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?
I grew up in a "reading" family, surrounding by books, magazines, and newspapers. My parents read to us when we were young and encouraged us to read when we were older, and my parents continue to be voracious readers - my mom reads novels and my dad reads magazines, newspapers, blogs, and the occasional books (mostly nonfiction). Those experiences shaped my reading habits and, to this day, I read a lot. One of the biggest changes since I was a child has been the explosion of books for teens. I work often in our Teen Library and I have to confess that I am a little jealous of the teens that come in - I went pretty much straight from children's chapter books to novels for adults. Honestly, though, I'm so happy that there are so many books in so many different styles and genres written specifically for teens. Provided that teens are given the freedom to explore on their own and read what they want to read, I think this will help build a strong generation of readers - stronger than my generation, that mostly went from children's chapter books to adult books. I just wish John Green, or someone like him, had been writing books for teens when I was a teen - I would have eaten it up!
I also see more and more subgenres and crossover genres, and I really enjoy exploring them. A lot of this is driven by e-books (where you can read romances about gay werewolves in the Army to your heart's content if you want), but these subgenres are creeping into print too. It makes it more difficult for libraries, I think, but as a reader, I love being able to dip my toe into a new type of book.
I think that fracturing is where the future lies, and we need to embrace it (even though it's tougher for the library profession). I'm not super concerned about the future of books, reading, or publishing. As Ursula K. LeGuin pointed out in, "Staying Awake," there's never been a time that everybody has read, and reading has continued. I'd take it a step further and say that storytelling has been around since we had enough language to tell stories, and so, regardless of format, storytelling will continue. If you look at it that way, storytelling has never been more robust. Traditional books may not have quite the market share, but they are still thriving, both in print and in e-books. There are also graphic novels, audiobooks, podcasts (some of which tell stories, like the popular "Welcome to Night Vale" - it's basically a serialized radio drama), magazines, blogs, newspapers, and news sites, not to mention movies, TV shows, and documentary films. Publishing firms are already embracing this, and they will continue to embrace it as they see money in it.
The biggest thing that we, as librarians and as book advocates, need to do is to accept the varied ways that people read and support that. That means different things to different libraries, but the biggest thing is give people the opportunity to find what they like to read, without judgment. That may mean making sure to purchase things in a variety of genres and subgenres, or creating displays and book lists, or boosting your magazine subscriptions or audiobook collection, or getting more e-books, or something else. Whether they're checking out "Great Expectations" or "50 Shades of Grey," it doesn't really matter - the more we accept this, the better off reading will be.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Adult Readers Advisory: 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.
There are many great ways to market and promote a library's fiction collection above and beyond what we are currently doing.
The library where I work does have displays; however, Sarick's idea of a Good Books You May Have Missed display is a great one. One of the quirks of our main library building - a historic building with an addition - is that the fiction section is on the second floor, while staff is located on the first floor, and there is currently no way to staff a readers advisory desk on the second floor. A Good Books display on the second floor with the fiction books would be a great way to facilitate browsing and make the fiction section - which can look very overwhelming - look more inviting. I like the idea of having a variety of books from different genres and with different "feels" (or appeal elements). It is a good way to highlight the diversity of books in the library's collection.
Another way to market the fiction collection is through booklists, both annotated booklists available on paper and online, and short booklists and read-alike lists on bookmarks. I would like to start creating annotated booklists for some of the themed displays we do. We could keep them in a binder, with copies that patrons can take, and upload the booklists online - it could be part of the blog entries/website news posts that we already create for most displays. It would take a while to build a good mix of lists, but with several lists a year being created and a schedule of updating and weeding lists, we could end up with lists for people in the mood for nearly any book. Online, we could even make the content more dynamic by linking the names or covers of the books to the OPAC.
