Is organising our school library's nonfiction collection by Dewey Decimal Classification really the best option for our students? I’m planning on shaking down this concept - looking at why we use Dewey, debunking most of those theories, then discussing what our students really need in nonfiction organisation. After a walk through my library, where I’ll share how I’m reclassifying in a Dewey-less system, we’ll see other examples from New Zealand school libraries who are also simplifying their collections. Our aim is to empower our students so they can more easily locate the awesome nonfiction books in our collections.

1. Shaking Dewey Down
creating a student-centred school library collection by
reorganising and reclassifying nonfiction
@julia_vegan @kkhslibrary @juliavegan

2. How do we
organise our
school library
collection?

3. By Colour?
Photo credit: Katey Nicosia
via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

4. By Size?
Photo credit: Leo Reynolds
via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-
SA

5. By Publication Date?
Photo credit: Maggi_94
via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-
SA

6. By Title?
Photo credit: Jovan Jimenez
via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-
ND

7. By Author?
Photo credit: Jan David Hanrath
via Foter.com / CC BY-ND

8. By Luck?
Photo credit: Robert Burdock
via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

9. By Dewey?

10. Why do we
organise our
school libraries
by Dewey?

11. Why Dewey?
traditional
widely used
provides library standards
assimilates with other
libraries
prepares students for
further education
workable

12. Why Dewey? Why not?
traditional
widely used
provides library standards
assimilate with other libraries
prepares students for further
education
workable
outmoded worldview
not exclusive
few true standards
students are adaptable
New Zealand universities use
LCC
for librarians

13. Our problem in school libraries
Photo credit:
(Library Journal, 2010)

14. How should we
organise our
school libraries?

15. Change our focus
student
centred
collection
librarian centred

16. Browsable

17. Searchable

18. Aligned to Curriculum

19. Flexible

20. How should we organise our school libraries?
student orientated
browsable
searchable
aligned to curriculum
flexible

21. An example of a
Dewey-less system
for nonfiction
organisation

22. His
tor
History

23. Organising subjects
by student’s needs,
curriculum topics,
and shelf space available

24. Topics aligned to curriculum

25. Simplified the collection

26. Browsable curriculum topics

27. Maori Section
beside New Zealand history,
within History section

28. Student librarians
remove the
old labels
off books

29. Section Signage

30. End bay Signage

31. Shelf signage

33. Social Sciences

34. Organising subjects to flow / make sense

35. Before and After

36. Student librarians
remove the
old labels
off books

37. Simplified the collection

38. Topics aligned to curriculum

39. Aligned topics
to curriculum

40. Browsable

41. Collection aligned with curriculum topic

42. Most popular books in nonfiction

43. Student librarians
change all the
cataloging records
of every book

44. Writing / Literature

45. Organise popular subjects at eye level

46. Topics aligned
to curriculum

47. 2Kool trolley

48. How should we organise our school libraries?
student orientated
browsable
searchable
aligned to curriculum
flexible

49. Other examples of
student-centred
NZ School libraries

50. Judy Bogaard, Tiaho School Library, Wairoa

51. Jackie Cameron, Frankley School, New Plymouth

52. Jackie Cameron, Frankley School, New Plymouth

53. Angela Marsden, Tawa School, Wellington

54. Liz hamilton, Grey Lynn Primary, Auckland

55. Liz hamilton, Grey Lynn Primary, Auckland

56. Mandy Ditzel, Garin College, Nelson

57. Mandy Ditzel, Garin College, Nelson

58. Mandy Ditzel, Garin College, Nelson

59. How should we organise our school libraries?
student orientated
browsable
searchable
aligned to curriculum
flexible

60. References
Buchter, H. (2013). Dewey vs genre throwdown. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 48+. Retrieved from Epic Database: Academic OneFile, April 26 2017
E Lee B. (2012, November 15). On the abandonment of the Dewey Decimal System [web log message]. Retrieved from
https://erinleebarsan.wordpress.com/
Harris, C. (2013). Library classification 2020. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 14+. Retrieved from Epic Database: Academic OneFile, April 26 2017
Indiana State Library. (2016). Deweyless, no regrets! Life without Dewey. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/isl_pdo/deweyless-no-
regrets-life-without-dewey?b=&from_search=1&qid=862705f8-4c45-4aba-8951-bb24e30740cb&v=
Kaplan, T. B., Giffard, S., Still-Schiff, J., & Dolloff, A. K. (2013). One size does not fit all: creating a developmentally appropriate classification for your
children's collections. Knowledge Quest, 42(2), 30+. Retrieved from Epic Database: Academic OneFile, April 26 2017
Library Journal. (2010). The Dewey Dilemma. Retrieved from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2010/05/public-services/the-dewey-dilemma/#_
National Library of New Zealand. (2017). How user friendly is your school library? Retrieved from https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/how-user-
friendly-is-your-library-part-one
Read and Shine. (2015). Time to ditch Dewey? Shelving systems that make sense to students. Retrieved from
http://www.readandshine.com/2015/01/13/time-to-ditch-dewey-shelving-systems-that-make-sense-to-students-learning-commons-model-part-
4/

61. Julia Smith BAppSci (ILS)
Qualified Librarian
Kerikeri High School
New Zealand
@juliavegan
@kkhslibrary
@julia_vegan