Check It Out!: Increasing Visibility, Findability, and Participation Within a Community Library

Organizational systems are critical to the visibility and findability of library materials. The SEED Adult and Family Learning Community works with individuals learning English as a second, or other, language. Their vision is "creating a space wherein community members" negotiate meaning in physical, cultural, emotional, social, linguistic, artistic, and individual contexts?. I organized the SEED's library, a collection of over a thousand items, using a mix of Dewey Decimal classification and genrefication, assessed the quality of these materials, and removed outdated items. I created catalog records for the collection using LibraryThing, a collaborative web application. After conducting a survey to learn about the community's interests, I compiled ideas for using the materials to facilitate learning, including using the images or text from outdated or damaged materials to tell stories through zine making. I conducted an orientation and provided documentation, a collection development policy and guides, to help the community continue to develop their library.