Late to the Dewey Decimal System Party

Grand View Elementary School

Happy Belated Dewey Decimal System Day! Do you have your confetti? Your balloons? Your party favors?

Me neither. In fact, the only reason I know that DDSD exists is because I like using CheckiDay to find out about holidays like these. And, sometimes, I don't check back for awhile, but I leave the tab open and, for a moment, think the holiday is on the day I read about it.

Like today.

Dewey Decimal System Day was actually December 10. Today is Call a Friend Day, National Card Playing Day, and National Chocolate Candy Day, among others. While any (or all) of those celebrations sounds louder and more exciting than Dewey Decimal System Day, as an author, the very existence of DDSD intrigued me.

My books are in libraries. That means they have Dewey Decimal numbers. While my fiction is filed under FIC HES, Know Thyself has an actual DDS number: 648HES.

It's not the only 648 on the shelves, of course, and probably not even the only 648HES, which is okay because it's the existence of the number, not its uniqueness that gets me excited. It lends an air of authenticity to something that began as an idea in my head, then moved to a file on my computer LONG before it became a book with 648HES on its spine.

But why 648? While most of us don't pay much attention to the tens' place, let alone the ones' place (and the decimals that follow), librarians do. I won't attempt to describe the decision to you, as I'm not qualified to do so, but I will say that, according to this chart, 648 is the DDS number for books about housekeeping. There's potential for both irony and humor there as anyone who knows me is well aware but, according to Dewey and the lovely librarians who shelve and care for my book, Know Thyself can be found on the shelf housing books with the number 648.

Check it out :-) And, while you're there, thank a librarian. They do this stuff so we don't have to.

My Library and Me

geralt via Pixabay

Last week, I paid a long overdue visit to my local library. We'd sorted the books on our bookshelves at home and I had a substantial stack of books to donate. In addition, my library card needed to be renewed.

On the counter at the circulation desk, there was a stack of post cards. Our local commissioners have cut $300,000 in funding to the library system and the pre-addressed post cards were there for patrons to who wanted to let those in charge know that libraries matter.

Let that sink in for a minute. We need to tell our elected officials that libraries matter. Isn't this something they should know already?

Sure, the Internet has taken over life as we know it, and libraries have worked to keep pace with that (which costs money, by the way). But books in some format will always be part of our culture, and lack of access to them has an enormous impact on the knowledge and well-being of a culture.

As I perused the shelves looking for something to read, I was reminded of so many wonderful impacts my library has had on my life. My daughter chose that library for our bi-weekly (or more often) visits every summer from the time she was three until long after she could work the online reserve system herself. I held book signings for both Casting the First Stone and Chasing a Second Chance at that library. A nonfiction book I picked up one summer (The Happiness Project) impacted me so much that I added it to the reading list for the first year seminar I teach. Close to 75 freshmen have read this book in my class and created happiness projects of their own. That same book was one of the things that inspired me to look more deeply into the field of positive psychology, to earn a certificate in positive psychology and to create and teach a course on positive psychology.

A novel I picked up on another visit ended up being the nudge I needed to write for adults, pointing the way to the genre I wanted to write in and sparking the creation of Marita, Charli, Angel, Bets and, of course, Jim. The novel I couldn't find earlier this week (because it doesn't exist) gave me the idea for my next novel, or at least its protagonist.

In short (I know -- too late), the ripple effect my library has inspired is pretty impressive for a tiny community library.

I have a vested interest in keeping my library up and running and, if you live in York County, I hope you do, too. Throughout the month of April, York County Libraries will have post cards at their circulation desks. They're pre-addressed, and the librarians will even give you a stamp if you want one. These post cards implore those in charge to consider the impact a $300,000 funding cut will have and to restore the funding.

I'm not letting my library go down without a fight, and if you live in my area, I hope you won't either.
Meanwhile, no matter where you live, make it a point to show your library a little love and maybe even find out what they do (besides checking out books) and why they matter.