Te Awe Library trials new shelving system for mātauranga Māori literature

The Dewey Decimal Classification, first developed in 1873 in the United States, is used by librarians worldwide to catalogue and shelve books of all kinds. However, many librarians argue that the system doesn’t fit comfortably when it comes to books by and for people of non-Western cultures. 

The Dewey Decimal system is organised by Western disciplines rather than subject, says Wellington City Libraries Senior Cataloguing Specialist Bridget Jennings.

“For instance, if you’re looking for books about elephants, they’re not all necessarily on the same shelf. To quote a wise cataloguer, ‘The classification is not about the elephant, it’s about what's happening to the elephant’. Books about elephants in folklore or a zoological textbook will be in different parts of the library.” 

This classification system was created by a small team using online resources like Ngā Upoko Tukutuku and consulting with subject matter experts and Māori librarians.   

The te ao Māori classification system has been built using Māori atua (gods) and their associated areas of knowledge and activity to organise subjects.   

Tangaroa, atua of the oceans, lakes and rivers – and all life within them, and the guardian of knowledge of carving – is where you can find books on bodies of water, fish, art/the arts and carving.   

Rongomatāne, atua of peace, the kumara and cultivated food is where you can find te ao Māori books on peace, agriculture, gardening, food and cooking.   

Think of it like a library within a library, with books ranging from history to medicinal herbs to recipes for dinner. Even the letters used on the spines to classify where they go are letters from the Māori alphabet.   

The trial library is a row of shelves on the second floor in Te Awe and has been integrated with the online library catalogue. You can search the catalogue using kupu reo, and you may be directed to these shelves in Te Awe.   

Bridget hopes that this will become a permanent feature of Wellington City Libraries.   

“There are lots of people all around the world who are creating classification systems to meet their needs, especially in indigenous communities. 

“We want people to find it genuinely useful and relevant. That is the most important thing. It’s not about me, the cataloguer. Cataloguers just want people to find what they’re looking for.” 

If you have any feedback on the trial, you can contact enquiries@wcl.govt.nz.