Conference/Workshop Presentations

Pilot Project Team

Project Management:

• Sandy Bixby, Library Media Specialist - Edgemere Elementary School   @EESLIbrary
• BCPS Office of Digital Learning (ODL) Staff  @BCPSODL  #BCPSLMS
• Fran Glick, Coordinator
• Kelly Ray & Chimere Neal, Library Media Resource Teachers

Book Labeling & Re-shelving:

• Amanda Lanza - ODL Specialist; Justin Hennaut, Valerie Schaffer, Ben Wagner, Jennifer Weaver - ODL Resource Teachers
• Amanda Amrhine, Library Media Specialist - Chesapeake Terrace Elementary & Kara Sheppard, Library Media Specialist - Bear Creek Elementary

Scanning copies and setting Destiny Sublocations:  Donna Gruzs & Remi Thunga, ODL Clerks

Edgemere Elementary School Facts

Edgemere Elementary School is a K-5 public school in the Baltimore County Public Schools, the 25th largest school district in the U.S. and 3rd largest in Maryland.

• 487 students: 47% FARM, 10% Special Education (2014-15) 
• Average class size 22-27 students.

Edgemere ES Library: 

• 7,812 books in the school library collection (as of December 2014, during the pilot project)
• Automated Catalog/OPAC: DESTINY Library Manager/DESTINYQuest
• School Library Wiki  |  On Twitter @EESLIbrary   |  Bixby's Bookshelves librarian's blog

Research & Inspiration

We did our homework as we planned this project, including consideration of perspectives on both sides of the "Dewey vs. Genrefication" debate.
We read articles and blogs, viewed presentations and Webinars, and learned from trailblazers who had "genrefied" their school library collections before us.
 

• Are Dewey's Days Numbered? Libraries Nationwide Are Ditching the Old Classification System (School Library Journal, October 2012)
• Dewey or Don't We (Knowledge Quest Vol. 42 No.2/Nov-Dec 2013) Podcast  *eCollab account required. 
• Ditching Dewey: Hot Topic in Hartford (AASL 16th National Conference, November 2013)
• Concurrent Session recordings:  *eCollab account required. 
• Ditching Dewey: Genrefication in Your Library
• Libraries beyond Dewey: New Frontiers in the Organization of Information
• Dewey vs. Genre Shelving: The Conversation Continues Here (AASL Blog, February 2013) 
• Using the Bookstore Model of Classification in an Elementary School Library (Concurrent session recording, AASL 15th National Conference, November 2011) *eCollab account required.
• Genrefying a School Library (University of Rhode Island, April 2014)

• Genrefying Your Collection? (Summary of Discussion Group, ALA Midwinter 2013)

• Genrefying the Fiction Section (Falmouth Elementary School Library, August 2013)
• Ditching Dewey: Choosing Genre Categories (Mighty Little Librarian, November 2013)
• Genre-fication (Tips and resources from school librarian/blogger Mrs. Readerpants, 2011-2013) 
• Opening Day Collection for a Non-Dewey Library & Deleting Dewey - Elementary Style (Essays in Chapter 8 of School Libraries: What's Now, What's New, What's Yet to Come, October 2011) 
• Barnes and Noble Children's Book Categories (examples of categories for fiction and non-fiction) 

Rationale

Why Sandy Bixby & BCPS ODL decided to un-Dewey the library collection at Edgemere Elementary School:

• To better connect kids with books and promote reading.
• To make the Library a more student-centered environment. 
• To empower students to be more independent and successful at finding books they want to read.
• To balance time for learning and for finding books in the Library.
• BCPS has a rigorous, AASL/CCSS-aligned K-5 Library Media Curriculum.  Lessons take most of the class period.
• Limited time for searching Destiny catalog and browsing shelves.
• Students have not mastered decimal number skills.
• Dewey Decimal System is more librarian-centric than learner-centric.
• Students spent more time searching the catalog and asking the librarian than finding what they want to read on their own.

Categorizing Fiction & Nonfiction Books

We planned to genrefy the Fiction section first, then the Nonfiction section; we decided not to re-organize the Everybody (picture books) section for now.

We quickly identified 9 Fiction genres represented in the collection.  For the Nonfiction section, Edgemere Elementary school students brainstormed subjects based on their reading interests and their knowledge of books in the collection. We narrowed down a long list to 30 main Nonfiction subjects; sub-categories would be identified later. Genre/Subject names are short and student-friendly (for example, we used "Just Like Me" for contemporary realistic fiction).

Once our category lists were finalized, we searched Microsoft Clip Art, Clipart.com (by subscription) and other copyright-friendly image sources for simple images to serve as visual cues on book spine labels and signs. Then, with a team of helpers, we began the arduous task of categorizing the books, labeling them, and re-organizing them on the shelves.

Custom Spine Labels & Signage

After examining classification labels available from various vendors (Demco, Brodart), we decided to create our own custom spine labels and signs:

• Spine Labels - Blank spine labels 1" x 3/4" Rounded | Word 2007-2016 Blank Label Template | BCPS Custom Label Template (margins adjusted for our printer at LMP; you may need to make adjustments for your own printer). You will also need clear spine label covers (1 1/4" x 3").
• Signage - Acrylic Tent Cards in various sizes were used for main category signs on library book shelves; if budget does not permit purchasing these, you could laminate signs and tape to bookends as a stand.

FICTION Genres (SECONDARY):  See labels here. Processing Spine Labels 3/4" X 1-1/4" 

FICTION Genres (ELEMENTARY):  See Fiction Labels and Fiction Signs for label sheets and signs in 3x5, 5x7, and 8x10 sizes.

NONFICTION Subjects (ELEMENTARY):  See Nonfiction Labels and Nonfiction Signs for label sheets and signs in 5x7 and 8x10 sizes.

Assigning Sublocations in DESTINY

For Direction #5 above: Two methods for Batch-assigning Sublocations in Destiny for all books of the same fiction genre or nonfiction subject.
Quicker than having to select the Sublocation for each individual book when scanning!  Thanks to Tricia Lige and Kristen Zucconi for sharing these directions.

Genre or Subject/Subject-Subcategory will display as Location under Call # as shown here:
 

Student Reactions 

Circulation Data Illustrating Impact

• Preliminary data from Destiny showed significant circulation increase immediately following genrefication, compared to data for same week previous year:
• Fiction:  40% increase   Nonfiction:  400 % increase
• Subsequent data analysis showed continued circulation increases during the 2014-15 school year.

Maintaining the Momentum: Promoting Fiction Genres & Related Reading

• FICTION Genre Spotlight pages were created on the Edgemere Elementary School Library Wiki @ http://edgemereeslibrary.pbworks.com.
• QR codes were added to Fiction genre signs and wiki pages; students can use their HP Revolve devices to snap the QR code and explore Genre pages.
• We used a free QR Code Generator; there are many others available. 

BCPS Librarians' Resources

• Action Plan (Sample) - Customize according to your specific plans. You must submit an Action Plan to ODL if you are requesting ODL staff support. Our ability to provide on-site assistance is limited and we cannot make any promises.