Maybe I’m dumb but I don’t understand the “format” - are the top and bottom sections of text supposed to be related to the middle text? Why is the text over a bottle of alcohol?
I mean people using libraries for the most part don’t really understand the decimal system and probably wouldn’t get the significance of it being in the 000s - especially the 000s where it’s sandwiched between computer science and knowledge structure & other general works. When I’m compelled to aquire a bs book in any category, simply because patron demand is high, I prefer it be in the same section as factual information so it may be drowned out a little more. (And I say aquire, instead of purchase, since those types of books I try to rent so they can be returned after it’s been taken out by those requesting it and it never makes its way into our full collection)
I do like the meme though! This format is pretty great and we do indeed need more librarian memes, I don’t mean to get all pedantic here haha
Of course. And no worries. I know it’s a niche joke. Buckle up it’s a long one. Many public libraries, at least in the US, use the Dewey Decimal System (000-999) to organize their nonfiction books. The gist is that Mellville Dewey is problematic for many reasons, but for this example you have to know that when organizing books, Dewey’s best practice is that known hoaxes are categorized and shelved right along with the nonfiction books in the same category. For example the book 1421 claims that America was discovered by the Chinese in year 1421. This book is shelved right along the rest of American history in 945.05. However, the 000’s is the “contested knowledge” which has ghosts, UFOs, Bigfoot, etc. I feel that moving books like 1421 into 000s it lets librarians contextualize books by essentially saying “we think this book is as true as ghosts.”
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