Week 16 Prompt

Courtesy of morgueFile.com

Both of our readings this week talk about the culture of reading and the future of the book. So I have two questions for you as readers, pulling on your own experiences and all of the readings we have done over the semester: First, how have reading and books changed since you were a child, for you specifically? Second, talk a little about what you see in the future for reading, books, or publishing - say 20 years from now. Will we read more or less, will our reading become more interactive? What will happen to traditional publishing? This is  a very free-form question, feel free to wildly extrapolate or calmly state facts, as suits your mood!
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I enjoyed reading as a child.  I wouldn't say that I ate, slept, and berated books or reading of any kind but when I ran into a good book, I wanted to read it in one sitting.  I hated to put a book down until it was finished.  

My first chapter book is what did it to me--Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase. I remember sitting in my dad's reclining rocking chair from side to side with my legs hanging over one arm and my back against the other.  I was oblivious to anything else going on around me.  What I remember even more, is that no one interrupted--not even Mom asking me to do a chore or two.  It was a great escape!

As I grew into a teen, I looked at the library once in a while for a book for something to do; however, I still was not obsessed with books.  I was too busy with school to focus very much of my attention on reading.  But, I remember reading, The Count of Monte Cristo, David Copperfield (which in my teen ignorance I thought was about the magician), and Gone with the Wind. 

Now, I am around books almost every day at work.  I touch books and cannot help but be drawn to covers that seem interesting.  I can't help but read the blurb.  I can't help checking them out with the hope that I will be able to find time to read them.  Admittedly, while in library school it is easier when the classes require exploratory reading.  

This winter while stuck inside during the bitter cold and wind, I discovered ebooks.  I didn't have to go out to find a book to read.  It was a nice and quiet use of my time.  Before I would balk at anything electronic.  I love the feel of a book in my hand.  But the convenience was awesome!

While I enjoy the convenience of electronic media, I still prefer a book in my hand, relaxed and enveloped in the story.  We are seeing an ever increasing amount of e-books and e-magazines. This amount, I am sure, will continue to grow.  I hope; however, that the book made of paper, glue, and everything nice will not disappear.

Doctors talk about the disadvantages to health associated with electronic devices.  There are people who cannot afford to splurge on electronic devices.  And, taking an actual book to the beach is cheaper if something would happen to it.  Therefore, I think that there will always be available the book as it was created to be.

However, I see an up tic in the number of "published" authors.  More people are skipping the traditional way of becoming published (agent, editor, publisher, etc.) and self-publishing electronically.  

These two books are an
example of self-publishing.
This author, V. L. Holt, is an
Indiana author and also has
these two books
available in print. 

Week 15 Prompt

What do you think are the best ways to market your library's fiction collection? Name and describe three ways you do or would like to market your library or your future library's fiction. These can be tools, programs, services, displays - anything that you see as getting the word out.

Of course the ultimate way to market any collection is to read it! However, that is totally unrealistic.  People are busy beyond belief these days.  They have family, work, friends, households, studies, and other hobbies that are more interesting than reading sometimes.

Three ideas that came to me while reading this weeks assignments for my Readers' Advisory class relate to book clubs, a "While You are Waiting" cart (Saricks, 145), and book annotations by staff (Saricks).

We have had patrons ask about book clubs and why we don't have discussion groups.  It would be worth a shot to have an evening, once a month or even once every other month to discuss what other people are reading.  I also think this idea might even bring about community bonds as attendees discover other people who have similar or unique reading styles.

The neighborhood and community that surrounds the branch where I work are hard working families that cannot attend programs unless they are on a weekend or a particular night.

We have a display for the New York Times Bestsellers.  But, the true best sellers are not available for almost a month sometimes.  Sometimes, we have to reach back a couple of months just to find something on the current display table just to have something on it that used to be a bestseller. The "While You are Waiting" cart would allow read-alikes to get some attention and satisfy much like an appetizer and perhaps even stimulate the appetite for further reading material.

For example, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins has been on the Best Seller list for months.  However, we never see it come back long enough to even put it on the display.  Therefore, in its stead, we could put a book mark in or have a temporary wrapper around a book that is similar (such as In Fidelity by M. J. Rose).  The bookmark or wrapper could give a synopsis about it and say "While you are waiting for  . . . (in this case The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins) enjoy this read-alike book . . . etc.

