Thinking About Genre

Abstract

I work in a non-Dewey library that essentially uses a combination of BISAC and simplified language
to organize our shelves to create an easily browsable collection. While my area of selection is
adult fiction and probably the least different from Dewey libraries, traditional genres can still be a
conundrum.
It’s not that I don’t know genre conventions—I have fifteen years of library experience, have
volunteered for numerous genre award committees, and even write reviews for Library Journal.
The puzzle arises from the conflict between