Based on the readings and several, lengthy discussions with the schools media

specialist, I feel a blended organizational structure would be the best for my particular
school. Because of the small school size and the presence of pre-k through 12th grade in
the school building, may students are served based on the varying age ranges and interest
levels. Currently, the library is in the process of being changed over to a blended
organizational structure, using a genre classification as well as maintaining the
organizational efficiency that comes with the Dewey Decimal Classification. At the
moment, the library is organized using the Dewey Decimal Classification, but that causes
some issues when it comes to students--on many different levels--checking out books,
especially fictional texts. As such, the one media specialist that services all the grades has
organized the books using the Dewey Decimal system grouped by content level and ageappropriate materials based on genres. The circulation system has shown that this new
organization is more effective already and has increased the number of materials being
checked-out across all grade levels.
Kindergarten and first grade level books have been removed from the general
population and placed in their own sectionboth fiction and non-fictionso that
students at that level have easier access to materials appropriate to their reading level.
The media specialist noticed the younger students became easily overwhelmed by the
selection of books; she was able to assist students and help improve their library
confidence by giving them their own section. These findings are consistent with
Weisburgs from The Dewey Debate, Its size defeated its purpose of encouraging them
to read. What I saw as a treasure trove, they found overwhelming as well as Schianos
from Curating the Shelves, If students are overwhelmed by or uninspired in the process
of trying to find books, they will miss the opportunity to read them. In discussing the
direction the library is taking, the media specialist and I toss around the idea of
organizing the library into separate sections by grade-group, rather than genre. The nonfiction section would remain as-is, but the fiction section could be grouped based on
elementary, middle, and high school as a major organization. From there, the books could
be organized with a varied method using collections, genres, and the Dewey Decimal
Classification.
There certainly are some benefits to using the Dewey Decimal Classification,
such the the efficiency and ease of organization. Still, there are some issues with it the
Dewey Decimal System and its seemingly archaic organizational structure that does not
always match up with the standards and the content being taught in the classroom. For
example, fairy tales are categorized as non-fiction according to the Dewey Decimal
Classification, but that is inconsistent with the standards of 3rd-5th grades. However, as
Ray stated in None of the Above, Put simply, far more pressing questions are facing our
schools and libraries. Genre vs. Dewey leads us into the weeds at a time when we should
be focused on forward-thinking leadership connected to digital learning and resources.
In an age dominated by the digital world, libraries are struggling with their organization
of materials, but the students need our attention more than the books do. Perhaps the
Dewey Debate should take a backseat for the time being--at least until the Common Core
and new testing systems in Georgia have settled some.