Book annotations by staff, number one keeps us reading, number two helps to enlighten us with what is out there.  We are all very busy, but we all read a book here or a book there.  If we emailed each other annotations of books after we read them, it would help us to help the patrons.  Also, it helps us to understand what we each like to read so that if an expert is needed in a specific genre, they are easier to find.  For example, I am not a big graphic novel reader, I prefer historical fiction, Christian fiction, and cozy mystery.  However, there are couple members on our staff that read graphic novels.  If I need advice, I know to whom I can go.

This also goes for patrons.  I know a patron who is in the library every day.  He's almost like the postman who doesn't take a vacation.  He's there rain, shine, sleet, hail . . . as long as the library is open.  He reads science fiction, graphic novels, and because I know what he likes I can ask for his advice.

The long and the short of knowing how to market the fiction section, or any section, is good old fashioned interaction with staff and patrons.

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Saricks, J.  "Promoting and Marketing Readers' Advisory Collections and Services."  In Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library.  Chicago: ALA, 2005.

Week 14 Writing Prompt

Consider yourself part of the collection management committee of your local library, or a library at which you would like to work. You must decide whether or not to separate GBLTQ fiction and African American Fiction from the general collection to its own special place. Some patrons have requested this, yet many staff are uncomfortable with the idea - saying it promotes segregation and disrupts serendipitous discovery of an author who might be different from the reader. Do you separate them? Do you separate one and not the other? Why or why not? You must provide at least 3 reasons for or against your decision. Feel free to use outside sources - this is a weighty question that is answered differently in a lot of different libraries.

At the library where I currently work, we have separated Urban, Mystery, Science/Fantasy, Romance, and generalized Fiction.  Many times people have suggested that Christian fiction be separated.  No one has asked the GBLTQ fiction be genrefied in the same regard.

To separate GBLTQ and African American fiction would, in my opinion, be doing exactly what is being fought against--segregation.  When perusing the stacks for something to read, it is easier to stumble upon an interesting find that makes issues a natural part of life instead of hyper focusing on it.  

GBLTQ is still ultra controversial.  Linda B. Alexander and Sarah D. Miselis state in their article "Barriers to GLBTQ Collection Development and Strategies for Overcoming Them" that, "not only are GLBTQ library users very private about their information needs, but they are not the only one with these needs. Friends and family of the GLBTQ community as well as teachers, consolers, clergy and, in fact, any professional that works with the public all have a need for accurate information about this group of people" (44).

African American populations, while not as isolated as GBLTQ, want equality while maintaining their culture.  What better way to maintain culture than to share culture? It is easier to share a culture when perceived part of a larger culture. 

Elisabeth W. Rauch writes, "Any perceived difference they find in themselves can induce feelings of self-loathing and isolation" (13).  While she was specifically referring to GLBTQ teens, this can be said for anyone human.  We add to that isolation when we think we are researching something associated with our own perceived weaknesses.

While, I do not agree with a starkly visual separation, I do think it is important to have readers advisory lists with these topics highlighted.  With a binder full of possibilities, privacy is maintained while free to investigate topics of interest.  The binder in mind contains tabs of all one color but written terms such as GLBTQ, Christian, African American, etc.  Each topic depends upon the demographics surrounding the library and their needs.  

Just remember, we live in a Venn Diagram--meaning we are all connected in some way.

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Articles mentioned:

Alexander, Linda B. and Sarah D. Miselis. "Barriers to GLBTQ Collection Development and Strategies for Overcoming Them." Young Adult Library Services (YALS). Spring 2007. 43-49.

Rauch Elisabeth W. "GLBTQ Collections Are for Every Library Serving Teens!" Teacher Librarian.  Oct 2011 39:1. 13-16.

Week 13 Prompt

For this weeks writing prompt I am pasting the exact directive here:

Though this week's group of "genres" all seem very different, they all have in common the fact that many people don't feel that they are legitimate literary choices and libraries shouldn't be spending money on them or promoting them to adults. Obviously, graphic novels are becoming more acceptable, but I still had to fight to get my progressive library in a liberal college town to purchase a book club kit containing graphic novels. The common belief is that adults still don't or shouldn't read that stuff. How can we as librarians, work to ensure that we are able to serve adults who enjoy YA literature or graphic novels? Or should we? 

