Bookstore organization?

[mrjackalope]

This may come off as a rather elementary/obvious question to most, but bear with me. I just came into China to take classes for a few semesters, and decided that one way to supplement studies on my own would be to begin re-reading some stuff I'd read in translation in the original Chinese (I was thinking Qian Zhongshu and Yu Hua, specifically). I went into a bookstore in Beijing and started looking through the fiction section and had a rather difficult time figuring out what was going on. The various genres and sections were clearly marked, but after that I couldn't find much of a logical system of organization. There seemed to be no surname grouping by either pinyin or stroke/radical, so I couldn't find them like that. Are books generally organized on some other principle, or could this just be a fluke of that particular bookstore?

[imron]

The best way I've found to solve this problem is to ask the clerk for help

[gato]

I went into a bookstore in Beijing and started looking through the fiction section and had a rather difficult time figuring out what was going on. The various genres and sections were clearly marked, but after that I couldn't find much of a logical system of organization. There seemed to be no surname grouping by either pinyin or stroke/radical, so I couldn't find them like that. Are books generally organized on some other principle, or could this just be a fluke of that particular bookstore?

You are very perceptive. Within each genre, most bookstores here organize their books fairly arbitrarily. In a large bookstore, you'd probably have to ask a clerk for help unless you are willing to browse through the entire section.

[mrjackalope]

Ah, suspicions confirmed. I have to admit I was a bit shy about asking for help, not wanting to get embarrassed over something that might be very simple. I'll bury my shame and get a clerk to find something for me tomorrow then.

[anonymoose]

Also, many larger bookstores have computers that you can look books up on, and it should tell you exactly which shelf to find the book on.

[skylee]

Also, many larger bookstores have computers that you can look books up on, and it should tell you exactly which shelf to find the book on.

wow this is really advanced. i thought only libraries used such systems.

[liuzhou]

My local Xinhua has the computer tracking system and it works very well.

The only problem is getting to the shelf in question past the hundreds of squatters reading on the floor!

[James Johnston]

I've never visited a bookshop in Beijing, but those I have been to elsewhere in China tend to arrange books within each section on the basis of the publisher. It's a very bizarre way of doing it, perhaps convenient for stock taking, but generally pretty hopeless for the customer. If you are looking for an older novel, you may find there a various editions scattered around the shelves each from a different publishing house.

[mrjackalope]

Yeah it took me a while to realize but I think you're absolutely right. The relative uniformity of binding across various shelves tipped me off after a few visits to different bookstores.

[kurii]

I've never visited a bookshop in Beijing, but those I have been to elsewhere in China tend to arrange books within each section on the basis of the publisher. It's a very bizarre way of doing it, perhaps convenient for stock taking, but generally pretty hopeless for the customer. If you are looking for an older novel, you may find there a various editions scattered around the shelves each from a different publishing house.

Depends on the bookstore. I've only been to 三联 and 新华, and I don't notice such practice.