So this isn’t expressly related to the conference, except that it was located in Portland, so of course I had to visit the Multnomah County Public Library and Powell’s Books. I’d heard great things about Multnomah County Library and actually just been to a great program on storytelling sponsored in part by librarians who worked there, and the main library did not disappoint. The building itself is beautiful and grand, but with a more human scale and temperament than some others that it’s reminiscent of (like NYPL’s main building, for instance). Details like the awesome carved staircase and sculptural tree in the children’s room make it distinctive and quirky. I loved the positivity and general niceness (very Portland!) of this sign:

After all the talk of abandoning Dewey and looking to bookstores as a model, Powell’s was full of food for thought. While I didn’t go to any of the sessions on getting rid of Dewey, and I’m not sure I have a clear sense of how it would work in terms of cataloging, I think the idea of making our nonfiction collections more user-friendly is essential. And even if we don’t completely upend Dewey and reorganize all our shelves, one lesson we can take away from a bookstore like Powell’s is about signage. As in, use it! Use words!

I spent a lot of time browsing the Young Adult Fiction section, and there were signs everywhere. Handwritten, homemade signs that alerted you to queer-friendly reads, signs that recommended books, signs that performed reader’s advisory. They were colorful, cute, and full of personality, and they helped you find what you were looking for. An degree of uniformity was achieved with forms that read “Recommended,” “I’m Dystopian….In a world where….” And “If you liked…you should try…”

Definitely good stuff to bring back.