Week 16 Prompt

I have always been a voracious reader.  I can remember my mom taking me to the library as a child and filling up bags of picture books to read at home.  When I was a tween, everyone had a GameBoy, and I was very jealous.  I repeatedly asked for one, but my parents told me to take a book with me if I needed entertainment.  To this day, I still purchase my purses based on if they can fit a book in them.  As a teacher, I visited the bookstore multiple times during the month and purchased anything that looked interesting.  As a librarian, I have become more of a “borrower” than a “purchaser”.  One aspect that has changed is the type of books that I’m reading.  When I was a young adult, the Young Adult genre had all but disappeared.  During the 2000s, the genre reemerged as a respectable, quality-driven genre.  At this time, I was in my twenties.  However, that didn’t stop me from falling in love this genre and learning everything I can about its evolution and new titles and authors.  Overall, not much has changed for me personally as a reader. 

While not much has changed for me, a great deal has changed for readers in this world.  The emergence of the Internet has opened up a whole new world of possibilities.  As much as I hate Amazon, it has enabled individuals to purchase a great deal of books that they may not have been able to in the past.  (I have also used their services to obtain titles I couldn’t find anywhere else.)  E-Readers, tablets, and smartphones have also become commonplace and brought a great many benefits: immediate downloads/purchases or titles, the ability to alter the format for ease of reading, the ability to carry multiple titles on one device.  I am not an avid user of eBooks although I have a nook and an iPad—I still prefer print books.  As with Amazon, I only use it out of necessity (I can’t find a title in print, but I can download it easily and immediately.) 

I don’t foresee reading changing a great deal in twenty years.  There are a lot of readers that still have a large fondness for print reading.  Statistics have also shown us that, currently, teens still prefer print even though they have a great deal of access to electronic formats.  Reading has become a great deal more interactive due to the Internet.  With sites such as Good Reads, Amazon, and social media, readers are able to share what they are reading, what they enjoy, and solicit recommendations.  As sites and apps evolve, this will only become more prevalent in our world.  It is changing continuously, so as much as I would love to imagine where it will be in 20 years, I am unable. 

The publishing world is evolving a great deal due to technology.  A number of sites allow writers to self publish and control their own material’s fate.  Wolf states, “With the arrival of turnkey self-publishing in the form of Amazon’s Kindle platform that enables an author to instantly start selling their books on the world’s biggest book marketplace, authors big and small have realized that they no longer need big publishing in order to get their works out into the world and start making money” (2013).   While not all self-published authors will become successful, it does offer a new option for authors that can affect the publishing world.  This is important for libraries to pay attention to.  Bacon states, “Only 12% of people with digital readers look to the library first for e-books, whereas 75% of readers go online for e-books, according to research conducted by Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project. This is probably because they know libraries don’t stock all of the most popular ebooks” (2013).  Libraries will need to work with technology offerings in order for patrons to be able to access these titles as easily as regular books. 

Bacon, B. (2013). Are libraries offering enough self-published ebooks? Digital Book World. Retrieved from http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/are-libraries-stocking-enough-self-published-ebooks/

Wolf, M. (2013). Self-publishing an e-book? Here are 4 ways to leave Amazon’s 30% tax behind. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelwolf/2013/07/31/self-publishing-an-e-book-here-are-4-ways-to-leave-amazons-30-tax-behind/

Week 15 Prompt

One of the most common ways to market the library’s fiction collection is through library displays.  There are several ways to utilize a display.  The first display can relate to a theme, genre, topic, holiday, etc.  Another display can be titles highlighted throughout the collection—at the end of a row, throughout the shelving, on or around the entrances, librarians’ desks, or seating areas.  By having the books on display and readily available, patrons will be encouraged to pick up and examine the titles. 

A second way to highlight the library’s fiction collection is by utilizing social media.  Titles can be discussed on the library’s website, posts on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc., or on television and computer feeds throughout the library.  These sites can not only highlight the collection, but also have the ability to link directly to the online catalog or eBook link for patrons to easily find and check out. 

