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More library signage opinions requested. Feel free to ignore.

Posted by mara Feb 25 '11, 12:21

Libraries using the Dewey Decimal System can put up signs with numbers on them (100-129), words on them (Philosophy), or both.

Here's the trouble. The DDS sucks. Word signs for the 100s would look something like this

100-129 Philosopy
130-139 Occult (and/or Paranormal)
140-149 Philosophy
150-159 Psychology (including self-help)
160-199 Philosophy

(Unless you want to get more specific and use words like "metaphysics" and "epistemology," and who wants that.)

So my question is, what's less confusing? Numbers alone, or signs with words that make it obvious how stupid DDS is?

(Abandoning Dewey is not an option for a library of this size, although it is for our smaller branches.)

The Dewey 100s, for your convenience (en.wikipedia.org)

Responses:

160-199 should be philosphy disciplines. -- nm - Reagen Feb 25, 12:32 5
- You're saying the specific subject words for 160s, 170s, 180s, and 190s? (Four different signs?) -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:33 4
  - Or "Philsophy disciplines" should be on the sign? -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:33 3
    - Right, that. and "General Philosophy" for the first. -- nm - Reagen Feb 25, 12:35
    - How many signs per feet of shelf space are you willing to go? -- nm - Max Feb 25, 12:35 1
      - That's a very complex issue, and I haven't been able to even frame it in words yet, let alone make conclusions. -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:37
I don't have a problem with the example in your IM. I would combine the philosophies into one row. - Dr.Vermin Feb 25, 12:29 10
- jeez vermin, how many times? She can't go outside DD! - loosilu Feb 25, 12:31
- We can't shelve books out of numerical order. -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:30 8
  - We also can't make subjects fit neatly into one row, in most cases. -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:32 7
    - Speaking of philosophy, "whether you believe you can or you can't, you're right." You friggin' quitter, you. -- nm - Dr.Vermin, ;) Feb 25, 12:33 5
      - I know somebody that says that all the time. What does it mean? -- nm - Loyola Feb 25, 12:35 4
        
        "Do" or "Do not", there is no "try". -- nm - Spawn Feb 25, 12:38
        
        it's a catchy aphorism spouted by annoying people. -- nm - loosilu Feb 25, 12:37
        
        It means you're right that you can't if you believe that you can't, and you're right that you can if you believe that you can. -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:36 1
        
        So it's like a saying that says if you believe in anything enough, it's true? -- nm - Loyola Feb 25, 12:38
    - you should just throw out the books that don't fit neatly -- nm - decline Feb 25, 12:33
For my library I print off a classification tree for each shelf with the titles embedded. Seeing the titles in sequences helps me identify the class - Max Feb 25, 12:28
Numbers and then the 100-level words -- nm - Will Hunting Feb 25, 12:24 8
- 100-level, meaning "Philosophy and psychology" for the 100s, but nothing more specific? -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:28 7
  - Yep. Keeps it simple, keeps it from being paralysis by choice and then you get people wandering - Will Hunting Feb 25, 12:30 6
    - The thing is, the level of specificity can't be consistent because some sections are very much larger than others. -- nm - loosilu Feb 25, 12:32
    - The sections are pretty big, though. The 600s might take hours to look through, if you scanned all the shelves. -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:31 4
      - make the signs specific enough to cover one aisle. -- nm - loosilu Feb 25, 12:36 2
        
        Not possible, when (for instane) the 700s end and the 800s begin in the same range. -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:38 1
        
        God mara, you have tooooo many books if you can't just leave blank space between the 7s and 8s. - Will Hunting Feb 25, 12:40
      - Buy more signs, use your judgment.....but don't make it so minute that you've hosed yourself - Will Hunting Feb 25, 12:35
*resolves to buy a kindle* -- nm - Loyola Feb 25, 12:24
Mixed signs with both words and numbers. -- nm - TFox Feb 25, 12:24 6
- Oh, yeah, I didn't make clear that we would never drop numbers, as long as that's how we shelve books. -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:25 5
  - you should just make up your own system based on the color coding of the books. - decline Feb 25, 12:25 4
    - this is my dream. "where's high fidelity?" "there's a copy in white and a copy in orange." -- nm - amanda jones Feb 25, 12:28 2
      - I did this once with my DVDs, but it was tough to break my normal sorting tendencies - Reagen Feb 25, 12:30
      - "Hi, do you have the song "I Just Called To Say I Love You?" It's for my daughter's birthday." -- nm - Qale Feb 25, 12:29
    - If I were rich enough.... -- nm - mara Feb 25, 12:27
Why do you hate Dewey ? -- nm - decline Feb 25, 12:23 1
- uh oh. -- nm - loosilu Feb 25, 12:27
words -- nm - znufrii Feb 25, 12:22
"110: Bullshit" -- nm - Reagen Feb 25, 12:22

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