Links to the OPAC will also help with the third tool to help market the library's fiction collection - a subscription to EBSCO's NoveList database, especially NoveList Select, which integrates with a library's OPAC. As a patron looks for books through the dynamic booklists on the website, they could find even more books that are like the ones they are interested in. Soon, they can use that tool to help narrow down to the exact fiction book that works for them. NoveList will also help library staff with Readers Advisory which, in itself, can help market the fiction section - patrons will be more likely to use the fiction section if they can find books that they want to read. NoveList will also make creating displays and annotating books easier for staff.
Marketing any aspect of a library's services requires a mix of tools and library staff who know how to use them and teach patrons to use them effectively. In this case, a mix of in-house tools and tools provided by vendors can help market the fiction section more effectively.
There are many great ways to market and promote a library's fiction collection above and beyond what we are currently doing.
The library where I work does have displays; however, Sarick's idea of a Good Books You May Have Missed display is a great one. One of the quirks of our main library building - a historic building with an addition - is that the fiction section is on the second floor, while staff is located on the first floor, and there is currently no way to staff a readers advisory desk on the second floor. A Good Books display on the second floor with the fiction books would be a great way to facilitate browsing and make the fiction section - which can look very overwhelming - look more inviting. I like the idea of having a variety of books from different genres and with different "feels" (or appeal elements). It is a good way to highlight the diversity of books in the library's collection.
Another way to market the fiction collection is through booklists, both annotated booklists available on paper and online, and short booklists and read-alike lists on bookmarks. I would like to start creating annotated booklists for some of the themed displays we do. We could keep them in a binder, with copies that patrons can take, and upload the booklists online - it could be part of the blog entries/website news posts that we already create for most displays. It would take a while to build a good mix of lists, but with several lists a year being created and a schedule of updating and weeding lists, we could end up with lists for people in the mood for nearly any book. Online, we could even make the content more dynamic by linking the names or covers of the books to the OPAC.
Links to the OPAC will also help with the third tool to help market the library's fiction collection - a subscription to EBSCO's NoveList database, especially NoveList Select, which integrates with a library's OPAC. As a patron looks for books through the dynamic booklists on the website, they could find even more books that are like the ones they are interested in. Soon, they can use that tool to help narrow down to the exact fiction book that works for them. NoveList will also help library staff with Readers Advisory which, in itself, can help market the fiction section - patrons will be more likely to use the fiction section if they can find books that they want to read. NoveList will also make creating displays and annotating books easier for staff.
Marketing any aspect of a library's services requires a mix of tools and library staff who know how to use them and teach patrons to use them effectively. In this case, a mix of in-house tools and tools provided by vendors can help market the fiction section more effectively.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Adult Readers Advisory: Week 14 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.
The library where I work has our adult fiction interfiled, but we had long discussions about that decision and still have long discussions about genre stickers, so I have definitely thought long and hard about decisions like this - though we have never discussed separating GLBTQ fiction and African American fiction or having special stickers for those books.
In general, I like an interfiled collection with no genre stickers, because I love to browse and discover new books. An interfiled collection forces me to look at all different genres. I think that, as long as there are other tools in place to help people looking for a very particular type of book, an interfiled collection can better promote the collection and help people expand their horizons and reading tastes.
That being said, I definitely understand the appeal of a collection separated by genre. If you are into a certain type of book, it's very convenient to be able to go to one particular section and browse for the things you want. But to do that effectively, I feel like it has to be a "real" genre, and that the books need to either fit solidly into that genre or that the library needs to be able to have more than one copy of the book to put in each section (which is not going to happen in most libraries, especially small ones).
Thinking about all of that, I think that GLBTQ fiction and African American fiction should not be separated within a library collection. However, if genres are separated, Street Lit/Urban Lit is a valid.
