What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Laugh if you will, but I think, in addition to the Adult Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction and Nonfiction, Children’s, Series, and asked-for-more-than-once shelves, there should be two more shelves: Shifter Romances and Motorcycle Club Romances. Because it appears that a BIG percentage of searchers here are looking for one nearly indistinguishable romance among thousands with either a werewolf or a leather-jacketed biker (or a leather-jacketed werewolf on a bike). Others are looking for these types of romances in general. These shelves would make it easier for both searchers and browsers.
What do you think, huh guys?!

I'm for the shifter romance shelf

If we're considering adding shelves, wouldn't a blanket "romance" shelf be better? Since it would cover way more ground than just those two admittedly popular subjects. Otherwise there's plenty of "historical romance" searches why not a shelf for that too? And then you'd get into all the 'paranormal but it's only got vampires not shifters', where do those fit? kind of issues. Even just a PNR shelf seems like it would be more broadly useful than drilling down that far.

If there was already a general one I'd probably say fine to both new ones -any overflow could stay on the 'romance' shelf- but that seems to go past extremely vague and generic (like all the other shelves) to too specific and leaving out more than it fits, with nothing inbetween.

I am hesitant to start new shelves, but even putting Romance as a bookshelf. Many of these are romances of various ilk. I don't think we should get too specific about the shelves or we'll end up with 30 of them -- unmanageable.
I'm trying to combine some of my personal shelves because I have too many shelves. :)

How about a "Solved - That's Got To Be It!" shelf, for those queries that are abandoned/never confirmed by their initial posters, but are clearly the right book.

The moderators sometimes move these to the appropriate "Solved" shelf, but are generally pretty hesitant to do so, even when the post is abandoned by the OP. I thought this could be a sort of compromise step.

The thing is, if I feel 99% certain it's the right book, I will move it to Solved. (Based on my own reading of the book, or reading reviews, or researching it online in other ways, or a consensus among multiple people that it's the right book.) The issue is that there are a fair number of threads like this that have to first be found, then the internet research has to be done. So it's an issue of time, really. I don't think it makes sense to have a separate folder for these queries. Essentially, it makes things murkier rather than clearer.

I'm not even a fan of the Possibly Solved folder, myself...additional murkiness there. It seems to encourage abandonment rather than actual movement towards Solutions.

I agree with Lobstergirl. Avoid the murky temptations. For example, I kind of think young adult and children's books don't belong together. However, it is very murky about where the line gets drawn to identify "young adult." Some put it as young as 11.
I am a fan of having it start with books for late high school -- about 17 - 25. I, as a former teacher, think persons younger than 17 are children. And yes, I have met some very mature 13 year olds, and some very immature 30 year olds. I still stand with my view of age.
Calling an 11-year old child a young adult is ludicrous, IMHO

Kate wrote: "I agree with Lobstergirl. Avoid the murky temptations. For example, I kind of think young adult and children's books don't belong together. However, it is very murky about where the line gets drawn..."

My dividing line is whether the book is directed at teens or children. Of course, it' not a bright line, but most children's and YA books have an age recommendation, and it's never "age 11" period. 11 and older would make it YA and up to age 11 would make it a children's book.

I don't go by the age of the MC at all. That would make To Kill a Mockingbird and Room children's novels. To me it's always the theme and the intended audience.