Genrefication or ‘book shopping’ libraries is a popular trend. By organising libraries based around genres rather than author names and Dewey, Librarians and Teacher Librarians hope to make selecting books easier and thereby boost borrowing rates and circulation. Research indicates that this may well be the case. However, as teacher-librarians (TL’s) we have to consider all the purposes of the library. Is a school library, particularly a high school library’s, main function to get students reading books for pleasure? Or does it also have other functions to fulfil; such as teaching important information seeking skills?
Schools that have genrefied their collection note a positive response to the re-arrangement and increase in borrowing (Gray, 2017, p.11 and Dunne, 2015, p.31). Genrefying a collection also helps readers become more self-sufficient when borrowing books (Sweeney, 2013, p.45; Potter, 2016, p. 27 and Kimmelman, 2018, p.22). When students are overwhelmed by choice it makes it hard to choose, genrefication helps alleviate some choice by directing students to what they might choose (Kimmelman, 2018, p.22). This assistance is particularly beneficial in a primary school library where students are learning how to be learners.
With a large focus in primary schools to teach students how to read and to engage students in reading, helping them learn the skill of choosing wisely (Potter, 2016, p. 19) by choosing books they will enjoy reading, helps them. Choosing books becomes a positive experience and in turn leads them to choosing right next time (Potter, 2016, p.19). Genrefication, if both fiction and non-fiction are genrefied together, may encourage reading across a range of text types (Dunne, 2015, p.16). Further, choice provides students with control over what they read, motivating them to actually read (Dunne, 2015, p.8). These advantages are also true of high school libraries, though research is not as prolific.
However, a high school library, while promoting a love of reading, also has an equal task of teaching students to learn important research skills. As students grow and develop, their abilities to navigate a library and how it is organised, change. While younger students benefit from genrefication, older students who are developing an understanding for classification and categorisation can develop these skills by using the traditional Dewey system (Snipes, 2015, p.26). Removing part of the search process by genrefying, means students search skills are not being developed (Gray, 2017, p.11).
Genrefication can also be very subjective (Gray, 2017, p.11 and Dunne, 2015, p.32) whereas Dewey is objective and controlled once you have been taught and understand the system. As most students in high school are now reading, genrefying the collection may limit their reading development as they only choose books from the same genre (Gray, 2017, p.11). Further by genrefying both fiction and non-fiction collections together it may actually make it harder for students to find appropriate information texts on subjects they are looking for.
Genrefication takes a lot of time and effort (Davenport, 2017, p.7) and due to its subjective nature makes every library organisational system unique. For high school students who may need to use multiple libraries to complete assignments this can make the skills they learn in one library regarding resource finding, obsolete in another (Dunne, 2015, p.32). Libraries are about resources and research (Gordon, 2013, p. E3) and high school libraries should be teaching students information retrieval skills that are transferrable. Genrefication is not something universities do (Gray, 2017, p.11) and high school should help prepare students for further education, including how to use a library. The Dewey system is universal and constantly evolving, it is also understood in some way by most teachers making it perfect in a high school library, classroom teachers as well as TLs can direct students where to start.
Genrefication allows flexibility and can make each collection personal to the community it serves (Rodgers, 2018, p.25) however it is a difficult task for larger libraries (Bateman, 2013, p.17). High school libraries are traditionally larger than primary school libraries meaning that changing to a genrefied collection will take time, time away from TL’s other duties such as the important task of teaching information literacy skills (Pendergrass, 2013, p.58). Further it complicates the cataloguing system, which again means learning new skills and makes the skills learnt often redundant when using other systems.
Genrefication is very useful tool for promoting books and the love of reading. For younger students it helps them find books they enjoy and motivates them to read. However, in a high school setting where the library is about more than just finding a book to read, genrefication can actually detract from one of the key skills learnt in libraries – how to retrieve information appropriate to your needs. The Dewey system is comprehensive and widespread, by organising high school collections this way we are teaching students skills that are useful and transferable; we are teaching them how to be independent learners.
References
Bateman, S. (2013) Dewey or don’t we? Incite. 34(8) 16-17. Retrieved from https://search-informit-com-au.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/search;res=IELHSS;search=FTI=yes%20AND%20IS=0158-0876%20AND%20VRF=34%20AND%20IRF=8%20AND%20PY=2013%20AND%20PG=16
Davenport, S (2017). Genrefying the fiction collection. Connections. Issue 102, 6-7 Retrieved from https://www.scisdata.com/media/1511/connections102.pdf
Dunne, K. (2015). Genrefication of the fiction collection in an elementary school library. Masters thesis, University of Central Missouri. Retrieved from https://centralspace.ucmo.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/417/Dunne201530_RP_Genrefication.pdf?sequence=7&isAllowed=y
Gordon, C.A. (2013) Dewey do Dewey: don’t a sign of the times. Knowledge Quest. 42(2), E1-E8 Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/1460536029/fulltextPDF/F23A67D8E65745C0PQ/1?accountid=10344
Gray, M. (2017). Genre wars. Connections. Issue 104, 11 Retrieved from https://www.scisdata.com/media/1688/connections104.pdf
Kimmelman, A. (2018). The Wise Whys of Weeding. Teacher Librarian 46(1) 20-22 Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=adeb70cb-29cc-4078-bea2-95339fd15758%40pdc-v-sessmgr01
Pendergrass, D.J. (2013). Dewey or don’t we. Knowledge Quest. 42(2) 56-59 Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=05899d5b-dd1d-4437-aed9-75f015994d55%40sdc-v-sessmgr06
Potter, J. M. (2016) The Effects of Genrefication of Fiction on the Book Selection Process in Elementary Schools. Culminating Projects in Information Media. Paper 7. Retrieved from https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com.au/&httpsredir=1&article=1004&context=im_etds
Rodgers, L. (2018). Give your circulation a lift. School Library Journal. 64(7) 24-27 Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/2059523653?accountid=10344&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo
Snipes, P. R. (2015). Concrete to abstract: growing past genre into Dewey. Library Media Connection. Summer 41-45 Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=8d20f7c6-1635-467b-b7a8-e3dda7d8f6af%40sessionmgr4010
Sweeney, S. (2013). Genrefy your library: improve reader’s advisory and data-driven decision making. Young Adult Library Services. Summer, 41-45 Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/1416197427/fulltextPDF/6F6330ED80ED4FF8PQ/1?accountid=10344
Just Read: Macca the Alpaca by Matt Cosgrove
