group of women who genrefied an unproblematic school library (2012) wrote, "Kids who'd previously had trouble choosing a book for independent or pleasure reading loved this new and easier-to-navigate arrangement."

One of my biggest aims is to see patrons look for books on their own rather than come straight to the circulation desk asking for assistance. We love to help students detect books to read, it's actually the part of my job I like best, but the teens have been reluctant to use the computer kiosk to search for books, and considering they weren't exactly certain what they were looking for, it made information technology hard for teens to cull a book in the small amount of time they had to search. The goal is for students to become more independent searchers, feeling empowered that they can discover their own books rather than needing to enquire an adult for help.

Procedure Overview

The genrefication project had five major steps:

1. Re-cataloging and assigning a genre to every impress fiction title
2. Print and tape the new genre spine characterization for each book
3. Stick and tape a colored dot to each book signifying its genre
4. Shelf the books alphabetically within their genre
5. Create signage to brandish each genre

While the steps may seem very straight frontward, each step took a significant amount of time. The fiction collection is fabricated up of over 2000 books, so 2000 books needed to be re-cataloged, needed spine labels, dots, and record, the books needed to be separated into the 14 genres and and so re-shelved. I needed to brand attractive and interesting signage that clearly represented the genre. This was the original timeline:

This was the bodily timeline:

The process was much more time consuming than I originally planned. Cataloging took me almost a full month longer, and I ended upwards labeling books with spine labels as I went to break up the monotony. With the conclusion of the project, I am confident that later fourth dimension the aims and goals will exist met, and possibly exceeded.

Procedure Details

            To brainstorm, the school librarian and I chose the genres that would represent the collection. We chose fourteen genres and matched them with colors based on dots Demco and the Library Store had available. Here are the genres nosotros selected and their corresponding colored dots:

After the genres were called, the school librarian created 2 Google Docs to become the project underway. She created a Library Title & Copy List that I worked off of to make sure every title was re-cataloged.

Here is an image showing the listing:

The other document the librarian created was a Subject Integrity List.  She assigned a Call Number, Subject Heading, and Resource Listing heading for each genre so that when I was re-cataloging I could re-create and paste from this document to ensure every new record was authentic. Hither is the Subject Integrity List:

Lookout man this step-by-step process to see how I changed about 2000 records to reverberate their genres:

The phone call numbers were changed so new spine labels with the correct call numbers could be printed and later found on the shelves. The genre needed to exist included among the subject headings so when patrons search a keyword in the catalog, like "Fantasy" or "Horror," every volume with that genre equally a bailiwick heading would exist presented as an option for the patron. Finally, my favorite tool is the Resources Lists. When you select a subject list in the catalog for each book, you are creating a searchable list that patrons tin can scan for each genre.

Here is a film of the Resources Lists that is available to search on the homepage of the schoolhouse's Follet Destiny Quest catalog:

I was able to re-catalog 30-35 records every hour, and with a total of 1926 records (not including indistinguishable copies) it took me around 65 hours to complete the itemize portion of this project.

In the timeline, I proposed that I would finish all cataloging before I began putting labels on the books. I decided to kickoff the labeling process when I was halfway finished with the cataloging. Cataloging was something I could work on at home, simply labeling had to be done in the library. This system worked pretty well and made the process more bearable. I did catch up to myself a few times, having to take a pause from labeling to re-itemize more books.

The get-go stride with the labeling process was scanning the books directly into a barcode'southward listing, downloading the list, and press out the spine labels. Considering I took around 30 titles alphabetically from the book shelves at a time to receive a label, many books had the aforementioned call number (ex. FIC SOM). I had to scan each book to brand sure the new genre spine label was assigned to the right volume. In one case the spine characterization was in place, I taped the characterization on, and if the volume was paperback, I taped the entire binding to give the book more than durability. The book was then placed back on the shelf in the order I took information technology downwardly. Because this procedure took a while, it would have been impossible to seperate the books as I went, and the schoolhouse librarian suggested I wait to put on the colored dots until closer to the project'south end.

