1. The Topeka & Shawnee Public Library’s Pilot Neighborhood Project
New Ways of Organizing
Library Collections
Presented by
Jenny Ellis, St. Joseph Public Library
Dawn Sanders, Spencer Art
Reference Library
At the Missouri Library Association
Annual Conference, October 8, 2010

2. Sources
Handouts and Resources for April 2009 Texas Library Association Presentation Renee Patzer, Cataloger, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library Hill, Nanci Milone. “Dewey or Don’t We?” Public Libraries. Jul/Aug 2010, p Coalwell, Mickey. Library Merchandising and Marketing. Presentation given at St. Joseph Public Library Staff Day, September 24, 2010

3. Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
Original building 1883
First bookmobile in a Chevrolet coupe and converted house trailer 1943
Automation 1991
Most recent expansion 2002

4. Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
1 library serves 2 counties
170,000 items in collection
94,000 card holding patrons
1,000 patron holds/day
172 full-time, 69 part-time staff
4.5 catalogers

5. Neighborhoods
Definition: items from across the Dewey spectrum collocate by subject for better browsing, without compromising integrity of the database
Committee formed with representatives from each department to develop new model
Why: 5% decrease in annual non-fiction circulation vs. 10% increase in overall circulation

6. Neighborhood Construction
Examined each Dewey number and decided whether to keep, change, or create new
Created new Dewey numbers (less than 5%)
Reclassified books as necessary
Conducted inventory for items in new neighborhoods
Documented the process in great detail, including creating definitions, number lists, and directory listings

7. Multi-Media Items Shelved Together
DVDs and VHS tapes shelved with books
Tote bags shelved with other related materials

8. Health Neighborhood Tote Bags

9. Methods of Display Attractive signs Books turned facing out
Laminated directories

10. End Cap Displays Marketing and Merchandising
Help customers help themselves
Organize the library sensibly
Merchandise to facilitate self-service
Provide clear and helpful signs
Don’t make things confusing

11. Disadvantages to Other Systems
Traditional Library System
Patrons don’t browse non-fiction as much as other areas
50% all with same Dewey number
60% all in same Dewey decade
70% all in same Dewey century
Patrons tend not to borrow same subject items from across Dewey spectrum; will mostly borrow from items on nearby shelves
Bookstore System
It’s more difficult to find specific titles when using category system
Many titles might not easily fit in specific categories

12. Blend Location Device With Collocation Device
Combining Dewey and bookstore approach = best of both worlds
Brings together like materials while retaining Dewey system
Quick retrieval of items using Dewey
Standardized labels easier to shelf-read vs. non- standardized spine info

13. Health Neighborhood Details
5,500-6,000 items
Group items from 300’s and 600’s
Improve organization (cataloging notes available on website)
Include use of bags & DVDs
Create displays in stacks
Health Information Room
Health education digital video screen
Partnership with St. Francis Health Center, Stormont-Vail HealthCare, Swogger Foundation, & grant from Topeka Community Foundation

14. Jobs & Careers Neighborhood
All testing study guides brought together
Wide spectrum of Dewey numbers now shelved in same neighborhood
Internships and apprenticeships
Career exploration
Job searching
Job humor
Priority neighborhood due to economy

15. Crime Neighborhood True crime and criminology Prison and prisoners
Forensics

16. Lawn & Garden Neighborhood
Flowers organized A-Z
Oversized picture books on gardens
Butterfly, hummingbird, and bee gardens
Soil science

17. Upcoming Neighborhoods
Pets
Cookery
Eventually all non-fiction to be included in neighborhoods, organized with Dewey system

18. Improve Non-fiction Organization
Organization enables easy browsing
Patron friendly signs: patrons like bookstore signs applied in library setting
End-caps and shelf displays
Signs use common language
Patrons do not know where to start browsing in Dewey
“Books displayed in neighborhoods are easier for customers to find, browse, and discover other titles pique their interest. The results are happy customers who check out more materials, expand their reading interests, and return for more, prompting double-digit increases in circulation numbers.” – Nanci Milone Hill, “Dewey or Don’t We?” p. 15

19. Examples
Autism books can be found in many areas throughout Dewey, but are together in the Neighborhood approach
Where would you find books in Dewey on how to obtain the best medical treatment? They are together under “General Medical” on Directory of the Health Information Neighborhood
Breastfeeding books are in parenting section of Dewey, but placed with women’s medical topics in the Health Neighborhood

20. The Future of Neighborhoods
Book store approach more relaxed than traditional library method
Welcoming, less intimidating
Combine the best of both systems
End result is 30% increase in circulation

21. Other Ways of Organizing Collections
Miller Nichols Library, University of Missouri-Kansas City
St. Louis Public Library Express Branch

22. Questions
Would the neighborhood system work at your library? Why or why not? Is there another way of organizing that would work better at your library? Have you implemented other strategies that improved circulation of non-fiction items?

23. Presenters
Dawn Sanders Spencer Art Reference Library Jenny Ellis St. Joseph Public Library