Comments | orangerful: nerdy librarian argument: Where to put Harry!

orangerful

nerdy librarian argument: Where to put Harry!

Jul 25, 2016 16:12

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (the rehearsal script) will be published on July 31st and cataloging librarians are having fun debating where this book should live (when it eventually gets to a shelf...which might take awhile ( Read more... )

work_stuff, ranty mcranterson, librarian, random_fandom

Comments 51

_profiterole_ July 25 2016, 20:23:10 UTC

Do you have some special display for new books? That would solve the "easy to find" issue for the next couple of months, and then you could put it in the 800s where it sounds like it belongs.

orangerful July 25 2016, 20:35:04 UTC

Yes, after the holds are gone we would display it (currently not too many holds, 170 and we ordered 160) so I don't think interest is quite as high as people think. I almost feel like we should wait for the reviews to roll in before we attach a call number to it LOL

_profiterole_ July 25 2016, 20:39:56 UTC

You ordered 160? How big is your library? Or do you return some copies/give them to smaller libraries after a while?

orangerful July 25 2016, 20:44:30 UTC

We have 15 branches in our library system so that is for the whole system, sorry :) Many of them won't survive, believe me LOL. And then we will just sell them cheap after they are no longer popular.

The rule of thumb for most larger library systems is that for every 5 holds on an item, you by a copy.

We are also buying 45 copies for 7 Day circulation (these are special book that don't have holds on them and if you see it on the shelf, you can take it home for seven days ONLY and bring it back, but for a script, that shouldn't be a problem)

Thread 7

enigmaticblues July 25 2016, 20:56:38 UTC

Okay, so I think I'd be a stickler and put it in the play section for just the reason that you list.

slaymesoftly July 25 2016, 20:58:33 UTC

It sounds to me like something that should be in a different section from the books.

verdande_mi July 25 2016, 21:09:34 UTC

With the plays I guess. I don't really know anything about this play beyond it being a thing, but I guess I would probably say with the books if JK had written in.

therck July 25 2016, 21:29:35 UTC

Hm. I'm not up on such decisions for public libraries. When I was working, it was in a university library that used LC for everything except literature. All literature got Dewey call numbers ( ... )

orangerful July 27 2016, 03:57:55 UTC

LOL oh V.C. Andrews. I just weeded a few of those the other day for condition, still very popular but apparently people get so excited their spit their water (god I hope it was water) all over the pages so I had to toss it.

We had a similar issue with GED study guides and for awhile our materials department didn't buy very many. But it's not really fair to punish the good people for the act of a few bad apples.

I think my head would explode if they tried to shelve it in two sections. I don't roll that way - one or the other LOL.

therck July 27 2016, 23:10:35 UTC

I think that policy might have been different on something like a GED study guide than on mass market paperbacks. That is, I think the assumption was that any adult who wanted one of the books was likely to be able to afford the two or three dollars that it would cost. Study guides cost a lot more, and the people who need them most are the people who can least afford them.

But I'd expect the study guides to get limited to building use only.