New Ulm Public Library recently introduced a new online catalog. Our new catalog makes it much easier to search for materials, place your requests, and monitor your checked out items. You can access the new online catalog by visiting www.newulmlibrary.org and selecting Library Catalog.

As we were exploring the options for our new catalog, we were reviewing the way we classify our materials. We want to ensure that materials are easy for our patrons to find. After much consideration and research, library staff have determined that we will be changing from the Dewey Decimal system to the new, and much improved, Aesthetic System.

Starting April 1, materials will be shelved according to cover color. Within each color family, materials will be shelved by shade going from darkest to lightest, left to right. Materials will be classified within the following color families: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, black, and white.

We’ll still separate our collections by targeted age ranges for adult, young adult, and children’s collections, although the children’s collection will contain an additional color family, rainbow, due to the large number of children’s books that feature very colorful covers.

For those patrons who experience color blindness, we will have colorblindness-correcting glasses available for in-library use. Please see library staff to request a pair during your next visit. Thank you to the Friends of the New Ulm Public Library for donating the funds to purchase these glasses.

We hope this new classification system will improve our patrons’ library experience. Library staff often receive requests for the “new mystery with the big blue cover” or, “I don’t know the title or author but I know it was red.” The transition to the Aesthetic System will help us, and our patrons, locate these materials easily.

The Aesthetic System will also greatly increase the photogenic qualities of our collection and encourage a bigger Instagram presence for the New Ulm Public Library. We hope you’ll stop in the next time you’re looking for a great photo op!

We wish you all a very Happy April Fool’s Day! We offer many picturesque photo ops, even without the farcical Aesthetic System (although we agree that it can certainly beautify your personal home library). We hope to see you soon.

New Ulm Public Library is located at 17 North Broadway and is open Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.