Shelf Reading: A Top to Bottom Review

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 was Shelf Reading Day at the California Genealogical Society Library. Marianne Frey organized the event and provided a review of the Library of Congress call number system so volunteers could check their shelving skills.

Every book on every shelf was examined to insure its proper placement by the fourteen volunteer members who donated their day to the cause.

The industrious volunteers were: Diana Demeter, Mary Beth Frederick, Marianne Frey, Sandy Fryer, Evelyn Gray, Steve Harris, Arlene Miles, Kirsten Netterblad, Dick Rees, Craig Siulinski, Pat Smith, Laura Spurrier, Betty Walker and Bill Whitson.

CGS President Jane Lindsey wanted to publicly thank all the volunteers who came forward and sent this:

I am so pleased we got all the shelves read – a huge project done and all in one day. It was nice to see some new faces and some long-time members, too!

CGS Library cataloger Laura Spurrier added this:

I want to thank everyone for turning out too. Each time we do this, fewer cataloging problems turn up. That is not to say we're anywhere near perfect, but I can see a difference. It takes dedicated people like yourselves to identify problems so I can fix them. You're an integral part in making the books more and more findable and the library catalog more and more accurate. Thank you!

Photographs courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, 7/22/2009, Oakland, California.