Monday, October 5, 2009

Dewey vs. world, part 1, 453, 398

No more Dewey in Darien, according to Library Journal. People are pleased as punch about it, since you asked (did you ask? Oh, you didn't? Oh well. Library Journal will tell you in a shrill tone, anyway).

They did underline the root of the dilemma, though: "the issue isn't which system is superior; it's about the user's experience." That's just it: for some (most librarians; some patrons), the issue is which system is superior. And the bigger issue is, how does a public library serve a population comprised of both people who want a superior system, and people who want ease of use.

The article also provides a good overview of the issue, touching on patron responses to DDC, surveys, and other approaches (including LibraryThing's Open Shelves Classification).

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