Neither GLBTQ fiction nor African American fiction are really "genres," in my opinion. There are a myriad of books that have GLBTQ or African American characters or themes, and they do not all fit into a single genre. The blog of Reference & User Services Quarterly posted a very interesting discussion about "genres," and the concept of interfiling, that underscores this point. They wrote: "Here the idea of genre is useful because it defines a set of precepts that describe a certain style of writing. This knowledge will then allow us as readers’ advisors to connect readers to books that they will enjoy." For example, the appeal of the book I annotated this week, "The Bells of Times Square," was the appeal of a romance - it was a GLBTQ book because the romance was between two men. That's very different from the appeal of, for example, "Art on Fire," the 2014 winner of the Barbara Gittings Literature Award at the Stonewall Book Awards, which is about a young lesbian artist. The only connection is that the characters are not heterosexual. The same thing can be said for African American fiction - "Beloved" by Toni Morrison and "Rappers 'R In Danger" by Relentless Aaron are very different books. One is not necessarily better than the other, and the same person could appreciate both books, but if the point of genres is to group books with a certain style of writing, this fails miserably. However, shelving Relentless Aaron with other Street Lit books makes more sense, should a library want to shelve or sticker books by genre.
However, I'm still generally opposed to separating genres by shelving or stickers because they can put an invisible barrier between a patron and the books they want to read. Since homosexuality, bisexuality, transvestism, etc., is not always accepted by the community at large, and because sexuality is a private issue for people, shelving the GLBTQ books in a different section may deter people from exploring them. People discovering their sexuality may want to read books about a GLBTQ experience as a form of experimentation or self-discovery, but they may not want other patrons to know that they are doing this. Straight people may have interest in the lives of GLBTQ people but may not want people to know about their interest for a variety of reasons. These are all privacy issues that libraries need to consider and be sensitive to. The bylaws of the ALA's GLBT Roundtable state that the GLBTRT aims to "develop, promote and defend unrestricted access of all library users to information by or about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people." Even if access is not specifically restricted, having these books in a separate area may put up an invisible barrier to patrons, GLBTQ or not, who wish to read those books. There could be a similar phenomenon for African American fiction. People who are not African American may feel uncomfortable looking through those books because they are not "for" them. Street Lit as a genre does not have the same kind of concern; however, in general people may have preconceived notions about certain genres, Street Lit included, and be reluctant to explore them.
Finally, on the practical end, it would be incredibly difficult to come up with rules about shelving or stickering GLBTQ fiction and African American fiction, and the rules would likely end up being rather arbitrary. Would the GLBTQ fiction indicator only be for books that have GLBTQ main characters, or would it be appropriate for books with GLBTQ secondary characters? Would the GLBTQ indicator come first over other genre indicators (especially if only one copy of the book could be purchased, and the book could only go in one section)? For example, would "The Telling" by Ursual K. LeGuin be shelved or stickered as science fiction or GLBTQ, since it has a lesbian protagonist? Would "The Bells of Times Square" be romance or GLBTQ? For African American fiction, would those books be all books by African American authors? Do Walter Mosely's mysteries and science fiction books go in those sections, or are they all in the African American fiction section? Are Beverley Jenkins' novels romance or African American fiction? What about books about African Americans that are written by white authors, like "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett? It's an impractical and difficult system.
Don't get me wrong - I think that GLBTQ books and books by African American authors and/or about African Americans are extremely important for all libraries to have, and patrons should be able to find them! Libraries should be making book lists and other passive readers advisory materials to help people find the items they're looking for. Libraries' OPACs should have strong genres and subject headings to help find books with certain subjects. Librarians should be trained to help people find whatever they're looking for without judgment. However, I think that genre separating by shelving or stickers hinders patrons more than it helps them - and, especially in the case of GLBTQ fiction, it may hinder some of the most vulnerable patrons who need to read those books the most.
The library where I work has our adult fiction interfiled, but we had long discussions about that decision and still have long discussions about genre stickers, so I have definitely thought long and hard about decisions like this - though we have never discussed separating GLBTQ fiction and African American fiction or having special stickers for those books.
In general, I like an interfiled collection with no genre stickers, because I love to browse and discover new books. An interfiled collection forces me to look at all different genres. I think that, as long as there are other tools in place to help people looking for a very particular type of book, an interfiled collection can better promote the collection and help people expand their horizons and reading tastes.