Hither are pictures of me scanning the book, sticking the label onto the spine, and securing the label and binding with tape:

After all of the labeling was completed, I stuck on the colored genre dots to match the genre of the books. Again, I took books off the shelf alphabetically, stuck on the dot, taped over the dot to secure it, and put the book back on the shelf in alphabetical order. Books were still non placed with their genre at this point.

Here is a motion picture of me putting a genre dot on a Fantasy book:

I finished cataloging, labeling, dotting, and taping on April 23, the Tuesday during April Vacation week.

Here is a movie of me in forepart of all of the cataloged and labeled books:

 My original programme was to completely genrefy the collection earlier students came back to school after April pause. I was able to attain this ahead of schedule. I had a helper assist me in combing through the labeled drove to organize books inside their genres. We placed books in carts alphabetically then we didn't have to arrange them once more after they were put in their genrefied groups.

Hither is a picture of the books being separated into their genres:

Hither is a picture of me in front of all of the fiction books separated past genre on the tables:

The next stride was re-shelving the books past genre based on the number of books in each category.

Books were arranged in this society:

1. Realistic Fiction

2. Fantasy

iii. Historical Fiction

4. Mystery and Suspense

5. Science Fiction

6. Classic Fiction

7. Romance

viii. Paranormal Romance

9. Brusque Stories

10. Horror

11. Hazard Fiction

12. Sports

13. War

14. Graphic Novels

We had hundreds of Realistic Fiction books but simply a few books on War. Nosotros elected to go on Graphic Novels at the end, separating them from the rest of the collection. At the first of each new genre I placed an 8X10 framed sign I had created to display the next genre. The fourteen signs made shelf infinite extremely limited, and I had to move books effectually quite a bit before everything fit simply right.

Here are pictures of the genre signs I created:

Hither is a sign that explains the new organisation to students:

We finished re-shelving the fiction collection at the Monty Tech school library on April 25, 2014, 5 days ahead of schedule.

Hither is a picture of the completely genrefied library:

Assessment

A calendar week of school has gone past since the library was genrefied. This isn't a lot of time to practise a formal cess or study circulation statistics to see how the project has affected checkouts. Therefore, my cess is based on educatee reactions to the project. On the showtime day back from April Vacation, the sign explaining the new system had not been printed. Instead of offering aid to teens as they searched for books, I deliberately observed how they searched for books. Essentially, I wanted to see if they understood the system without having to read directions from a sign.

I observed iii teens, two girls and one male child who frequent the library. They all noticed the difference immediately and walked up and down the rows of shelves trying to effigy out what was going on. A light bulb seemed to click for each of them, and because I am familiar with their reading habits, I saw them begin browsing for books in their favorite genres. 1 girl was attracted to Realistic Fiction, the other girl to the Paranormal Romances, and the boy to Fantasy Fiction. Each of them found a volume and checked one out. I asked them if they understood the new system and what they thought almost finding new books with the new ready upwardly. One girl said, "I think having the books separated in genres will help considering people will exist able to discover the books they similar easier. Many people don't know particular author names and then that's helpful." The boy said, "I was confused at first, but I think information technology volition be a lot easier now to find books."

Based on my observations and student feedback, it was credible that it took the teens a trivial while to effigy out the new organisation. At that place were confused looks but there was definitely a point when they understood it. Once the students got to that point, it seemed similar they were able to relish browsing books in their favorite section and discover a volume that interested them. Based on the male child'due south comments, I made sure to have my sign with directions hanging in the library the next day. Almost students spot the sign, only we can easily refer students to it if they have whatever questions.

