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I don't care what anyone else says, Weird Al is educational.

That's why they call it a profession

There has been much talk of changing the way libraries classify their materials, but this is somewhat insulting. Maybe I fall into those "little old librarians" who, according to Florida Senator Ronda Storms (R-Valrico), "are going to have a heart attack" at hearing about systems that professionals have built and are currently building. I'm not saying that librarians should not be constantly thinking of better ways to integrate their users into the loop of their classification schemes. However, there are multiple things to consider when trying to understand why things are classified according to "anachronistic" systems. Let's step back into LSC 101 and talk about why exactly classification is necessary. As impersonal as it sounds, classification is not just for the benefit of the users. It is also for the materials and the intergrity of the library itself as an institution of the housing and preservation of said materials. Dewey, as cumbersome as it can be, is just one of the systems developed by professionals of information science to collocate like materials and separate unlike materials in the most objective and cold, clinical way possible (after we take into account that, yes, librarians are humans too and are far from perfect, albeit schooled in the art of organization).

Why do we want library bookshelves to resemble those of Barnes & Noble -- mysteries over here, biographies over there, etc.? Because it's easy. But what of the distinct goals of bookstores and libraries? Oh yeah, both are into books, that's for sure; but one is looking to attract customers into taking books off their shelves forever, and another is looking to lend you those books to enjoy and bring back. Libraries have been getting into pushing their books as well -- placing bestsellers and new books near the front door to appeal to patrons. This is a good thing -- marketing at its best. However, I find the downside to arranging the whole library like a bookstore in the subjectivity of the arrangement. What's a biography? What if the biography is historical? Should it go in the historical section? Should historical biographies be placed next to sports biographies? What even qualifies as a "biography"? This is why there are systems in place -- to create some order. While I can't call it totally unbiased (from what I've seen, the U.S. takes up a relatively large portion of Dewey number building), I believe it to be less arbitrary than the bookstore model. So it might take a little effort on the part of patrons to learn the ropes. Then again, that's why there are reference librarians, instructional self-serve materials strewn about the library, and, above all, a card catalog (which is now supported by computers which allow for all kinds of searching). As both a librarian-to-be and a library patron, I would take this kind of structured chaos over whimsical chaos anyday.