That being said, I definitely understand the appeal of a collection separated by genre. If you are into a certain type of book, it's very convenient to be able to go to one particular section and browse for the things you want. But to do that effectively, I feel like it has to be a "real" genre, and that the books need to either fit solidly into that genre or that the library needs to be able to have more than one copy of the book to put in each section (which is not going to happen in most libraries, especially small ones).
Thinking about all of that, I think that GLBTQ fiction and African American fiction should not be separated within a library collection. However, if genres are separated, Street Lit/Urban Lit is a valid.
Neither GLBTQ fiction nor African American fiction are really "genres," in my opinion. There are a myriad of books that have GLBTQ or African American characters or themes, and they do not all fit into a single genre. The blog of Reference & User Services Quarterly posted a very interesting discussion about "genres," and the concept of interfiling, that underscores this point. They wrote: "Here the idea of genre is useful because it defines a set of precepts that describe a certain style of writing. This knowledge will then allow us as readers’ advisors to connect readers to books that they will enjoy." For example, the appeal of the book I annotated this week, "The Bells of Times Square," was the appeal of a romance - it was a GLBTQ book because the romance was between two men. That's very different from the appeal of, for example, "Art on Fire," the 2014 winner of the Barbara Gittings Literature Award at the Stonewall Book Awards, which is about a young lesbian artist. The only connection is that the characters are not heterosexual. The same thing can be said for African American fiction - "Beloved" by Toni Morrison and "Rappers 'R In Danger" by Relentless Aaron are very different books. One is not necessarily better than the other, and the same person could appreciate both books, but if the point of genres is to group books with a certain style of writing, this fails miserably. However, shelving Relentless Aaron with other Street Lit books makes more sense, should a library want to shelve or sticker books by genre.
However, I'm still generally opposed to separating genres by shelving or stickers because they can put an invisible barrier between a patron and the books they want to read. Since homosexuality, bisexuality, transvestism, etc., is not always accepted by the community at large, and because sexuality is a private issue for people, shelving the GLBTQ books in a different section may deter people from exploring them. People discovering their sexuality may want to read books about a GLBTQ experience as a form of experimentation or self-discovery, but they may not want other patrons to know that they are doing this. Straight people may have interest in the lives of GLBTQ people but may not want people to know about their interest for a variety of reasons. These are all privacy issues that libraries need to consider and be sensitive to. The bylaws of the ALA's GLBT Roundtable state that the GLBTRT aims to "develop, promote and defend unrestricted access of all library users to information by or about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people." Even if access is not specifically restricted, having these books in a separate area may put up an invisible barrier to patrons, GLBTQ or not, who wish to read those books. There could be a similar phenomenon for African American fiction. People who are not African American may feel uncomfortable looking through those books because they are not "for" them. Street Lit as a genre does not have the same kind of concern; however, in general people may have preconceived notions about certain genres, Street Lit included, and be reluctant to explore them.
Finally, on the practical end, it would be incredibly difficult to come up with rules about shelving or stickering GLBTQ fiction and African American fiction, and the rules would likely end up being rather arbitrary. Would the GLBTQ fiction indicator only be for books that have GLBTQ main characters, or would it be appropriate for books with GLBTQ secondary characters? Would the GLBTQ indicator come first over other genre indicators (especially if only one copy of the book could be purchased, and the book could only go in one section)? For example, would "The Telling" by Ursual K. LeGuin be shelved or stickered as science fiction or GLBTQ, since it has a lesbian protagonist? Would "The Bells of Times Square" be romance or GLBTQ? For African American fiction, would those books be all books by African American authors? Do Walter Mosely's mysteries and science fiction books go in those sections, or are they all in the African American fiction section? Are Beverley Jenkins' novels romance or African American fiction? What about books about African Americans that are written by white authors, like "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett? It's an impractical and difficult system.
