Travelling Pants

On my last visit to Australia, I learned about a project of the Gosford City Library to promote youth services in public libraries in New South Wales, Australia.  It’s the Jean Genies - Travelling Pants! program (PDF file in that last link).  As that document says, “this program has 4 pairs of jeans travelling around NSW public libraries in 2009.  Participating libraries will be decorating the jeans and holding programs or displays based around the theme before sending the jeans on to the next library.”

What Dewey number would we assign to such a program?

• That for jeans (391 Costume and personal appearance being the interdisciplinary number)? – no, you are taken out of there by the reference “For a specific aspect of costume and clothing, see the aspect, e.g., stage costuming 792.026, clothing construction 646.4.”
• That for public libraries (027.4)? – no, you are taken out of that by the reference at 026-027 Specific kinds of institutions, which has hierarchical force at 027.4 Public libraries: “Class a specific operation in a specific kind of institution with the operation.”
• That for public relations (659.2)? – no, you are taken out of there by the reference at 659.29001-659.29999 Subdivisions for organizations producing specific kinds of products and services, or pursuing specific objectives: “however, for public relations in libraries, see 021.7.”

So the Dewey number for the Jean Genies project is 021.7 Promotion of libraries, archives, information centers, where the specific aspects of the use of jeans and of promotion of public libraries are in standing room, so that you cannot add standard subdivisions or the Table 2 number for New South Wales.

Comments

[Judy, Coffs Harbour.]

As a participant in the Jean Genies - Travelling Pants! project, it is wonderful to see this recognition of an innovative and fun program.

[Louise McMorland, Youth Librarian, Manly Library]

Wow, its great to know that the "travelling pants" have a Dewey Number...lets hope the next group of decorators add the number to the jeans...

[Alison Bambach, Outreach Services Officer, Kiama Library]

This is awesome! Kiama Library also decorated their own pair of jeans and are seriously considering putting them in the reference area.

[wedding chair covers]

I think it sounds like a great idea. Traveling pants sounds like an attention getter.