Librarians can also directly market the collection by sharing what they are reading.  This can be displayed on the Reference Desks, Check Out areas, or on display areas throughout the library.  Bulletin Board displays can also be utilized for recommended reading lists directly connected to librarian staff.  These recommendations can also be placed as place cards directly in the collection with the book.  As patrons are browsing, they can come across cards that indicate a recommended title with an explanation as to who recommends it and why. 

Programs are also a great way to highlight titles.  Currently, my library offers many different book discussion groups.  Even if a patron is unable to attend the meeting, the chosen title is displayed for those interested in reading, regardless of ability to attend the discussion. 

Week 14 Prompt

I’m not sure how I feel about labeling fiction.  My library has separate paperback sections for Romance, Westerns, Mystery, and Science fiction.  In the hardback section, they do have the previously mentioned labels along with labels for Religious and African American literature. I am a white woman, and have grown-up in a white privileged environment where I am part of the majority.  I can see arguments for both sides:

• ·      Labeling fiction for minority populations makes it easy to identify for those looking for their interests.
• ·      Labeling creates separation—identifies that these populations “need” a label.

On the subject, the American Library Association’s offers the following interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights:

Viewpoint-neutral directional aids facilitate access by making it easier for users to locate materials. The materials are housed on open shelves and are equally accessible to all users, who may choose to consult or ignore the directional aids at their own discretion (Labels and rating systems, 2005). 

As long as libraries are using them for positive purposes and identification, labels are encouraged.  The ALA further clarifies their position with the following:

When there is a large population of a specific ethnic or language group in an area, it often creates a large demand for items relevant to their experience in the library. To meet that demand and make it simpler for the users to locate those resources, libraries sometimes choose to create a special collection and/or area devoted to those resources. As long as these collections represent diverse points of view within the parameters of the collection and are designed to help patrons find resources relevant to their experience and not to restrict them to a certain section of the library, this practice would be acceptable (Questions and answers, 2010).

I do not know if actually creating a separate section based upon race or sexual orientation is productive.  It can allow those interested to easily find the titles, but it can also discourage the casual browser from discovering those titles if they are not willing to enter those areas. 

Nora K. Jemisin  is an African American woman who writes science fiction.  When looking into this subject, I stumbled across her website/blog.  Her thoughts on the subject are quite interesting. 

Any bookstore or library which shelves my stuff in AAF has assumed that my work is automatically of interest to black readers — and only black readers — because I’m black. It further assumes that black readers don’t care about the book’s actual content; they’ll just read anything by a black author. Yet further this practice assumes that white readers are too xenophobic to consider reading a book written by someone of another race, so such books shouldn’t even be allowed into their sight.

That’s an insult to my ability and the abilities of writers of color in general, and an insult to readers of every race (Jemisin, 2010).

.

Her statements sum up exactly why I don’t agree with separate sections for minority interests.  I think that the intention is noble, but can be hurtful to the intended audience.  Nora K. Jemisin continues that argument by stating:

Sadly, I suspect that whoever stuck my book in that library’s AAF section meant well. Thing is, intentions don’t really matter. The worst racism is perpetuated not through intent, but through thoughtless, unquestioning adherence to old, bad habits. We always need to ask ourselves where those habits come from, and whether it’s a good idea to keep perpetuating them. We need to ask whether they hurt more than they help (Jemison, 2010).

My conclusion is that I am okay with labeling fiction, but it must be included in the entire collection.

1. It encourages those interested to find that subject by easily identifying the topic of interest. 
2. By including it in the entire collection, you are encouraging casual browsers that would not seek out those titles if they were separated.
3. Minority interests must be recognized by the majority population, while encouraging all readers to enjoy those interests.  

