In particular to my own vision for how libraries and their resources should be utilized presently and in the future, I think that the Dewey Decimal System is a suitable, adaptable and workable system that can be instituted. The means by which we are teaching this method on a variety of levels seems to go from lacking to non-existent. As educators, library media specialists and collectors and evaluators of resources, if we plan to implement a specific method such as the DDC in our library we have to educate our patrons as to its proper use. There seems to be evidence that there is a distinct lacking in this department across the United States which consequently means that as library patrons grow older, they become increasingly confused with the seemingly complex nature of the Dewey Decimal System. Without proper information, the system seems so disconnected that of course the numbers are imposing and confusing leading planners to look elsewhere for organizational guidance. Pruitt-Annisette (2007) notes, “Dismantling Dewey simply removes a structured approach to the access and evaluation of information and implies that students in the 21st century have no need for understanding what they are doing, how it is done, and why it is necessary”(p.13). However, we must understand that the hierarchy is built to facilitate the academic purpose of libraries, and as educators first and foremost we need to make this clear. This fuels my decision to use the DDC above all else. I prefer a very structured and organized method to my research, and the DDC builds that hierarchy for me and can refer me to further resources related to my subject matter.
As a professional planning to eventually make a home instructing at a university or working in an academic resource center setting, organization of materials and giving students the tools to approach the resources provided to them is paramount. The fore mentioned evidence suggests that students need several different layers of education with visuals, hands on activities and exposure to the Dewey Decimal System at different levels within their educational experience. Even at the University Level, there is a minimal amount of education about how to properly browse our library and make the most use of the resources available. The history department does have a Historical Research course but there are very basic principles introduced and no real workshops on how to use the actual call numbers within our library is ever introduced. Expecting students to educate themselves on an organizational method is simply unreasonable. I can also refer to library classes at the elementary level simply turning into a time where students walk around and browse and pick the first interesting book they come across, with no real knowledge of why it was located in a specific area.
Finally, it is important to round off this educational effort about the Dewey Decimal System with some strategies to apply this method to our own situation. For instance, if in fact we are working in a large scale academic library perhaps using the system and coupling it with a computer database is not enough. Once students leave their computer and search into the stacks themselves, it is important to have maps for specific sections also indicating which number coincides with a subject area. A system of color coding or mapping could also be put into place to further emphasis the hierarchy. In contrast, working within the confines of an elementary school setting brings other issues to the forefront. Simply understanding that, “Most elementary students have no clue what the terms ‘social sciences’ and ‘generalities’ mean…”(Hogsett, 2006, p. 29), means that while leaving the decimal system in place we may have to alter the names of subject areas to more kid friendly terms. The Dewey Decimal System already provides a means by which it updates itself to current trends in resources, however the problem with current society is that we want this system to adapt to us. This is further proven by the movement to get rid of Dewey and institute a more user (customer) friendly method of organization such as Book Store. While I cannot deny that it may be more democratic in nature for a many books to be on display, the functionality of the DDC trumps its competitors when put to academic purpose. My suggestion is that we go “old school” and institute real library classes into schools starting at an early age to prepare students for the DDC and research they will extract from its use later in their lives.
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