Don't get me wrong - I think that GLBTQ books and books by African American authors and/or about African Americans are extremely important for all libraries to have, and patrons should be able to find them! Libraries should be making book lists and other passive readers advisory materials to help people find the items they're looking for. Libraries' OPACs should have strong genres and subject headings to help find books with certain subjects. Librarians should be trained to help people find whatever they're looking for without judgment. However, I think that genre separating by shelving or stickers hinders patrons more than it helps them - and, especially in the case of GLBTQ fiction, it may hinder some of the most vulnerable patrons who need to read those books the most.
Adult Readers Advisory: "The Bells of Times Square" by Amy Lane
The Bells of Times Square
By Amy Lane
Synopsis: Every New Year's Eve since 1946, Nate Meyer has ventured to Times Square to listen for church bells. As he sits in Times Square, an old man, with his grandson Blaine, Nate reflects on his most secret memories - the bittersweet memories of his short but passionate relationship with Walter.
Appeal Elements
Pacing: "The Bells of Times Square" is a short book and a quick read, but after Nate and Walter's meeting, the book has a more relaxed pace as the pair's relationship grows. The pace grows quicker again as danger invades the cozy life Nate and Walter have made for themselves.
Frame & Setting: This is primarily a historical fiction story taking place during World War II; however, the story is framed by Nate's grandson, Blaine, coming out to his grandfather in the modern era. This combination gives the story extra depth and emotional weight; as Nate reflects on a life lived in the closet, he hopes his grandson is able to be himself. An additional element of the story is the fact that Nate is Jewish, and throughout the book he struggles with his Jewish identity, both as it relates to his role in World War II and his sexuality.
Story Line: The core of the plot is the romance between Nate and Walter, but there are many other elements that add tension to their relationship and to the book. The pair are frequently in danger, and their future is far from certain; not only is it far from sure that they will survive the war, but they know that if they survive the war, their relationship would have to remain a secret. In addition, they are from two different world - Nate is an upper-middle class Jewish Army officer from the big city, and Walter is a lower class gentile private from a rural area.
Characterization: Nate and Walter grow and learn from each other throughout the book, and they protect each other. Nate and Walter both struggle with their own issues, and Walter's frankness and Nate's more reserved nature sometimes clash. However, throughout the book they are able to help each other overcome some of their fears and become better people.
Tone and Mood: "The Bells of Times Square" has a rather melancholy tone - after all, from the beginning of the book, it becomes apparent that Nate and Walter don't get the traditional "happily ever after" of a romance novel. However, there is a thread of hopefulness woven through the book because of Blaine's budding relationship, and the ending, while not traditionally happy, is certainly uplifting.
Style & Language: "The Bells of Times Square" is descriptive, especially of emotions and Nate's inner thoughts. The characters have strong voices, and feel realistic. The prose is easy to read.
Read-Alikes
Readers interested in reading more historical romance with GLBTQ characters may enjoy:
- "Unhinge the Universe" by Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt
- "Skybound" by Aleksandr Voinov
- "Turnbull House" by Jess Faraday
- "Bound to be a Groom" by Megan Multry
Jenny's Take: It's hard to call this a romance novel, exactly, because it doesn't have the traditional "happily ever after," but as a historical love story, this was good book, and I really enjoyed reading it. I felt like the last quarter of the book went by a little bit fast, to get Nate from World War II to the present day for the last scene, but other than that, it was really a good book. The historical stuff was a little bit fuzzy and glossed over, too, which was a bit bothersome since I know a lot about World War II, but it was no different from the historical fuzziness of most Regency romances - I just don't know as much about the Regency era. This is a good book for a romance reader who doesn't mind a more melancholy tone and an uplifting-but-not-exactly-happy ending.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Adult Readers Advisory: Week 13 Prompt
Though this week's group of "genres" (YA, New Adult, Graphic Novels) 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?
I have to admit, I have a dog in this fight - I read and love both graphic novels and YA novels. (I haven't gotten into New Adult much yet; I'm not opposed to it, just haven't been exposed to much yet.) Also, I'm exceptionally lucky to work at a library where our director sees the value in graphic novels (and a lot of other maligned genres, subgenres, formats, etc.). However, there are still people who just don't get it.
