FAQs on genre shelving
- Who decides on the genre identification and then puts it into the cutter field?
Each librarian decides what genre they want a title classified under.For existing titles you will need to enter the genre abbreviation into the cutter field for your copy. For future titles when you order you will have to submit separate lists designating which genre you want the item processed in. It is possible that not everyone will put a title under the same genre. You will have to look at the subject headings on the title. If no genre is listed then you have to make a decision based on your knowledge of the book and/or the summary. If there is more than one genre listed you will have to make a decision. If there is no genre listed or you are not sure how to classify a title you could possibly look up the title in other sources to see how they might have classified it – Good Reads, WorldCat, Amazon.
- Do you have any suggestions on how to start?
One way you could try starting is doing a search for different genre headings in the advanced search, searching by subject. For example search Fantasy fiction. You could quickly add those to a list and print it out (remember the opac won’t print out lists longer than 200 titles) and pull those items to work on adding the labels and cutter for that genre. You might want to take a cursory look to see if you think they do actually belong to that genre. You could very well have other titles that you think should go in that category, but they may not have a genre heading in the catalog. Starting with the opac search gives you a place to start.
- What happens in the OPAC?
All of the items still remain in the Fiction collection. The call number will show the normal call number plus the genre abbreviation. So for example: FIC BAR SPO. Students would need to be taught what the extra letters stand for. A key next to the OPAC stations might be helpful. Corresponding prominent signage for the genre sections will be helpful for the students.
- Do I need to change my spine labels?
No, you don’t need to change your spine labels. Adding a genre label above the spine label would serve to indicate where the item needs to be shelved.
- What will vendors do for genre processing?
We have confirmed that Follett and Mackin can add the appropriate genre abbreviation to the call number (cutter field).We would have to check if there were other vendors you wanted to use. Orders must be placed with separate lists for each genre. Having the vendor add the genre labels for you would incur an extra charge. If you are going to do genre shelving, please notify library services so we can change the processing specs accordingly.
- Do we have to use all of the listed genres?
No. You are free to use the ones you want to use from the approved list.
- What if I want a genre not on the approved list?
We are willing to work with you on adding additional genres. We are really trying to keep the genres aligned with actual genre headings that will be on the records in the catalog, so that if they search the opac for mystery then they will find titles that have the mystery abbreviation added to the call number. Please contact Patty or Melissa about possible additions to the approved list.
- What is a Genre heading thesaurus? It is a list of subject headings or descriptors usually with a cross-reference system for use in the organization of a collection of documents for reference and retrieval. We use two different thesauri. gsafd - Guidelines on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, Etc.and lcsh – library of congress subject headings. This information will be important for vendors for processing.
- Where do we add the genre abbreviation?
The genre abbreviation goes in the cutter field of the call number. Previously this field has not been used. Below are examples of the cutter field in the software and web version of circulation as well as the online holdings editor. This field is only to be used for approved genre abbreviations.