Saturday, July 14, 2007

Dewey System Dumped to Keep Young People Engaged

How can you create an inviting, appealing library environment for young people?

Organize books within ten broad categories was Mr. Melvil Dewey's strategy over one hundred years ago. Since then, librarians around the world have organized their collections under Mr. Dewey's system. Maybe you even recall card catalogs - wooden drawers filled with dusty cards.

Now the fifteen library Maricopa County Library District system in Arizona is dumping the Dewey system. It has adopted the Barnes and Nobles strategy of organizing books by subject into "neighborhoods".

Neither will you find stiff wooden chairs that seem obligatory at so many libraries. Furnishings, couches and soft chairs, at the system's Perry branch library exude comfort.

Featured books include Paris Hilton's "Confessions of a Heiress" and Chris Gardner's book "Pursuit of Happyness", the basis of Will Smith's recent movie.

If the bookstores have figured how to engage kids and young adults, I encourage our libraries to see if that model fits them as well.