Wednesday, January 24, 2018

‘Shelf-reading,’ essential for library operations

Library books on shelf, organized according to Dewey Decimal classifications that are displayed via tags on the books' spines. A green-plastic browser or 'shelf-marker' juts out from between two books, and a label on the shelf-edge identifies the span of Dewey Decimal numbers to be found among books on that shelf: '305.42-342.73.'

Shelf-reading is one of those “behind-the-scenes” jobs that are done by a library professional. When library books are shelved in order, correctly, patrons will never have to be frustrated by looking for a book in the location on a shelf where the book’s “address” says it will be, but not being able to find it. Time budgeted for shelf-reading is part of my commitment to library customer service.

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