The thing is, libraries exist, at least in part, to provide people with what they want to read. The American Library Association confirms that people have the freedom to read. The Freedom To Read Statement says, in part, "It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority." If people want to read graphic novels, or YA books, or New Adult books, or anything else not specifically prohibited by law, they should be able to. Really, that's all the defense a library should need to make these items available. Libraries are not in the business of telling people what to read - we make suggestions, but those are based in the desire to help people find what they want to read, whatever it is, not to make people read certain books that we feel they should be reading. (If that were the case, libraries would have very different collections!)
But, of course, we know that it doesn't always work that way. We have to defend those books!
One of the best things for young adult, new adult, or graphic novels is to have some titles that you can point to as the "best" of the format, to help prove that they are worthwhile. Books like "The Fault in Our Stars" and "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" for young adult and "Watchmen" and "Maus" for graphic novels have artistic merit and are critically acclaimed. Even though some books in those formats aren't nearly as artistic or notable, it at least helps make the argument that they are worthwhile for the collection or worthwhile for adults, at least in a general sense.
Integrating those items into displays, read-alike lists, and programs can also help the formats gain greater acceptance. The library can even do programs specifically geared toward those items. For example, for Teen Literature Day on April 16, we are going to have an open house at our teen library for adults, and one of the components is going to be a display of YA books that adults might enjoy. This type of integration achieves two aims. It does what it's "supposed" to do, which is to highlight parts of our collection and encourage patrons who haven't experienced them to pick up whatever is on the display or list, or featured in the program, even if it's a graphic novel or YA/NA book that they wouldn't normally read. However, it also achieves a secondary aim of telling patrons who already enjoy those materials that the library supports them. This will help them be more comfortable at the library, with the knowledge that the library has the books they want to read and features them as full, important parts of the library collection.
The best thing to do, though, is the thing librarians should do regardless of genre or format - purchase what the readers want and make sure they feel comfortable asking for them. A non-judgmental, knowledgeable librarian is the best link between a reader and books. This includes staff training, to at least have a basic understanding and to be able to speak intelligently on genres and formats, and a commitment to accepting those genres/formats are legitimate reading material for adults, even if you, personally, don't enjoy them.
I have to admit, I have a dog in this fight - I read and love both graphic novels and YA novels. (I haven't gotten into New Adult much yet; I'm not opposed to it, just haven't been exposed to much yet.) Also, I'm exceptionally lucky to work at a library where our director sees the value in graphic novels (and a lot of other maligned genres, subgenres, formats, etc.). However, there are still people who just don't get it.
The thing is, libraries exist, at least in part, to provide people with what they want to read. The American Library Association confirms that people have the freedom to read. The Freedom To Read Statement says, in part, "It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority." If people want to read graphic novels, or YA books, or New Adult books, or anything else not specifically prohibited by law, they should be able to. Really, that's all the defense a library should need to make these items available. Libraries are not in the business of telling people what to read - we make suggestions, but those are based in the desire to help people find what they want to read, whatever it is, not to make people read certain books that we feel they should be reading. (If that were the case, libraries would have very different collections!)
But, of course, we know that it doesn't always work that way. We have to defend those books!
One of the best things for young adult, new adult, or graphic novels is to have some titles that you can point to as the "best" of the format, to help prove that they are worthwhile. Books like "The Fault in Our Stars" and "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" for young adult and "Watchmen" and "Maus" for graphic novels have artistic merit and are critically acclaimed. Even though some books in those formats aren't nearly as artistic or notable, it at least helps make the argument that they are worthwhile for the collection or worthwhile for adults, at least in a general sense.
