The concept of browsing peaked with the Dewey sytem. Every book was placed logically on a shelf, and the subjects seemed to flow and make sense. When Dewey was replaced in many libraries by LC, with its less logical system of assigning books, there was less justification in maintaining the arbitrary shelving by subject. Nonetheless, browsing libraries with open shelves remained.
However, true browsing has shifted from the shelf to the computer. And libraries with closed shelves obviated the entire concept of browsing. Although the large libraries have invested too much in the existing system, some smaller libraries may soon be on the forefront of change. These libraries strive to update their holdings and make them accessible to their patrons, yet they are frequently limited by their inability to expand their physical shelf space.
The most common small library, the home library, is a case in point. Whereas many American homes are relatively large and spacious, small apartments are the norm in cities in the United States and many locations abroad. Residents therefore have to plan their libraries carefully.
The limited size of some dwellings necessarily restricts the growth of home libraries, yet people with large private collections are not always prepared to accept these barriers. They sometimes search for new and novel ways to squeeze in more books.
Read more articles about classification
Read more articles about Jewish libraries
Go to the Jewish Home Library links page
Find out about the Jewish Home Library forum
Find out about other websites by David Grossman
Are you required to read this webpage for a course? Do NOT print out the article. It is copyrighted.
Your exercise for this article is as follows:
Copyright © David Grossman. World rights reserved. This article may not be printed, forwarded, reproduced, or copied in any way or in any medium without written permission from David Grossman.