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Sometimes you are thrilled with watching the history of anything.  Sometimes you want to watch a sitcom.  Sometimes, you just want to veg in front of the television—flipping between commercials.  Books can be used in very much the same way.  Has anyone threatened to cut sitcoms?

Imagine a young man or woman-- or even a young boy or girl--who has decided they “hate reading.”  They get bored sitting and looking at lines of words that seem to blend into one another.  Sometimes those lines cause dizziness with their nonsensical movement or chatter. 

There are many reasons that cause someone to be labeled by outside observers as "a reluctant reader."

My very own, then, 10-year-old daughter would never pick up a book unless there was something to grab her attention within the first page—sometimes even the first paragraph—or it had to be a very short book.  She is very active and hates with a vengeance to sit down for any length of time for seemingly no reason.  She prefers to be out exploring nature or interacting with people and peers.

However, at the age of 10 she would pick up the Warrior graphic novels, or Garfield comic books, or anything with illustrations by the dozens.  When she got through it she would read the Warriors books over and over.  We (her teachers and I) tried to move her onto something else.  



While at the beginning I was concerned that she was not reading anything seemingly substantial, I was happy that she had something that appealed to her that required reading behavior.



Then, at age 12, she picked up Maze Runner because it was that or an ‘F’ for her grade at school. 

I had to pick it up over the weekend so she could catch up to her class.  I ended up buying all FOUR books within a 2-week time frame because she had to know what happened next.  I am satisfied, that if it hadn’t been for Graphic novels it would have been even harder for us to get her into reading—of course a threat of failure doesn’t hurt either. 

Now, for an experience not so personal.  I have watched a particular young man at the library where I work.  He used to come in and wonder around getting into trouble easily because he was loitering about causing disturbances among his peers. (I work right next to a middle school).

Then one day, I look up and he is sitting still!  I did a double take and then noticed he was looking down.  The guy was reading (intently) a graphic novel!  My librarian heart jumped for joy! 

I have another patron (adult) who reads novels upwards of 700-800 pages long at really fast intervals.  But, he also enjoys his graphic novels.

We spend the beginning years of teaching a child to read to look for context clues in the illustrations of books he reads.  Then we take those context clues away before they are ready. 

I used to quip that graphic novels were not really reading material.  Now, I am jealous that I didn’t have it when I was between reading stages.

As was written in the writing prompt for this week: graphic novels are more accepted now than before.  I think, we should take this as a lesson.  Let the reader decide!

Week 12 Prompt

For this week in Readers' Advisory class we were asked to fill out the Readers' Advisory Matrix below about a nonfiction book that we have read.  I really enjoy Cokie Roberts's work.  She is thorough in her research and knows how to educate without overwhelming with instruction.

Author: Cokie Roberts

Title: Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation

Date of Publication: March 24, 2009

Pages: 394

Geographic setting: The United States of America

Time Period: 1797-1825

Readers’ Advisory Matrix

1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum? ~A mix of highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose

2. What is the subject of the book? The book is about the women who were involved directly and indirectly with the creation of The United States of America.

3.  What type of book is it? A biography of multiple characters.

4. Articulate appeal What is the pacing of the book? Leisurely. Describe the characters of the book.  The characters of the book range from First Ladies of Presidents of the United States to other characters such as Sacagawea, Louis Livingston, Rebecca Gratz, etc. How does the story feel? It reads like a story with examples and quotes from primary sources. What is the intent of the author? Roberts intended to entice the reader into reading more and learning more about the women who were part of the betterment of a new nation. What is the focus of the story?  The focus is the women in the political and social climate and their reactions to these surroundings. Does the language matter?  Roberts purposely modernized the language for easier and enjoyable reading.  This makes reading smooth and uninhibited, as translation techniques are not as needful if it was written the language and spelling of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Is the setting important and well described?  The setting is strictly social with no flowery creativity.  Roberts’s works off of what she has researched and what she knows. Are there details and, if so, of what? The details include snippets from letters and other primary sources at Roberts’s disposal. Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? None. Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? Roberts uses examples from primary sources to back up reports and claims, adding to the understanding.

5.  Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)? 1.  Storyline                       2.  Detailed                    3. Learning/ Experiencing