Atlases, Books of quotations etc.

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Atlases, Books of quotations etc.

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1pmarshall
Jan 20, 2009, 6:02 am

There is no place for what I would term general reference books like atlases, books of quotations, encyclopaedia (specific and general).

There is also a bug. When I click on the choice I don't know book sometimes it works but more often the screen just fades. The only way out was to go back.

2benjclark
Jan 20, 2009, 10:44 am

Almanacs, dictionaries....

3tcarter
Jan 20, 2009, 11:31 am

I agree on atlases but I would have thought that Dictionaries go quite happily into languages and linguistics?

4Aerrin99
Jan 20, 2009, 1:50 pm

I've been putting dictionaries into languages and linguistics, but have no idea what to do with multi-subject reference works like encyclopedias, or even directories, etc.

5tardis
Jan 20, 2009, 2:49 pm

put them in "unclear" - I assume that later on the contents of that category will be examined and sorted or new categories created.

6benjclark
Jan 20, 2009, 3:11 pm

Yes, Dictionaries in Language, I guess. I suppose I wanted a more generic Reference section. Bibliographies can be tricky. Catalogues also not easy. Some How-To books I bet could be problematic. The Foxfire series isn't easy. Stories in Stone symbolism and iconography of cemeteries... hmmmm....

7vpfluke
Jan 21, 2009, 4:55 pm

I would put atlases under Travel and Geography (along with maps).

8kevinashley
Jan 21, 2009, 5:29 pm

Atlases have a home, yes. Dictionaries in language isn't so natural, and we're aiming for a natural classification. 'reference' does well on that score and provides a home for those works like encyclopaedias that won't have any other home.

Some subject-specific reference works will find a natural home in their subject areas, but others won't. Dictionaries of quotations aren't language, for instance.

9Aerrin99
Jan 21, 2009, 5:40 pm

And then of course we'll have arguments over whether subject-specific reference works are shelved in 'reference' or in their subject area, and what exactly makes it a reference work...

But frankly, that's an argument you can't avoid. We just had this one while weeding our reference collection in my library. Having 'reference' as a top-level bucket at least enables individual libraries to have that discussion, and to make that judgment call themselves.

10laena
Fév 2, 2009, 1:56 pm

Greetings! David and I have been busy compiling and analyzing all your comments, and a post with new top levels is forthcoming!

In the interim, take a look on Thingology (http://www.librarything.com/thingology) at the summary of the OSC meeting we had in Denver last weekend.

11quyet
Juin 5, 2009, 12:18 pm

Message effacé.

12nautilus_library
Juil 14, 2009, 4:11 pm

Perhaps for dictionaries the following might work, for libraries in which the majority of works are in one language:

- dictionaries of the main language of the library would go in general reference

- dictionaries of other languages than the majority one would go in languages under the appropriate language.