Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024: Genrefying your Public Library
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The document describes the process of genrefication implemented at the Ocean City branch of Worcester County Library to improve patron experience by organizing collections into genres. This approach, traditionally used in school libraries, allows for easier browsing and has led to positive patron feedback, increased circulation, and more effective collection management. The document outlines practical steps, tools, and experiences from the genrefication process, encouraging other libraries to consider similar strategies.
Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024: Genrefying your Public Library
- 1. Genrefying Your Public Library By: Alec Staley
- 2. I am currently the Branch Manager of the Ocean City Branch of Worcester County Library in Maryland
- 3. About the Ocean City Library • Year-Round Population of 6,000+ • Summer Population Swells to 300,000+ • Seasonal Usage • Tourists • Unfiltered Feedback
- 4. What Is Genrefication? • Genrefication is the process of organizing, classifying, and categorizing items into genres. • This classification system can be easier for patrons that like to browse, and many bookstores use it for this reason. -North Dakota State Library
- 5. School Libraries Vs Public Libraries • Genrefication has been more commonly used in School Libraries • Public Libraries face the issue of having a constantly circulation collection • Looking at the future
- 7. Layout & Space • Genrefication can be used as a tool to help deal with a difficult layout and space • Breaking collections up allows for smaller sections to exist independently
- 8. What Can You Genrefy? Fiction • Organized based on genre, such as mystery, fantasy, etc. • Many public libraries have already started separating some sections. • Usually, the first place to start. Nonfiction • Organized based on subjects and is less clearly established. • Can try to move away from Dewey altogether or work within the system. • The Ocean City Library has kept Dewey, but has genrefied the nonfiction section.
- 9. Genre/ Sections at the OC Library Fiction 1. Adventure 2. General Fiction 3. Historical Fiction 4. Horror 5. Mystery 6. Psychological Suspense 7. Romance 8. Science Fiction & Fantasy 9. Thrillers 10. Westerns Nonfiction 1. Arts & Entertainment 2. Culture & Identity 3. DIY 4. Health & Wellness 5. History 6. In The News 7. Literature & Language 8. Professional Development 9. Science & Nature 10. Spirituality 11. Travel 12. True Crime
- 10. Ocean City Branch 2nd Floor
- 11. Ocean City Branch 2nd Floor
- 12. Ocean City Branch 2nd Floor
- 13. Getting Started 1. Figure out what genres/section you would like 2. Figure out rules you will use to guide you 1. Will Historical Mysteries go in Historical Fiction or Mystery? 2. Will you keep authors together or separate them? 3. What sources will you use to determine where they go? 1. We use Novelist to guide us with making uniform decisions 3. Figure out what your patrons like to help guide you
- 14. Getting Started: What You Will Need Genre Stickers • Can be costly at start • Used for our Fiction section, bought from Demco • Easy to change • Allows more flexibility • Provides color Color stickers or tape • Cheaper option • Used for our Nonfiction section, bought masking tape from Amazon and then used protectors over them • Easy to change • Allows more flexibility • Provides color Spine Label Change • Will take time • Could run into system issues • Cataloger will probably need to do this, or working it out with vendors • Allows less flexibility • Does not add color
- 15. Getting Started: Prep Work • Work with all your staff, as everyone will be responsible for answering patron questions • The managers were the ones pulling the books and marking them, but all the staff were kept updated of the process • The staff were great at grabbing returned books and making sure volunteers didn't shelve them before a genre sticker was placed • Allowed staff to question genre decisions to get their input
- 16. Getting Started: Labeling What we found that worked best for us • It was very time consuming, but we found it was easiest to pull every single book and check it • Using the rules we already established, we would then place genre stickers on the book and add it to a record set within our ILS • We had 10 record sets for each of the 10 genres we broke our fiction collection into • The shelf locations were changed at the end
- 17. Getting Started: Labeling What we found that worked best for us • The goal of having books sit on the shelves with their genre stickers was to hopefully have patrons get used to where their favorite authors will be moved • As new books would be returned, staff would grab them before being shelved and hand them to the managers who controlled the record sets • Before shifting, all the books shelf locations were changed
- 18. How It Looks On The Shelf And Online Shelf Online
- 19. Finishing up: Shifting What we found that worked best for us • Shifting was a difficult process, but all the staff contributed and helped • Attempted to do a gradual shift, one section every few weeks. Planned on taking a few months • Ended up shifting in a week
- 20. Finishing up: Maintaining • Maintaining the collection is all we worry about now • As new books come in, they are stickered before going onto the new shelf • We try to keep authors together, but we allow for modifications to be made to the system • Weeding has become much easier and more manageable now
- 21. Patron Feedback • Some long-term patrons struggled at first, but they have quickly turned around • Since all the staff were included and understood what was happening, they were phenomenal at explaining the new system to patrons • Almost a year has passed, and we have consistently seen an increase in circulation for every collection that has been genrefied • The longer it has been in place, the more positive remarks we have received, and more patrons seem excited to be in the library • Patrons have begun staying longer in the library and browsing more
- 22. Connect With Me Feel Free To Reach Out To Me At: AStaley@WorcesterLibrary.org