Metis Classification

Last updated

Metis is a Dewey-free library classification system developed and implemented in 2011 by Sue Giffard, Tali Balas Kaplan, Jennifer Still, and Andrea Dolloff, the librarians at the Ethical Culture School in New York City. The system places the thinking, interests, information needs and information-seeking behavior of children at its center. It was developed as an alternative to the Dewey Decimal Classification System and the practices which customarily accompany that system in school and public libraries in the United States: namely, the alphabetical arrangement of fiction by author, and the frequent arrangement of biographies in alphabetical order by biographee. The Metis system (named for Metis the Titan who was the mother of Athena in Greek mythology) was designed to encourage productive independent browsing by children, as well as allowing for successful catalog searching by elementary school students.

Contents

Theoretical foundations

Metis draws on a number of sources for its foundational ideas and approach. A number of authors have stressed the importance of browsing potential in a successful classification system, notably A.C. Foskett [1] and Robert Losee. [2] This suggested the need to investigate browsing and information-seeking behavior. Similarly, Thomas's contention that in constructing a classification system one needed to "use communally accepted patterns of subject order and relationships" [3] showed a need to investigate children's modes of categorizing information. Linda Cooper's work was extremely influential in this regard. [4] [5] From a more general education perspective, the work in devising Metis was deeply influenced by the fact that the Ethical Culture School library is part of a progressive elementary school, where children's developmental needs are given a central importance. At the level of library practice, Metis was influenced by the work done at the Rangeview Public Library, the Markham Public Library, the Children's Department at the Darien Library, and Lyn Donbroski's article about innovations at the East Sussex County Library in the early 1980s. [6]

Features

The stated aims of the system (introduction to Metis schedules) are that it is child-centered and flexible. The 26 main categories and their accompanying sub-categories were devised with reference to the research of Linda Cooper, in her investigations of the categorizing behavior of children from Kindergarten through Grade 4. The system dispenses with coded call numbers, except that the order of the 26 main categories are fixed in alphabetical order using a single alphabetical letter, e.g. A: Facts; B: Machines, C: Science, D: Nature, E: Animals, F: Pets, etc. Aside from this, the call numbers use whole language. Except for chapter book fiction, memoirs, graphic novels and poetry, author cutters are mostly dispensed with. The sub-categories are almost all in alphabetical order.

While in the middle grades room, where fiction comes in the form of chapter books, fiction is divided according to genre, in the lower grades room, with its wealth of picture story books, division by topic is used in addition to genre. Thus, the books about dogs are shelved together regardless of whether they are fiction or nonfiction, as are the books about bullying or trucks or seasons. Colorblind-friendly color coding is used on the spines of the books to denote clearly whether that book is fiction or nonfiction.

Some of the main categories differ markedly from the Dewey main classes. One example is Making Stuff, which includes anything which children like to do for fun, including arts and crafts, collections, games, cooking, putting on plays, and magic tricks. Another is Mystery, which includes nonfiction on codes, crime, optical illusions, puzzles, spies and unexplained mysteries such as the Bermuda Triangle, as well as mystery and detective fiction. In these categories, one can see the principle of user interest at the center of the system.

The system also includes a visual aspect, whereby each book in a main category has a visual label that reflects that category, in addition to a call number consisting of words.

While there are aspects of the system that were devised specifically for the layout and geography of the original library, the system is flexible, so that it can be changed to accommodate different layouts and set-ups, as well as differences in users and collection emphases.

Main categories

These main categories have sub-categories, which are laid out in full in the Metis Categorization Schedules. [7]

  1. Facts/Concepts
  2. Machines
  3. Science
  4. Nature
  5. Animals
  6. Pets
  7. Making Stuff
  8. Arts
  9. Sports
  10. Ourselves
  11. Community
  12. USA (Then and Now)
  13. Countries (Then and Now)
  14. Languages
  15. Traditions
  16. Tales
  17. Verse
  18. Humor
  19. Mystery
  20. Adventure
  21. Scary
  22. Graphic
  23. Memoir
  24. Fiction/Picture Stories
  25. Beginning Fiction
  26. Middle Fiction

Reactions and responses

An article written by the creators of the system and published in School Library Journal in their October 2012 issue prompted a variety of responses, from criticism that the system was "dumbing down" libraries, and concern that students would not be able to find their way in other libraries, to positive responses, particularly from some librarians who had already tried alternative classification. [8] In addition, a Twitter chat on the topic hosted by School Library Journal prompted a lively discussion of the issues and a wide variety of responses. [9]

