Dewey classifications govern books and blog

As of two years today ... my family’s home library has been classified and arranged according to the Dewey Decimal System, with each book assigned a number based upon the book’s subject (or by genre and era in the case of the 800s, literature).

Shown here, books from my library science courses, arranged in order numerically.

Since then, of course, I’ve extended this classification to subject-tagging on my blog. It seemed thematically appropriate, with my emphasis on librarianship, and was a natural progression from organizing books in numerical order by subject.

‘Weeding’ content, in-library and online

For the Content Marketing Institute, Jessica Coccimiglio suggests library professionals can teach content marketers about “weeding” — that is, about removing outdated content from a library’s (or website’s) collection.

Measure Y on ballot for Sonoma County Library

Circa Jan. 2012: ‘Support Libraries’ installation
at downtown Santa Rosa library

With a special use tax to benefit Sonoma County Library appearing on the Nov. 8, 2016 ballot, it seems a good time to re-highlight (from January 2012) this “Support Libraries” tag that had been installed outside its central library in downtown Santa Rosa, Calif. If Measure Y is approved by two-thirds of voters, it will create a one-eighth of one percent (0.125%) “transactions and use” tax for 10 years on retail sales in the County of Sonoma beginning April 1, 2017. Access more details on the “Funding” page, Sonoma County Library website.

Autistic students and college supports

From an informal survey and a discussion with Julia Bascom, executive director at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Kit Mead, writing for “The Establishment,” has determined that “many autistic students find themselves pushed out of student housing due to a lack of accessibility and support.”

Matt Damon, teacher-librarian and author

In Bellview Elementary School library today, teacher-librarian Matt Damon led children through an exciting rendition of Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock (from Eric A. Kimmel’s retelling of the traditional African folktale).

Encouraging hand gestures to differentiate the characters, Damon used the story to introduce children to the library’s folklore and fairy tale collection.

Damon’s tenure with the Ashland schools includes teaching third-grade and P.E.

Of peak interest to children was Damon’s own book, The Fall of General Custard: Or the Overthrow of a Leftover (White Cloud Press, July, 2016, illustrated by Gideon Kendall). Copies of his book will soon be available for check-out through Bellview library, and Damon plans to share with children, the process that created his book.

Damon is scheduled to read his book aloud during Stories Alive’s Back to School Festival, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Lithia Park Butler Bandshell. After the reading, festival-goers are invited to join a food fight led by characters from the book.

Stories Alive transforms children’s original stories into artistic performances. Proceeds from Saturday’s festival will benefit Stories Alive and the Ashland Schools Foundation.

‘Battle’ books in Bellview library

From left to right, Emily Johnston and Ellen Gayton with Bellview PTO laminate this year’s titles for Oregon Battle of the Books.