Hyperlinked Library and Choose Your Own Adventure:
Library 2.0 is foundational to understanding the Hyperlinked Library. A foundational part of Library 2.0 is embracing change and listening to the needs of the community. Galiwin’ku Library, in Australia, takes Library 2.0 to heart when they moved their collections away from Dewey and closer to what the community needs. The indigenous community doesn’t have labels for “fiction” and “nonfiction” as many Westerners do, so it didn’t make sense to categorize the books this way. They categorized books based on subjects, similar to a bookstore.
The Dewey Decimal System is a snapshot of John Dewey’s time and place, and it replicated his biases and prejudices. This antiquated system no longer worked for the library in Australia, so they switched to something that was relevant. 19% of libraries still use the Dewey Decimal System, and I wanted to know why some library systems still do.
I found a blog post from 2023 by an elementary school librarian that discusses why she won’t “ditch Dewey.” Her responses are not aligned with Library 2.0, as she focuses on her lack of time and how she has already taught students to search the catalog. She mentions that ditching Dewey is a hot topic, but she doesn’t go into why it’s a hot topic. She even says that it got “ugly” without giving context.
This blogger is not putting the needs of the users first. Rather, she is going by the libraries who do not embrace change. It’s easier to go with the way that things have always been. I can agree that shifting a whole library away from Dewey can be a challenging and time-consuming project. However, there can be ways to mitigate this challenge. Maybe the elementary school librarian can host an event with other school librarians. However, with Library 2.0, and putting the users first, we have to find a way to change along with the needs of a patron.
Sources:
Franzen, M. (2022, June 22). Alternatives to the Dewey Decimal System | Book Riot. BOOK RIOT. https://bookriot.com/alternatives-to-the-dewey-decimal-system/
Gooding-Call, A. (2021, September 17). Racism in the dewey decimal system. BOOK RIOT. https://bookriot.com/racism-in-the-dewey-decimal-system/
Thompson, J. (2018, August 22). Galiwin’ku library closes book on the Dewey Decimal System to prioritise Yolngu culture. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-22/remote-galiwinku-library-closes-book-on-dewey-decimal/10147024
Why I won’t Ditch Dewey – Elementary librarian (2023, February 9). Elementary Librarian. https://elementarylibrarian.com/why-i-wont-ditch-dewey/