NEWS RELEASES > MARCH 13, 2025

How to Start Genrefying Your School Library

Foster a more engaging browsing experience and help students discover new books within categories they love with genrefication: the process of organizing library books by genre like fantasy, mystery, or biography. Unlike traditional Dewey Decimal or alphabetical systems, this approach makes it easier for students to find books they enjoy based on their interests.

Interested in genrefying your library? Get started by:

Evaluating Your Current School Library Collection
Begin by contacting us so we can help determine which genres are represented in your collection.
Planning Genre Categories
Decide on which genres you’ll use. Common genres for school libraries include fantasy, science fiction, mystery, historical fiction, realistic fiction, and nonfiction. Be mindful of students’ interests when defining categories and try to keep them broad to avoid too many niches.
Labeling Books by Genre
Start labeling each book by genre with DIY Genre Kits. You can use color-coded labels or stickers to represent different genres, placing them on the spine for easy identification or order shelf-ready genrefied books with labels in Titlewave^®to save time and effort.
Reorganizing the Shelves
Rearrange your shelves so that each genre has a designated section. This can be done over time if it’s a large collection, or during a break when you can dedicate time to reorganization. Plus, if you’re exploring transforming your library with dynamic shelving concepts by adding color, front-facing books, or shelf-talkers, it’s the perfect time to genrefy your library and add illustrated genre signs and shelf markers.
Updating the Library Catalog Checkout System
Update your library’s catalog system to reflect the new genre designations. This will help students locate books by genre, even if they’re searching online.
Educating and Guiding Students
Once the genrefication of your library is complete, introduce the new setup to students. Host orientation sessions or create maps to familiarize them with the new organization system.
Gathering Feedback and Adjust
After implementing genrefication, gather feedback from students and teachers. You may need to adjust genres or add new ones over time based on popularity and demand.

Tips for Balancing the Genre Transition with the School Year

Start small. If you’re overwhelmed, try genrefying just a few popular genres at first and expand from there. Display them in key areas in the library to see how students engage with them to provide further evidence to keep going.
Involve students. Engage student volunteers in the process of genrefying. They’ll enjoy being part of the transformation!
Use visual aids. Posters, signage, and book displays can help students understand genre categories and find their way through the library.

Looking for assistance with genrefying? We can help!

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