Integrating those items into displays, read-alike lists, and programs can also help the formats gain greater acceptance. The library can even do programs specifically geared toward those items. For example, for Teen Literature Day on April 16, we are going to have an open house at our teen library for adults, and one of the components is going to be a display of YA books that adults might enjoy. This type of integration achieves two aims. It does what it's "supposed" to do, which is to highlight parts of our collection and encourage patrons who haven't experienced them to pick up whatever is on the display or list, or featured in the program, even if it's a graphic novel or YA/NA book that they wouldn't normally read. However, it also achieves a secondary aim of telling patrons who already enjoy those materials that the library supports them. This will help them be more comfortable at the library, with the knowledge that the library has the books they want to read and features them as full, important parts of the library collection.
The best thing to do, though, is the thing librarians should do regardless of genre or format - purchase what the readers want and make sure they feel comfortable asking for them. A non-judgmental, knowledgeable librarian is the best link between a reader and books. This includes staff training, to at least have a basic understanding and to be able to speak intelligently on genres and formats, and a commitment to accepting those genres/formats are legitimate reading material for adults, even if you, personally, don't enjoy them.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Adult Readers' Advisory: Week Twelve Prompt
For your prompt this week, please complete the Readers' Advisory Matrix, found on the last page of the reading title RA Guide to Nonfiction in Oncourse Resources, about a non-fiction book you have read. If you have not read a non-fiction book recently, feel free to use some of the techniques on how to "read" a book in five minutes such as Mary Chelton's handouts or any others we have covered to get a feel for a non-fiction book. I look forward to reading these!
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
By Mary Roach
Where is the book on the narrative continuum? A mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose)
What is the subject of the book? Space travel, specifically the affect that life in outer space has on human beings. Includes history of human space travel, current research into space travel, and what might happen in the future, especially on a manned mission to Mars.
What type of book is it? It is primarily a work of first-person reporting.
Articulate Appeal
What is the pacing of this book? It has a quick pace.
Describe the characters of the book? The author is a main character. She inserts herself into many different scenarios related to astronaut training. Other characters are astronauts, both the brave test pilots who became the first astronauts and the more scientific-minded modern astronauts, and the men and women who support astronauts and their missions.
How does the story feel? It is exciting and interesting. It's written in a very friendly, accessible style, and it feels conversational and funny.
What is the focus of the story? The story focuses on what will have to be considered on a manned mission to Mars, and how that mission will affect humans in a variety of different ways.
Does the language matter? While the book is written in a conversational and often humorous style, the language is not particularly notable.
Is the setting important and well described? The settings are important; Roach shows the various places and ways that astronauts train and scientists experiment to hypothesize what will happen to humans spending a long time in space. These settings are well described.
Are there details and, if so, of what? There are many details about the human body and mind, and the effect that space has on it, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The book includes many physiological and psychological details.
Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? The book includes a few photographs, which are clear and complement the material well.
Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? There are moments of all three in the book. "Packing for Mars" including facts about space travel, understanding of what it is like to be in space, and experiences of people who have experienced life in outer space.
Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)? 1. Tone 2. Learning and understanding 3. Characters 4. Details
Jenny's Take: I know that we don't have to write any kind of review, but I just want to highly recommend "Packing for Mars" to anybody who is interested in space travel, aerospace history, or weird facts (I know a lot about going to the bathroom in zero-g after reading this book). It's incredibly entertaining and there are so many interesting aspects to space travel that are covered in this book. It's one of the best books I've read in a long time.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Adult Readers Advisory: "Telegraph Days" by Larry McMurtry
Telegraph Days
By Larry McMurtry
Synopsis: After her father commits suicide, Nellie Courtright lives her exciting life in the Old West. She becomes the telegraph lady in little Rita Blanca, where her brother Jackson takes down the entire Yazee gang; meets Wyatt Earp and his brothers; works for Buffalo Bill Cody; has a ringside seat at the shootout at the O.K. Corral; and more. It's an epic tale of one woman watching the changing landscape of the West.
Western Elements:
Pacing: "Telegraph Days" has a leisurely pace, despite spanning many years of Nellie's life. It reads as a recollection of Nellie's adventures, with lots of asides and reflections, and less description of exciting events like shootouts and train robberies. Part of that may also have to do with Nellie's no-nonsense style of speaking; she's blunt and doesn't get excited easily.
