[Genealib] Genealogy Room Set-up

[Laurie Roberts]

We have recently reclassified our Virginia Room collection from the cumbersome Dewey to the system developed by the Rowan Public Library in North Carolina.  Our patrons have been very pleased!  

It is geographically oriented by state (alpha order), then by county (alpha), and within those groupings are format or topic subgroups (record type, historical period, ethnic or religious groups, etc).  Those materials that are not geographically focused are arranged according to format or type of content (bibliographies, directories, instruction, biographies, church histories, ethnic and immigration/emigration, family histories, general histories).

The Rowan system is described in detail in “Notes on operations: arranging roots: classification and subject headings for genealogical collections” by Linda Blake and Evelyn T. Stallings in Library Resources and Technical Services, v. 41, # 4, pp335-346.

The Greensboro Public Library (NC) uses an adaptation of Rowan’s system, combining Dewey and the geographic arrangements.

Maybe someone from Rowan or Greensboro would comment further?

I, too, would be interested in any other articles on other arrangement schemes.

Laurie Roberts  
Tazewell County Public Library  
PO Box 929  
Tazewell, VA  24651  
  
276 988 2541  
276 988 5980 fax


--- On Tue, 7/7/09, Livingston, Christopher <Christopher.Livingston at kerncountylibrary.org> wrote:

> Subject: [Genealib] Genealogy Room Set-up
> To: "genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu" <genealib at mailman.acomp..usf.edu>
> Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 6:11 PM
> 
> I am new to Genealogy Librarianship. Our Genealogy Room is
> currently set up by region and then by Dewey. I am wondering
> whether this is a common practice for Genealogy
> Rooms/Libraries. Can anyone give me examples of set-ups that
> are different? Would it be wrong to put the room strictly in
> Dewey order? You can respond directly if you would like to
> christopher.livingston at kerncountylibrary.org<mailto:christopher.livingston at kerncountylibrary..org>
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Chris
> 
> Christopher B. Livingston
> Special Collections Librarian
> Beale Memorial Library
> 701 Truxtun Avenue
> Bakersfield, CA 93311
> www.kerncountylibrary.org
>