Genrefication: Reimagining the Library Space For Student Access and Independence

Abstract

This past summer, I took the leap and decided to genrefy all 2,000 books in my school library’s picture book collection. The discoveries were astounding as I started to rethink my library classification system through the eyes of my youngest students. Genrefication has been a hot topic in libraries in recent years as many more school libraries are redesigning their space to reflect human behavior. With the help of several other school librarians and U.H. Manoa’s Hui Dui student organization, we delved into a deeper discussion of understanding library organization, access, and independence while genrefying the collection. I am excited to continue the discussion as well as share the insights from this experience.