However, some of us like inventing and reinventing, or we want to do things just a little differently from the way Melvil Dewey shelved his books. SO here a few other possible organizational schemes.
Category: Ask The Librarian
What are some sample fees and policies for private lending libraries?
It is well to be clear in communicating your expectations for payment of fees or fines and of book care and handling to prospective library patrons. Here are a few samples of what various librarians expect from the patrons who borrow books from their private lending libraries. From Elizabeth Jones, Covenant Family Library, West Virginia…
What is a List of 101 Basic Living Books for a Starter Collection?
This list is not a list of books required to start a lending library or books that must be in every library, but if you want to start collecting, these are 101 books that are good, true, beautiful, and in demand. Most of these books are not prohibitively expensive to purchase or hard to find,…
How do I move an entire library or put it in storage for a while?
From Kathy Twitchell, librarian at Literary Lantern Bearers in Kingfield, Maine. Do you need to move your library? Do you find the need to store some of your collection elsewhere? There are a few things one might consider if one needs to move or store a significant quantity of books. One thing to consider is Distance….
How do library binding processes affect the longevity of the book?
From Kathy Twitchell, Librarian at Literary Lantern Bearers in Kingfield, Maine. Generally speaking, a vintage book was designed to be read dozens of times, if not hundreds. However, there are indeed many variables that affect the longevity of the book. Let’s look at just a few at this point. HARDCOVER versus PAPERBACK: In the past,…
How does paper quality affect the longevity of a book?
From Kathy Twitchell, librarian at Literary Lantern Bearers in Kingfield, Maine. PAGE QUALITY: Just a quick note about pages. The whiter (or creamier) the paper, the less lignin content remains. Lignins naturally occur in plant and wood fibers. The oxidation of these lignins is what makes cheap paper break down over time, yellowing and becoming…
Ask the Librarian About Book Selection: How do I determine the reading level of a book?
There is no official body that assigns a reading level to books. Most often, a book’s reading level is determined by the book’s publishers. A book review or publisher’s description is the original source for a book’s reading level designation. The book publisher will assign the book to a certain category for marketing purposes such…
Ask the Librarian: What are the different kinds of book binding and publishing categories?
There are many more terms and materials for covering and binding books–leather bound, cardboard covers, cloth bound, and more. But these are some of the most frequently used, and confused, in libraries and in the general book trade. You can read more details about library binding in this Wikipedia article. The problem with all of…
What is a private living books lending library, and how can I start one?
Somewhere, somehow you’ve been introduced to the idea of a “living books lending library,” a private library operated by a librarian who wants to give the gift of living books to her community. Perhaps you were once a patron of a living books library, but now you are in a new place where there is no…
How do some librarians label their books?
From Mary Schubert of Pursell Schubert Legacy Library in Oklahoma: There are many ways that you can label your books. I use the Avery Return Labels Avery Easy Peel Laser Address Labels, 1/2″ x 1 3/4″, White, 2000 Labels Per Pack (5267) | Staples for my library name and label identification. Since I do not have a…
What are some resources for learning more about recognizing and choosing living books?
Moms who are choosing books for their own home libraries, and beginning librarians who are trying to select books for a new library all have the desire to learn more about what constitutes a living book, and which authors and books are worth collecting and reading. Here are some resources to help you on your…
Why are older books special treasures that are preferred by many living books librarians?
The mid-twentieth century is often called the Golden Age of Children’s Literature, the 1930s to the early 1970s. Books published during this time period are highly valued and sought after by many living books libraries and librarians. Why? From Michelle Howard of Children’s Preservation Library in Michigan and Living Learning Libraries in Florida: “What difference…
Why move from informal book lending to an official library? Why charge fees?
From Michelle Howard of Children’s Preservation Library in Michigan and Living Learning Libraries in Florida: Let me just respond to a question I’ve often been asked. Why not just informally lend out books? Wouldn’t that be more generous? Why make an official library out of them? What are the benefits of an actual library scenario? 1) The books…
What are some basic supplies for book care and repair?
In addition to general office supplies–permanent markers, a stapler, scissors, post-its, paper–you may want to collect a few library-specific supplies for your library. You don’t have to buy any of these things to start a library, but some of these supplies can be quite handy. There are all sorts of other supplies you can buy,…
How can I organize and shelve picture books?
NOTE: Many (most?) of the librarians simply shelve fiction picture books in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. Science picture books are shelved with the other science books using whatever system of classification you are using for those books. History and biography picture books are shelved the same way in their subject areas. However,…