Frame & Setting: The mythical old West of stories and movies is the setting for "Telegraph Days," and while Nellie visits many real places, such as Dodge City and North Platte, Nebraska, a good chunk of the action takes place in Rita Blanca, which, while being a real place, is "No-Man's Land" during the story - a place not claimed by any state. The book is set in a more solid time and place than many Westerns, but Nellie's descriptions of her surroundings makes the rough landscape its own character nonetheless.
Story Line: The story of "Telegraph Days" is, at its core, Nellie learning to not only survive, but thrive in the Wild West, along with a parallel story of the way that the Wild West went from being wild to being the stuff of myth, thanks to books and movies. This feels different from the typical Westerns. The traditional heroes and villains are made to be supporting characters in the drama of Nellie Courtright's life, and Nellie gives the reader an inside scoop. It's serves as a commentary on, or loving spoof of, traditional Westerns.
Characterization: Nellie is not a typical female Western character, neither a fallen woman with a heart of gold nor a good woman who stands by her man. She's more complicated than that. She isn't pure, and has dalliances with many different men during the course of the novel. She's a good woman, but she's also tough. She isn't exactly a typical Western hero in skirts either, though she does share some characteristics - she's a loner and a wanderer, though she doesn't administer justice or right wrongs. She's an active player in many big events described in the novel, many of which are events that take on mythical qualities, but she's usually working behind the scenes. Nellie can't quite be called a feminist heroine, but she certainly casts some light on the women behind the men described in Westerns.
Tone & Mood: "Telegraph Days" skims the surface of a lot of events without going in depth, which gives it a breezy feel. It's also funny, often darkly so. There is a nostalgia to the book, as any good Western should have, but it's a nostalgia that's tinged with sarcasm and droll commentary.
Style & Language: "Telegraph Days" is told in the straightforward tone of Nellie Courtright - sometimes shockingly so. The book is no-nonsense about everything, from descriptions of people and places to Nellie's forthright discussions of sex. There is a staccato feel to the dialogue, and the whole book feels gritty and frank.
Read-Alikes: Readers who enjoyed the Western setting and female protagonist of "Telegraph Days" may enjoy "True Grit" by Charles Portis, which also features a no-nonsense female protagonist (albeit a teenage one). "The Sisters Brothers" by Patrick deWitt is also a Western novel with a darkly funny tone. The books of Elmer Kelton, such as "The Day the Cowboys Quit," are Westerns that take place in the same transitional time period as "Telegraph Days." Pat Conroy's novels of the South, such as "The Prince of Tides" have a similar feel in a different setting from McMurtry's Western landscape and may be a win for someone looking for something a little bit different.
Jenny's Take: I wasn't sure what to expect with a Western, since it is a genre I have rarely read; most of my knowledge of the genre comes from movies. To complicate matters, I picked a book that doesn't appear to quite be a typical Western. I found the story to be kind of silly and far-fetched - Nellie meets a lot of famous Western characters - but I enjoyed the way that McMurtry put them all in the book and played with our perceptions of those people. It ended up feeling like a commentary, but I am sure I missed some of it because of my lack of knowledge of the genre. I really liked Nellie as a character, but for someone who reads a lot of Romance, with its flowery descriptions, Nellie's frank talk was a bit of a shock. It wasn't an unwelcome shock and it didn't offend me - in fact, it worked well for the character - but I'm not used to lines like, "Even then copulating with Teddy was no sure thing - he seemed to have no inkling as to how to find the entrance to the cave of joy. Tired of waiting - why can't the fool find it? - I put him in my hand, and then later, after an eruption and a nap, I put him in again and had some fun myself." (That encounter would have taken two or three chapters in a Romance novel.) It was fun to read a narrator who was that forthright - not just about sex, but about everything. I don't expect Westerns to become my favorite genre, but it was certainly a fun experience to read the book!
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