What is the "Dewey Dilemma?" A New Way to Approach the Organization of a Library Collection

McCune, Andria

Fister, Barbara. (2009). The Dewey Dilemma. Library Journal, 134(16), 22-25. Retrieved from https://sjsu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=TN_ericEJ859403&context=PC&vid=01CALS_SJO&search_scope=EVERYTHING&tab=everything&lang=en_US

 This article by Fister (2009) offers a fresh take on the organization of a library collection. Many libraries in recent times have found that patrons prefer to have a "browsable" library collection to peruse, akin to the organization adopted by bookstores. In other words, this would be a collection in which materials are grouped together by categories with clear signage distinguishing the categories from one another, an altogether more user-friendly approach to organizing a collection of materials. As Fister explains,  “unlike Dewey, which categorizes related knowledge systematically, BISAC is an alphabetical list of categories ranging from Antiques and Collectibles to True Crime. Many librarians feel BISAC's relative simplicity and user-friendly language have an advantage over Dewey's complexity” (Fister, 2009). This type of system allows for more self-sufficiency for library patrons, and allows them to quickly identify the areas of their interest, and browse the titles that are grouped together in order to find an assortment of what they are looking for. There are a few library systems that have adopted the BISAC system, including the Perry Branch Library, which is part of the Maricopa County Library District (MCLD) in Arizona. What helped to prompt the change of organization was through the results of annual surveys conducted by the library system, in which ""Over 75 percent of...customers stated that they go to the library to 'browse' for materials" rather than to find a specific title they had in mind (Fister, 2009). 

While this new type of classification appeals to library patrons, many librarians throughout the United States when surveyed expressed their skepticism over this new type of organization. For example,  Tom Eland, who is a librarian who works at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College, sees the switch to this type of organization as an "uncritical acceptance of market capitalism...unlike customer service, which is done by private sector corporations on behalf of the profit motive, public service to library patrons is done on behalf of the civic duty of library workers to serve the interest of citizens and residents of the community who patronize the library" (Fister, 2009). 

In my experience working for a large library system, I understand the hesitation experienced by librarians towards switching to a whole new system of organization. For instance, this type of system may make it more difficult for patrons to find specific titles they had in mind. Also, there are many intricacies and levels of detail involved with the Dewey decimal system that especially appeal to patrons performing research, and these intricacies will be lost if the switch is made to a more simplistic system such as the BISAC system. 

Looking Beyond Dewey: An Alternative Approach to Organizing a Library Collection Through the BISAC System

McCune, Andria

Hibner, H., & Kelly, M. (2010). Making a collection count: A holistic approach to library collection management. Cambridge, UK: Woodhead Publishing Limited.

In the book entitled Making a collection count: A holistic approach to library collection management, the authors Hibner and Kelly (2010) in Chapter 6: Collection Organization describe the typical classification used in libraries, which is the Dewey decimal classification system. However, some libraries within the United States have found a different approach to organizing their collection, which is a system used primarily in bookstores known as the "BISAC system" (p. 99). According to the authors, libraries have adopted this new approach to organizing their collections due to the fact that the "Dewey arrangement does not facilitate browsing in the areas of most interest to public library users" (Hibner & Kelly, 2010, p. 99). The BISAC system allows library patrons to quickly find the subject areas they are looking for, rather than relying on locating the specific classification number, or call number, in order to locate the subject matter they are attempting to find. For example, as Hibner and Kelly explain, the BISAC system "uses an alphabetical list of categories to arrange collections...by taking popular subjects and grouping them together in a more browsable, eye-catching way, non-fiction circulates better. It also helps library users avoid frustration and information overload and saves them time" (Hibner & Kelly, 2010, p.99). There are of course a few downsides to adopting this sort of system, and quite a number of librarians from various library systems have expressed their disapproval towards this type of system of organizations. However, this system is a fresh way of working with the library collection in order to best meet the diverse needs of library patrons and is worth examining to see if this sort of approach will work for particular library systems, especially ones that are open to changing long-established methods of organization in favor of providing better service to library patrons.