The following is a summary I constructed of responses from a question
posted to the professional email lists YALSA-BK and PUBYAC. This is a
common way for librarians to conduct informal research into the practices
of their colleagues.
YA NONFICTION COLLECTIONS: SEPARATE OR INTERFILED?
Total responses: 60
YA nonfic interfiled with adult or J: 16 (27%)
YA nonfic interfiled, but with an identifying sticker: 9 (15%)
YA nonfic interfiled, with new books on display in
YA area for a period of time (6 months - 1 year): 4 (7%)
Some interfiled, some in separate section: 7 (12%)
YA nonfic in separate section: 21 (35%)
No or little YA nonfic: 3 (5%)
Many libraries have a separate nonfiction area for their YAs (47%). Some
are just "browsing collections" with fun things, and some have both
material for fun and for school in their YA nonfic collection.
The most common materials in YA nonfic collections include: "issues" books
(sexuality, drugs, pregnancy, etc.), graphic novels, comics, the occult,
biographies, fun fads (jewelry-making, mendhi, etc.), makeup and
sports. (When most librarians mentioned "issues" books, they were not
including serious pro-con homework books.)
Reasons for having a separate YA nonfiction section:
- Teens like to browse, and a separate section promotes browsing
- Teens don't have to ask to find books on difficult subjects like sex
- Increases circulation of these materials
- Increases likelihood of actually buying YA nonfiction
- Teens are overwhelmed by the size of the adult nonfiction section
Reasons for interfiling YA nonfiction:
- Lack of space in YA area
- Keeps all materials on one subject in one place
Some libraries keep the new YA nonfiction in the YA area for six months to
a year, then interfile it with the adult collection.
Several people mentioned that their small, separate YA nonfic collection
does not circulate very much, but it is *used* a lot by patrons in the
library.
OBSERVATIONS
Teens respond well to a *small,* *private* collection of nonfiction items
targeted just at them -- not so well to an overwhelmingly large
collection. Thus for small libraries, it might make sense to separate all
the YA nonfiction, but in larger libraries, it might be better to
interfile the "serious" stuff and just separate out the fun stuff. This
is what many libraries do. However, one librarian mentioned that the
small libraries may want to interfile to keep all their same-subject
materials in one place. And a few large library systems said their main
branch has a separate section of YA nonfic, while the branches interfile.
There seemed to be no significant difference (I didn't do the
statistics) between small, medium or large libraries. Large libraries are
more likely to have a YA section than small libraries because of space
concerns.
Library Pop. YA Nonfiction Content & Comments
Size of area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
mid-size 30k small (5 shelves) Only select "hot" areas:
separate, rest in J sex, relationships,
(important to have college, careers, comics
separate area) sports, entertainment,
contemp. issues, litcrit
------------------------------------------------------------------------
40-45k small area separate, only books less than 1
items remainder interfiled year old are separate;
after that they are
interfiled with adult
------------------------------------------------------------------------
branch of 300k heavily used, heavily biographies, issues,
large system promoted (grades 6+) current fad stuff
------------------------------------------------------------------------
large urban separate popular interest, not
for school assignments:
drugs, sex, poetry,
biographies, graphic
novels.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
30k interfiled
------------------------------------------------------------------------
separate "issues" collection -
suicide, pregnancy, etc.
but expanding from here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
50k+ small (4 shelves) "issues" collection
for 6-9th graders
------------------------------------------------------------------------
84k extensive separate "The more we have, the
collection - kept more it circs."
near the new books
& before the fiction
------------------------------------------------------------------------
large 250k separate, full Dewey both entertainment &
(2.7 mil. range, plus a nonfic curriculum needs
items) browsing collection browsing section= humor,
biographies, pop-psych
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled (although
J nonfiction is separate)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
large both interfiled and browsing = separate
separate homework = interfiled
------------------------------------------------------------------------
branch of interfiled (lack of
large space)
library
------------------------------------------------------------------------
120k small (8 shelves) "issues" collection --
separate "Purely recreational."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
branch of 25k interfiled "I don't know why - it
medium was before my time."
