SHELVING PROCEDURES
Wilmington Public Schools has a wide collection of material that
students may use for research, study, or recreation. It is imperative
that students and teachers are able to find these materials easily and
efficiently. Therefore, proper shelving of library material is necessary
for a well organized library.
After books are checked in, they should be put on a shelving cart near
the circulation desk. Before shelving, these books may be arranged on
the cart according to their type. You can determine the type of book by
reading the label on the spine of the book. If a spine label is missing,
torn, or illegible, please set that book aside on the library desk.
Most materials are shelved in five main areas of the libraries:
Easy/Picture Books, Fiction/Chapter Books, Nonfiction, Reference, and
Magazines. These materials and their shelving procedures are described
below:
EASY/PICTURE BOOKS (SHAWSHEEN ELEMENTARY AND WOBURN STREET ONLY)
These books have an E (for easy/everybody) on their spine labels. Under
the E is the first three letters of the author’s last name. Below is an
example of a spine label on an Easy book written by Jane Smith:
E
SMI
Easy books are arranged by the author’s last name. For example, Jane
Smith’s books would come before Tom Smyth’s books on the shelf. The Easy
section is enjoyed by “Everyone” and requires a lot of attention to
order.
FICTION
Fiction/chapter books have an FIC or F on their spine label. Under the
FIC are the first three letters of the author’s last name. Below is an
example of a spine label on a chapter book written by Jane Smith:
FIC
SMI
F
SMI
Like Easy books, Fiction books should be arranged alphabetically on the shelf by the author’s last name.
SERIES/GENRE BOOKS
Some series or genre books are kept together in a separate location. Try
to make yourself familiar with the library setup as this varies from
school to school. Examples of series books that may be shelved
separately include: 39 Clues, Percy Jackson, Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House, graphic novels, etc.
NONFICTION
Nonfiction books are arranged according to the Dewey Decimal System of
Classification. This system was designed as a way of organizing books
about the same subject together on the shelf. The Dewey Decimal System
is numerical, and arranged according to 10 subject areas. Below are
examples of spine labels on nonfiction books:
398.2
ADA
398.2
DEM
398.24
WAR
The important thing to remember about shelving nonfiction books is that the Dewey Decimal System is a decimal system.
Therefore, .23 is a smaller number than .4 and should come first on the
shelf. When Dewey numbers are the same (e.g., most fairy tales are
398.2), books should then be arranged alphabetically by the author’s
last name. Below is an example of nonfiction books arranged in their
correct order:
001.4
MAR
305.2
FRE
567.9
ALI
599.746
PEN
599.747
SCH
599.82
MOR
Accuracy in shelving nonfiction books is very important. A book in
the wrong place will probably not be found by the student looking for
it. If you have any questions about shelving nonfiction books, please
ask. If you find a section on the shelf that is in disarray, please try
to reorganize it if you can.
In addition to the above areas of the library, you will find other
library collections. Below is a description of these collections and
instructions for shelving them:
BIOGRAPHIES
Biographies are found in the nonfiction area. Their spines are coded with the letter B, followed by the last name of the person about whom the book was written. Below are examples of spine labels on biographies about George Washington:
B
WASHINGTON
B
WAS
Biographies are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the
person they are about, not the author’s last name. This system is
arranged so that all of the books about one person are shelved together.
MAGAZINES
Magazines are shelved in a different location in each library. They are
arranged alphabetically by title. Magazines may be checked out.
REFERENCE BOOKS
Reference books are items such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases,
and almanacs. These books usually do not leave the library, although
they may circulate temporarily to classrooms for research projects.
Reference books are nonfiction and have an REF for reference, Dewey number, and letters of author’s last name (or book title) on their spine label. Here is an example:
REF
031
WOR
The reference shelves are located in a different area in each library.
SHELF READING
When time allows, shelf reading is an important volunteer task. It is a
job that can be performed at any time and is always appreciated. It
involves selecting a section of shelves, and looking at those spine
labels to make sure that books are on the shelf in the correct order.
When reading shelves, please pull books to the front of the shelf.
Students tend to push them back. Sections that almost always require
attention include:
590’s – ANIMALS
630’s – PETS
790’s – SPORTS
Easy Readers and Picture Books (Shawsheen and Woburn Street ONLY)