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So you're volunteering at your public library, and have been told to shelve the adult fictions. How are you supposed to do that?

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Steps

  1. 1
    Sort the books out. Many libraries sort adult fiction into Romance, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Western, and Horror in addition to just plain 'AF'.
    • If possible, place them in alphabetical order before beginning to shelve. There is nothing more frustrating than shelving a book in the 'B's, moving from there to the 'S's, then ending up right back where you were!
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  2. 2
    Start with the first two letters of the last name.
  3. 3
    Move on to the the third letter. Once you've found the spot where your first two letters fit, you'll probably quickly realize there's a lot of books with those two first letters. Add in the third letter now to narrow down your search.
  4. 4
    Move on to the fourth letter. So, you found your new area to search in, and there are still a lot of options. Move on to another letter. Keep moving down letters until you find a specific spot.
  5. 5
    Move on to the first name. What if you're shelving an 'Elisabeth', but there are multiple people with the same name? Repeat the steps above, only using the first name rather than the last.
  6. 6
    Make room for the book on the shelf. Sometimes, there's so much on the shelf, there's no room to put your book on. In this event, DO NOT put the book on top of the books already in place. This is a hassle to both patrons and librarians who will look for it, and is one of the best ways to end up with a book being labeled 'Missing'. Simply remove enough books from one end of the shelf for yours to fit. Move these books to the next shelf in alphabetical order.
  7. 7
    Move on to the next book. Even if you've already shelved what feels like hundreds of the things, each one is just as important as the last. Don't stop paying attention.
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Tips

  • Have a librarian tell you where everything is if you can't remember.
  • If you're unsure of anything, simply ask a librarian. They'll be more than happy to answer your questions rather than have to deal with a mis-shelved book.
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Warnings

  • Never just say 'It goes somewhere around here, it doesn't matter' and stick it in an open spot. This is a virtual nightmare for librarians and patrons looking for the book.

Article Info

Categories: Pages with broken file links | Libraries

Recent edits by: Marie Grace, Maluniu, Krystle

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