1. De-deweying
How one library moved away from decimals to natural language and lived to tell the tale

2. Our original team
Michele Garneau
Vicki Lukas

3. And they miss the project so much

4. Why we did it Decimals are scary, like fractions
User friendly and intuitive – not something you have to learn
Great for browsing, easy for research
Brings like topics together better than Dewey
Immigration and history
Computers, digital devices, software languages
Space exploration and astronomy
Travel books and learning a foreign language
Fresh, modern feel and look
Did we mention decimals are scary?
Because we thought it would just be so cool, and it is

5. Unexpected bonuses Seamless adoption by our customers
Well, except for that one guy who is into numbers and loves Dewey . . .
Opportunity to get to know our collection, and what our community really is reading
Great statistical analysis potential

6. Innovations in browsing

7. Transforming traditional collections

8. HOW WE DID IT
All wrong – no planning, no outline, no creation of an order of things
We jumped in and things just came together
Started with the ‘easy’ categories – and found there are no easy categories
Put our trust in our skills and experience as librarians, our understanding of our community, and our frustration with Dewey and rules
When BISAC categories didn’t meet our user friendly requirement, we went our own way and created NATLAC (natural language classification)
Relaxed and enjoyed the process

9. Our recommendations Just do it – it is a great experience Have a team
3 was a perfect size for us
Everyone needs to be outspoken, but willing to listen
Big picture people are a must – and customer POV
If you can’t come to a consensus, let it simmer a bit
There will be fights, but the results always helps the customer
A thesaurus is your best friend
Don’t worry about how long it takes – it will get there
Remember, call numbers are just to tell you where to find the book. You won’t get into trouble being innovative for YOUR community