library Would prefer fun YA NF
to be separate. Other
branch has separate NF.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
branch of separate Career material, college
large prep, teen fun things,
library advice books, teen
biographies, comic books
Music collection
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled w/
YA sticker on item
(not enough space,
and not too many YA-
specific items)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
medium 18k+ small collection
interfiled in J and
adult
------------------------------------------------------------------------
65k separate & interfiled "high-interest" = YA
(music, religion, comics
health, memoirs, etc.)
homework/research= adult
or children's
------------------------------------------------------------------------
large 85k small separate & "issues" collection:
others interfiled lifestyle, drugs, eating
disorders, & biographies
------------------------------------------------------------------------
350k 82k interfiled
items
------------------------------------------------------------------------
large separate music, media, computer
(18 branches) Circ. is growing. games, fashion, poetry,
Encouraging other paranormal/astrology,
branches to separate. inspirational, etc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
separate (likes it) "Some books have a
natural division between
children and YA, like
sex & contraception."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
small 10k no YA nonfic (doesn't
like it that way - no
space)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
small separate "We have a corner made
(24k items) by two book cases called
YAville... my YA circ
has increased
tremendously since."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
medium 75k separate browsing "Many teens only read
collection (1 shelf) nonfiction."
very successful!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
medium 15k separate Browsing collection -
(70k "Prefer to browse the
items) fun YA collection than
the large adult coll."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
medium 35k+ interfiled (likes it) "Whatever level your
with J and adult patron is on, it's all
there in one place."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
medium interfile (no space) interfiled after 1 year
except new books on
teen idols/movie stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------
medium currently interfiled "The YA nonfic gets
(140k but working on a lost... and teens don't
items) separate collection browse the adult
shelves."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
15k interfiled w/sticker
------------------------------------------------------------------------
large 110k most interfiled with "YAs doing a school
a small separate project can go to the
browsing collection adult or J nonfiction."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
branch of 150k interfiled - little
county YA nonfic
system
------------------------------------------------------------------------
medium separate (was inter- "Teens never seemed to
branch filed until recently) find their books [when
(90k items) they're interfiled]."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled (no sticker
on the book, but says
YA in the catalog) -
no space
------------------------------------------------------------------------
branch 40k most interfiled, with Teen interest = sex,
of large separate browsing puberty, parents, drugs,
system collection = "Teen peer pressure, etc.
Survival Center." "Except it's too open
and high-traffic."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled except
biography (likes it)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled - no space
------------------------------------------------------------------------
small separate
(10k items)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
40k interfiled w/sticker
------------------------------------------------------------------------
large interfiled w/sticker High-interest kept for
except new, high- 6 months or more
interest titles Also graphic novels
"[Interfiling] makes
weeding and collection
development a bear!"
But makes sense for them
------------------------------------------------------------------------
branch YA SF&Fantasy inter-
of large filed with adult.
system (no comment on nonfic)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
separate
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled except biography
------------------------------------------------------------------------
medium 22k interfiled - no space
(150k
items)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled, thinking New YA nonfiction is put
of changing - no on display for a while
space before interfiling
------------------------------------------------------------------------
large 125k interfiled - no space
(500k+ and helps patrons find
items) nonfic easier
------------------------------------------------------------------------
30k+ very little YA nonfiction
- would like to build
a YA nonfic area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
branch of interfiled w/sticker
large
system
------------------------------------------------------------------------
separate Circulating well
------------------------------------------------------------------------
large separate "We are very strict
about weeding and having
a good-looking
collection."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled
------------------------------------------------------------------------
main branch 415k separate (branches
of large interfile for space
system reasons)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
small separate (50 titles) "I separated them out
branch of recently because they
large rural never circulated."
system ("issues" collection)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
medium interfiled - no space
(100k items)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
20k separate plus YA ref. "Nonfic circulates even
more heavily than fic."
Occult, sports, fitness,
issues, poetry, etc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled, some w/
sticker - no space
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled, no sticker
------------------------------------------------------------------------
small interfiled with J nonfic
(13k items)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled w/sticker
------------------------------------------------------------------------
small interfiled w/sticker
(YA fic also interfiled
with adult fic)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
interfiled w/sticker
------------------------------------------------------------------------