In the Ethical Culture School library, librarians reported an immediate increase in circulation, particularly in non-curricular areas: for example, they noted an 87% increase in the arts and crafts section ("Making Stuff") during the first three months after implementation of the new system. [10] In their article in the School Library Journal, they reported a positive response from faculty and parents as well as students. [8] Nancy Daigle has successfully replicated this system in her central Vermont library at Brookside Primary School, serving students in a preK-4 school. [11] Children do not typically learn decimals until the end of fourth grade, and 97% of her students reported that they had, on occasion, been unable to find what they were looking for in the library. She re-catalogued her library's collection based on topic and genre, replacing the Dewey Decimal System with METIS, which was adapted from the system used at the Ethical Culture School in New York.

Related Research Articles

The Bliss bibliographic classification (BC) is a library classification system that was created by Henry E. Bliss (1870–1955) and published in four volumes between 1940 and 1953. Although originally devised in the United States, it was more commonly adopted by British libraries. A second edition of the system (BC2) has been in ongoing development in Britain since 1977.

The Cutter Expansive Classification system is a library classification system devised by Charles Ammi Cutter. The system was the basis for the top categories of the Library of Congress Classification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dewey Decimal Classification</span> Library classification system

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), colloquially known as the Dewey Decimal System, is a proprietary library classification system which allows new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject. It was first published in the United States by Melvil Dewey in 1876. Originally described in a 44-page pamphlet, it has been expanded to multiple volumes and revised through 23 major editions, the latest printed in 2011. It is also available in an abridged version suitable for smaller libraries. OCLC, a non-profit cooperative that serves libraries, currently maintains the system and licenses online access to WebDewey, a continuously updated version for catalogers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Library classification</span> Systems of coding and organizing documents or library materials

A library classification is a system used within a library to organize materials, including books, sound and video recordings, electronic materials, etc., both on shelves and in catalogs and indexes. Each item is typically assigned a call number, which identifies the location of the item within the system. Materials can be arrange by many different factors, typically in either a hierarchical tree structure based on the subject or using a faceted classification system, which allows the assignment of multiple classifications to an object, enabling the classifications to be ordered in many ways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melvil Dewey</span> Inventor of the Dewey Decimal system

Melville Louis Kossuth "Melvil" Dewey was an influential American librarian and educator, inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification, a founder of the Lake Placid Club, and a chief librarian at Columbia University. He was also a founding member of the American Library Association. Although Dewey's contributions to the modern library are widely recognized, his legacy is marred by allegations of sexual harassment, racism, and antisemitism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Library catalog</span> Register of bibliographic items

A library catalog is a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations. A catalog for a group of libraries is also called a union catalog. A bibliographic item can be any information entity that is considered library material, or a group of library materials, or linked from the catalog as far as it is relevant to the catalog and to the users (patrons) of the library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Ammi Cutter</span> American librarian

Charles Ammi Cutter was an American librarian. In the 1850s and 1860s he assisted with the re-cataloging of the Harvard College library, producing America's first public card catalog. The card system proved more flexible for librarians and far more useful to patrons than the old method of entering titles in chronological order in large books. In 1868 he joined the Boston Athenaeum, making its card catalog an international model. Cutter promoted centralized cataloging of books, which became the standard practice at the Library of Congress. He was elected to leadership positions in numerous library organizations at the local and national level. Cutter is remembered for the Cutter Expansive Classification, his system of giving standardized classification numbers to each book, and arranging them on shelves by that number so that books on similar topics would be shelved together.

A faceted classification is a classification scheme used in organizing knowledge into a systematic order. A faceted classification uses semantic categories, either general or subject-specific, that are combined to create the full classification entry. Many library classification systems use a combination of a fixed, enumerative taxonomy of concepts with subordinate facets that further refine the topic.

<i>Library Journal</i> American trade publication for librarians

Library Journal is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice. It also reviews library-related materials and equipment. Each year since 2008, the Journal has assessed public libraries and awarded stars in their Star Libraries program.

<i>School Library Journal</i> US monthly magazine

School Library Journal (SLJ) is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology, multimedia, and other information resources that are likely to interest young learners. Reviews are classified by the target audience of the publications: preschool; schoolchildren to 4th grade, grades 5 and up, and teens; and professional librarians themselves. Fiction, non-fiction, and reference books books are reviewed, as are graphic novels, multimedia, and digital resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of library and information science</span> Overview of and topical guide to library science

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to library and information science:

Library technical services are the ongoing maintenance activities of a library's collection, including the three broad areas of collection development, cataloging, and processing. Technical services are the infrastructure that enable the user's experience of many library services and are typically performed "behind the scenes."

