Guiding / Labels
Clear guiding and signs will help to make the library easy for children to use. Fiction, picture book, reference section and information book shelving all need guiding, and all books should be labelled on the spine.
Signs and guides include:
- Wall subject index for information books
- Signs / labels on shelves as necessary
- Signs on end panels (if available)
Check before using signs from commercial or online suppliers of signs and posters as the classification mumbers may be different from those used in your library. Many schools make their own labels. Put the number first ( e.g. 567 Dinosaurs ) so that children can follow the number sequence.
Give teachers booklet-format print-outs of the main subjects and their Dewey numbers. (This is useful, especially for younger children, even if you have a networked library management system)
Fiction guiding: e.g. A – C You can use either the first letter or the first three letters of the author’s surname on the book’s spine. For picture books, it is only necessary to put the first letter.