On Thursday, an English teacher brought downwards two of her classes to choose a volume for a paper they were assigned. She asked us ahead of time to pull titles that the teens may find interesting. This arrangement made information technology and then much easier to choose selections for students. I chop-chop made an, "If you liked Hunger Games…" section past searching the Science Fiction genre, I made a section for Twilight lovers by pulling books from Paranormal Romance, and I fabricated five other department that would peak their interests in a matter of 20 minutes. Usually, I would have had to have a championship in mind, search for information technology in the catalog, then detect information technology. With the new arrangement, I was able to complete a reader's informational task in much less time.

What was most interesting, but non necessarily surprising, was how students from the two English classes gravitated towards particular sections. After I briefly explained to the classes how the new arrangement worked, I showed them the direction sign, and permit them begin browsing. They all visited the sign start to figure out what they wanted to read, and and so plant the genre amid the shelves by spotting the genre sign. 90% of the boys flocked to the Sports and State of war genres, while many girls could be spotted in the Romance, Paranormal Romance, and Realistic Fiction sections. Information technology was really helpful to see an example of this early on. Commonly, we would take had fifteen boys in the library asking the librarian and myself for sports books or survival books, or they would've grumbled that at that place was nix to read. While we notwithstanding heard a few grumbling students, nigh boys walked away with a book they institute on their ain.

Afterward organizing the collection by genre, I was able to fulfill one of my goals past spotting the genres that needed astringent developing. The Realistic Fiction drove has over 500 titles, the Sports section has less than l, and the State of war genre only has 19 books. After having the ii classes down for a visit, information technology is very clear that the library needs to purchase more sports, risk, and war books because that is what most boys at our school adopt to read. When the collection was bundled alphabetically, nosotros knew at that place were sports and gamble books but nosotros didn't know how many. Genrefying the library solved this problem.

There were a few changes I would make in retrospect if I were to undertake this project again. I was a little disappointed well-nigh was how much room the genrefying signs took up on the shelves. I wasn't anticipating how little infinite we'd take left after the genres were organized. Because the schoolhouse has a healthy book budget (nosotros're actually getting over 300 new fiction books in a few weeks), growth is a concern. Nosotros take less space to work with, and then we demand to exercise some weeding and will likely need to convert the signs to a 5X7 or buy some other bookshelf to make room.

A project of this magnitude takes time, and information technology would be useful to accept a team or student helpers work on this projection simultaneously. Also, for a school library, the best time to complete a project like this is during the summer when you can have your time, make a mess, and put the library back together beautifully before anybody notices a deviation.

Though there were bumps along the way, I learned so much through this process. I feel very fortunate that the school librarian allow me take charge of a project this size and trusted my judgment on the layout of the fiction section. I learned so much about YA literature, how to provide meliorate reader'southward advisory services and develop the collection to run across teen'due south versions of "quality." Most of all, I am excited that I was able to complete a project that will exist used by thousands of students in the years to come up, making it easier for them to connect with the books they love.

References

Fister, B. (2009, October 1). The Dewey dilemma. Retrieved Apr 28, 2014, from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2010/05/public-services/the-dewey-dilemma/

Kaplan, T. B., Dolloff, A. K., Giffard, S., & Still-Schiff, J. (2012, September 28). Are Dewey'due south days numbered?: Libraries nationwide are ditching the old classification system. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from http://www.slj.com/2012/09librarians/are-deweys-days-numbered-libraries-across-the-country-are-giving-the-old-nomenclature-organisation-the-heave-ho-heres-ane-schools-story/

Reynolds, Kimberley (2011). Children's Literature: A Very Brusque Introduction. Oxford University Press.

Sweeney, South. (2013). Genrefy Your Library: Ameliorate Readers' Advisory and Data-Driven Decision Making. Immature Adult Library Services, 11(four), 41-45.

Verschoor, B. (2013). Say hullo to loftier, hello to low. Retrieved April 21, 2014, from http://www.arenastage.org/shows-tickets/sub-text/2011-12-season/the-book-club-play/hi-to-low.shtm

Walter, Virginia (2010). Twenty Commencement Century Kids, Twenty First Century Librarians. Chicago: American Library Association.

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