Prompt #9: Promoting Fiction Collections

Public libraries have a duty to our community members to provide books and other resources for their entertainment and education. We have dedicated librarians whose job is to build up our collections, always researching new titles, authors, trends, etc. After all of the research, purchasing, and cataloging has been completed, how do we get the word out to our patrons about these great collections we have developed with them in mind? There are a number of marketing tools that public libraries can use to make their patrons aware of the library’s collections including, but not limited to, displays, flyers, social media posts, and programs. Utilizing these tools can help bring more patrons into our library to discover books that can help inspire a love of reading.

One of the most popular ways that librarians can promote their fiction collections is using displays and bulletin boards. This technique is so popular because it works. Patrons come into the library and a fun display can catch their eye and draw them into checking out some titles that they might not have considered, or even known existed, before. These displays can adhere to appeals that many readers enjoy, such as mysteries, love stories, or humorous titles. They can also correlate to the season, holiday, or other event that readers may enjoy. Some libraries have done what I call “secret” displays to entice readers to try a new genre such as Blind Date with a Book where the book/title is covered and the reader can choose a book based on a small summary or a list of appeals. This approach creates intrigue and patrons enjoy the interactive nature. When creating displays, the most important thing to keep in mind is quality. Saricks (2005) reminds librarians that “readers grow to trust the quality of the books we put on display, so we make a point of selecting them carefully (p. 142).” We must be careful to suggest quality books (whether it be ones that we have personally read or that come recommended from a credible source) so that readers can have faith that our suggestions are good. If we pull any title off the shelf that has similar appeals and they do not meet reader expectations, the displays will lose their credibility and ultimately not promote the fiction collection in the best way possible.

Many librarians also utilize programming such as book talks and book discussions/clubs to promote the fiction section. Book talks are primarily targeted for children or tweens, but there is merit in promoting adult fiction collections through this tool. Baker (2011) writes, “Story-rich programs and book talks for adults provide the same kind of entertainment, mental stretching, and learning experience for adults (p. 234).” Adults can learn about new (at least to them) titles that the library’s fiction collection has. In addition, hosting book discussions/clubs encourages readers to read new titles and discuss them with fellow community members. I attended one book club where a participant indicated that she was not excited to read that month’s selection because it didn’t sound like one that would keep her interest, but ended up loving the title and asked for more by the same author. Programs like book talks and book discussion groups/clubs are a valuable resource for librarians when trying to promote their collections because it allows readers a chance to get acquainted with titles they may not have known existed.

In this time of social distancing and beyond, librarians will need to promote their adult fiction collections virtually, through the use of their websites and social media. Many libraries have begun to post daily or weekly about the new titles added to their collection. Right now, as libraries are shut down, many of the posts feature new e-books that the library has purchased, but after the pandemic and libraries are once again inviting patrons into our buildings, this practice of promoting the collection via social media. Dankowksi (2013) writes about the social media presence that the New York Public Library has implemented and indicated that “...[social media] serve as a point of entry for customer service.” These posts allow patrons to view the collection remotely and entice them to come into the library to check out a title that they saw online or browse the fiction section for more suggestions. Today, more people are interacting with businesses virtually and librarians can take advantage of this trend by promoting their collections online both via their website and social media. This tool may bring patrons into the library and its fiction collection that otherwise wouldn’t have entered the library just to browse. It can serve as an outreach to non-users of the library within the community.

Reading has started to take a backseat in people’s busy lives, so librarians must think outside of the box to promote their fiction collection. They can utilize tools, resources, and techniques such as displays, programs, handouts, and an online presence to bring readers into the collection. While all of these choices have merit, what is most important for librarians to remember as they are promoting their collections is that they have to show enthusiasm themselves for the material, provide quality suggestions, and have a working knowledge of their collection in order to have a successful promotion campaign.

Resources:

Baker, J. (2011). Booktalking for adult audiences. Reference & user services quarterly, 49(3): 234-238.

Dankowski, T. (2013). How libraries are using social media. Retrieved from https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2013/07/16/how-libraries-are-using-social-media/

Saricks, J. (2005). Promoting and marketing readers’ advisory collections and services. Readers’ advisory service in the public library. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Prompt #8: To Separate or Not To Separate?

As librarians, we have a mission to expose our community to a variety of books, authors, and subject matter. If we were to separate subject matter, specifically Urban Fiction and GBLTQ books, then we would be doing a disservice to our community. This separation would insinuate that those reading these subjects are “other” and do not fit in with the general fiction. It may also keep new readers of these genres from discovering the great titles. The library should work to serve all the community and therefore, should include all genres within the general fiction section of the library alphabetically, by author last name. Genres may be denoted by a sticker on the spine, but otherwise included with the other genres and subject matter.

