Shelf Life: Nonfiction collection gets a shelf-lift
With our time apart, York Public Library has taken some time to look inward. What can we do to be a better library? How can we grow and evolve to best serve our public? I have a lot of long answers and ideas, and here’s one of them: We can rearrange some books to make them easier to use.
Just before the library closed in March, I began a formal process of evaluating our nonfiction collection to help make it more accessible, current and usable. All I wanted to do was look at our lovely books and see how we could improve our collection. Enter COVID — and a drastic change of plans. Not only would I have to stay away from the library community, but I would also have to distance myself from the books.
Eventually, staff resumed work in the library. While the library was still closed to the public, the revamping of our nonfiction section became an excellent source of stress relief. Feeling sad? Move giant stacks of books from one point to another. Angry? Rip the pages out of an obsolete mid-’90s computer guide! Want a laugh? Check out the 1972 Simplicity Sewing Book for some tailored bell-bottom suits for men and delightfully mod mini-dresses. Feeling nostalgic? How about a book discussing this crazy new thing called the “World Wide Web” that Bill Gates thinks might take off?
The real reason analyzing our holdings excites me, however, is because we’ve been able to shift our collection to highlight some wonderful art books we’ve been able to purchase thanks to a generous bequest. Earmarked specifically for buying books about the fine arts, we’ve been able to create a collection that celebrates the multitude of fantastic artists that have contributed to the art scene worldwide.
If you’ve ever looked at one of these books, you know they need SPACE. They are coffee table books that deserve a leisurely browse with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. (Wait, these are library books. Be careful!) Each color plate is a careful reproduction of the artist’s work. You can sit and read the text, or just enjoy the images.
In order to display these books at the library, we wanted to create an open space where these lovely books could put their covers forward. We repurposed some outward-facing shelving from the magazine section to make a wide center aisle with art books you can see as you approach. And, when coronavirus is at bay, there are study carrels nearby in which you can spread out the books and flip through their beautiful pages. Once you find one you like, check it out and prepare to feast your eyes from the comfort of home.
Moving all these books around was a task in which many staff members participated. It’s been a labor of love to shift our collection around so it is more user-friendly, and while this meant saying goodbye to some favorite books that were falling apart, we look forward to filling our newly spacious shelves with new titles that are sure to delight you. Do you have a recommendation on a new book that you’d like to see? Send it along. We’d love to get your input.