<i>Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World</i>

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World is a best-selling non-fiction book published in September 2008. The book recounts the life of Dewey Readmore Books, the cat in residence at the Spencer Public Library in Spencer, Iowa.

Janet Brennan Croft is an American librarian and Tolkien scholar, known for her authored and edited books and journals on J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy.

Douglas John Foskett OBE was a British librarian and library and information scientist, and author of several special faceted classification systems.

The Swedish library classification system,, or SAB system (SAB-systemet) is a library classification system for use in many public, school, and research libraries in Sweden. It primarily classifies books but is also used for other media, such as audio and video recordings. The first edition of the system was released in 1921 and was based on the classification that was used in the accession catalogs of the scientific libraries of that time. The abbreviation 'SAB' is for "Sveriges Allmänna Biblioteksförening". SAB merged with Svenska bibliotekariesamfundet to form present day Svensk Biblioteksförening.

Dewey-free refers to library classification schemes developed as alternatives to Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC). Dewey-free systems are often based on the BISAC subject headings developed by the Book Industry Study Group, and are typically implemented in libraries with smaller collections. Instead of using numerical notation to indicate a document's shelving location, Dewey-free systems organize documents alphabetically by natural language words. Dewey-free systems have been implemented in both public and school libraries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Metcalfe (librarian)</span> Australian librarian (1901–1982)

John Metcalfe was an Australian librarian, educator and author. He was the Principal Librarian at the Public Library of New South Wales from 1942 until 1958 and University Librarian at the University of New South Wales from 1959–1966. He was involved in the establishment and development of the Australian Institute of Librarians (AIL), the Free Library Movement and education for librarianship in Australia.

Rise: A Feminist Book Project, formerly known as the Amelia Bloomer Project and compiled by the American Library Association, is an annual list of books with significant feminist content that are intended for readers from birth to age 18. The Amelia Bloomer Project was started in 2002 and continued annually until the name change in 2020. Rise is unique from other book lists in that it selects books based on content.

References

  1. ↑ Foskett, A. C. The Subject Approach to Information. 5th ed. London: Library Association, 1996: 26
  2. ↑ Losee, Robert M. "How to Study Classification Systems and Their Appropriateness for Individual Institutions." Classification: Options and Opportunities. Ed. Alan R. Thomas. New York: Haworth, 1995: 45
  3. ↑ Thomas, Alan R. "Blissful Beliefs: Henry Evelyn Bliss Counsels on Classification." Classification: Options and Opportunities. Ed. Alan R. Thomas. New York: Haworth, 1995: 20
  4. ↑ Cooper, Linda Z. "Methodology for a Project Examining Cognitive Categories for Library Information in Young Children." Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 53.14 (2002): 1223-1231
  5. ↑ Cooper, Linda Z. "A Study of the Relationships between Categories of Library Information as Typified by Young Children." Emerging Frameworks and Methods: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science. New York: Libraries Unlimited, 2002. 17-32.
  6. ↑ Donbroski, Lyn. "Categorisation at East Sussex County Library." Alternative Arrangement: New Approaches to Public Library Stock. Ed. Patricia Ainley and Barry Totterdell. London: Association of Assistant Librarians, 1982. 78-87.
  7. ↑ Tali Balas Kaplan; Andrea Dolloff; Sue Giffard; Jennifer Still-Schiff. "Metis Innovations". Metis: Library Classification for Children. Ethical Culture Fieldston School. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  8. 1 2 Balas Kaplan, Tali, Andrea K. Dolloff, Sue Giffard, and Jennifer Still-Schiff. "Are Dewey's Days Numbered?: Libraries Nationwide Are Ditching the Old Classification System." School Library Journal. School Library Journal, 28 Sept. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://www.slj.com/2012/09/librarians/are-deweys-days-numbered-libraries-across-the-country-are-giving-the-old-classification-system-the-heave-ho-heres-one-schools-story/>.
  9. ↑ Dar, Mahnaz. "Taking It to Twitter: Librarians Debate the Demise of Dewey." School Library Journal. School Library Journal, 15 Oct. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://www.slj.com/2012/10/technology/social-media-technology/debating-the-demise-of-dewey-fostering-user-centered-collections-trumps-sticking-to-tradition/>.
  10. ↑ Musings on Metis. "Our New Library System." December 8, 2011. http://eye-fours.blogspot.com/2011/12/our-new-library-system.html
  11. ↑ "Brookside Primary School Library - Library Information". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.