The essential purpose of this site will be to record the entire process of “freeing dewey” from the shelves at the Frankfort Public Library District. Thus, this blog is an attempt to vocally and visually present all parts of the process. Scanned images, as well as, written concepts will be posted on this site as they are undertaken by the Project Coordinators – Melissa Rice, Head of Adult Services, and Joanna Kolendo, Reference Librarian – and other staff members.
We have been on our journey to Dewey-Free for several years. From 2005-2007, we worked with Library Planning Associates, Inc. to examine our long-term service goals and space needs. In 2007, we participated in a community survey and were 1 of 4 MLS libraries to participate in The Customer-Focused Library project. These 3 projects clearly show that we need to make our patrons’ library experience efficient, service-focused, and inquisitive.
At the 12th Annual PLA conference, which took place March 25-29 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the staff of the Maricopa County Library District, discussed their new Dewey-Free Perry Branch. Since then, the Frankfort Public Library has seriously discussed, not necessarily saying no to Dewey, but rather, slowly freeing him, something that we, as well as other libraries, have begun to do years ago with our biography and fiction collections.
On April 16, 2008, our Director, Detlev Pansch (now at Barrington Area Library), called a meeting to discuss this potential project. As a group, we decided unanimously to forge ahead and begin this project.