Content area
Full text
During the summer of 20121 did something I never thought I would do-I genrefied the fiction section in my library. I had considered it before, but it seemed like an unnecessary, daunting task. My attitude began to change after reading blogs and articles about other librarians trying it and reporting substantial success. Another reason I began considering the change was admittedly personal. I hated being unable to make recommendations when students inquired about books in areas about which I had limited knowledge. I knew the popular and award-winning titles for most genres, but I was afraid some great ones were getting lost in the shelves. If the majority of the library was divided by subject using Dewey, why not the fiction section? Why can't all the romance, mystery, sports, and "books like The Hunger Games" be shelved in their own categories?
Yes, the genres are designated in the library catalog by subject headings, but if your patrons are anything like mine, they wander aimlessly through the stacks or ask me before they use the catalog to find a book. As a librarian, advising readers is part of the job, and a love of reading is what got most of us into this position, at least initially. I began a new high school position in the 2011-2012 school year and was faced with a large collection about which I knew nothing. I did not have any help with readers' advisory and students, teachers, and administrators were looking for recommendations from the first day. Genrefication appeared to be a great readers' advisory tool that I had been overlooking.
When I initially toyed with the idea of genrefying I sent out queries on various listservs, and the responses I received were overwhelmingly positive, convincing me to give it a shot. The benefits seemed to outweigh any concerns I had; I learned how to do it in a way that was (relatively) simple, as well as reversible if the need ever arose. Initially, the perks of such a system appeared to be:
* Easier to make recommendations: "Where are the war books?"-"In the dark purple historical fiction section with the war stickers."
* It would be easier for students to find their favorite genres.
* I would know precisely...