Jemisin, N.K. (2010). Don’t put my book in the African American section. N.K. Jemisin. http://nkjemisin.com/2010/05/dont-put-my-book-in-the-african-american-section/

Labels and rating systems. (2005). An interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. American Library Association.  Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=interpretations&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8657

Questions and answers on labeling and rating systems. (2010). Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. American Library Association. Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/qa-labeling

GLBTQ Annotation

By Steve Kluger

Publication Date: 2004

Number of Pages: 354

Time Period: 1978; 1998

Synopsis:

During their senior year at a New York boarding school, Travis and Craig fall in love.  It is an unlikely pairing—Travis is book smart and obsessed with musicals and Broadway.  Craig is popular student and star baseball player.  However, each completes the other. 

As with many high school relationships, they attempt to stay in touch, yet become wrapped up in college life.  Twenty years later, Travis is a successful college professor looking for love while Craig has become a lawyer in a long-term relationship with Clayton.  Travis realizes that in order to move on with his life, he needs to reconnect with Craig, so he drops everything and hitchhikes across the country.  Travis hopes that this will be a pleasant surprise for Craig and they will be able to rekindle the magic of “first love”.

GLBTQ

Two men falling in love and in a gay relationship.

Read-Alikes:

B-Boy Blues by James Earl Hardy

If This World Were Mine by E. Lynn Harris

The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren

Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

The Men from the Boys by William J. Mann

Sweet Fire by Sarah Brady

Trowchester Blues by Alex Beecroft

My Thoughts:

This novel is told in epistolary format.  The story unfolds with checklists, emails, letters, etc. which keeps the narrative interesting.  The love story is very sweet and does make you wonder what happened to those you had past romantic connections with in your life.  There were many fairy tale like moments in the story.  The descriptions of love were very natural and would be a good introduction for anyone new to man/man relationships.

Week 13 Prompt

I was a Middle School Reading teacher for 8 years, and the reason that I wanted to teach that age group is because those are the books that I love!  I loved being able to share favorite titles and create excitement for new ones to be discovered.  I kept a classroom library that included over 1000 titles.  Even though I am no longer teaching, I constantly find myself choosing YA novels.  The genre has some of the best writing, reminding the reader of what influences shape you as a person.  I am always recommending YA titles for my friends and family and consistently give YA novels as gifts. 

I work in my Circulation Department, so the only interaction that I have with patrons is when they are actually checking out their titles.  (And even then, we have gone to “self-check”, so I’m not able to interact with them as much as I would like…)  I personally do not interact with patrons when they are choosing titles to read, so I have no direct experience with negative feelings toward the genre.  The floor plan of my library does clearly separate Adults and Teens, and I wish I could see how adults do or do not venture into the YA area. 

We do have a large Graphic Novel selection for Adults, Teens, and in our Children’s Department.  Being in the Circulation Department, I can see that the titles are heavily circulated and very popular. 

My library is quite large and offers a huge collection.  The popularity of all of these genres is undeniable.  The quality of writing is also undeniable through the typical adult authors that are now writing for this genre, the prevalence on best-seller lists, and the validity from literary awards.  I would be happy to discuss the literary merits of either of these genres by providing scholarly journal information.  Webber states, “Adults who wouldn't normally go within 10 feet of any YA book will follow a librarian or bookseller anywhere. While you have their undivided attention, show them what's new, especially if you have books that appeal to older teen readers. These books help to emphasize the idea that YA spans 12- to 18-year-olds” (2009).  Sometimes, where we lead, they will follow.  An authority on recommendations can add that validity that readers are seeking. 

However, as literacy advocates, we also have to recognize limitations.  For older readers that do not want to give these genres a chance—that’s okay.  They are not the audience we are catering to.  It is more important to inspire and excite younger readers that will fully appreciate what each has to offer. 

Webber, C. (2009). What They Don’t Know Won’t Hurt Them. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/soapbox/article/2538-what-they-don-t-know-won-t-hurt-them.html