Separating books by subject matter, especially Urban Fiction and GLBTQ titles, creates a sense of “otherness” for those who may want to read these titles and identify with the characters. The physical separation shows readers that “we’re saying you can be here, but you can’t be there (Yorio & Ishizuka, 2018).” By separating the genres, we are showing our patrons that the characters and story lines that they identify with are different than the majority of people and that they don’t belong with everyone else. In addition, this “otherness” created by the separation may cause some readers to avoid the genres with which they identify. Yorio and Ishizuka (2018) write,

                           
                               Concerns about students not wanting to be seen going
                               to the special section, being judged, or revealing something
                               about themselves they aren’t ready to, can keep a librarian
                               from separating books with certain characters and themes.

Librarians need to be concerned about how the physical locations of their books can cause some readers to avoid a topic that they are interested in. Since the librarian strives to meet their community needs, by creating this sense of “otherness”, librarians are in fact doing the opposite. To avoid ostracizing some patrons, librarians should include these genres within the general fiction collection.

Separating genres, especially in the case of Urban Fiction, minimizes the amount of exposure that title will have because people have to seek out these works, they can’t just stumble upon it. One of the beautiful things about exploring the general fiction section in a library is that there is a variety of titles, authors, genres, and subject matter to choose from. I have on many occasions gone into the library looking for one things, browsed the stacks, and came home with books that I had not even considered before seeing them. If we separate the books by genre, especially controversial ones, then we are not encouraging our patrons to discover new books, as well as treating those who already read these titles as “other” as discussed earlier. Author N. K. Jemisin expresses in a blog post that she does NOT want her books on the African American shelf... she views this as an insult to her and her readers as this practice indicates that the practice of separating is an insult to her ability as a writer and the readers ability to enjoy and appreciate diverse books (2010).

Finally, the act of separating these genres would be an extensive increase in library staff’s workload. Not just the act of physically moving the books (which won’t take long), but the need to identify whether a book is truly Urban Fiction, GLBTQ, or another genre would be extremely difficult. This is mainly since many books today cross genres and cannot be labeled as one thing. Wyatt and Saricks (2019) write, “Genre blend and overlap, making strict divisions difficult to delineate (p. xvi).” Since genre is such as flowing classification, librarians would have to make the decisions as to which section of the library that the book belongs. If the librarian chooses a genre that is separated, then only reader of those genres will enjoy the book, and if they choose the general collection, those who seek only the separated genres will miss out. By including all of the fiction titles in the same collection, librarians are eliminating subjective cataloging and exposing more library patrons to a variety of titles. As Readers Advisors, the librarians should have some working knowledge of the different genres to better help those who seek out a specific genre, but they do not need to be the ones making the decisions about which titles patrons are exposed to.

Resources:

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

Wyatt, N. & Saricks, J. (2019). The readers’ advisory guide to genre fiction: Third edition. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.

Yorio, K. & Ishizuka, K. (2018), Shelving debate: To separate or integrate? Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=shelving-debate-separate-or-integrate

African American Lit Annotation: In West Mills

Title: In West Mills
Author: De’Shawn Charles Winslow

Genre: Historical Fiction, African American Fiction
Publication Date: June 2019
ISBN: 9781635573404
Number of Pages: 272
Geographical Setting: North Carolina
Time Period: mid-20th century; spans 40+ years






PLOT SUMMARY

Azalea “Knot” Centre is determined to live life her own way without caring about what the residents of West Mills, North Carolina think of the alcoholic and promiscuous former schoolteacher. When Knot is cut off from her family and friends as a result of her life choices, Knot is destined to live a life of solitude, except for the companionship of her kind-hearted neighbor, Otis, and his wife Pep. Knot relies on their friendship to make life more bearable and must learn that there is more to life than moonshine, books, and men.

 Otis Loving is always trying to fix everyone’s problems which is why he runs to the rescue of his neighbor, Knot, every time she has a problem. But when family secrets come to light, Otis must decide if he can fix those that need it the most... himself and his family.

 A sweeping story of a rural African American community in the mid-20th century South, In West Mills tells the life story of its residents and their path to love, friendship, forgiveness, and redemption.

CHARACTERISTICS/APPEAL OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE:

Story Line
According to The New World Encyclopedia (n.d.), in addition to the “genre” needing to be written by an African American author, “African American literature has generally focused on themes of particular interest to Black people in the United States, such as the role of African Americans within the larger American society...”. In West Mills has a sweeping story line that spans the lives of the cast of African American characters as they navigate life during the mid-20th century. It portrays the personal experiences of these characters and identifies what this community views as important experiences to their lives.

Frame/Setting 
The frame and setting are an important appeal to African American fiction because it provides an accurate description and details about life in the target community. In West Mills depicts a rural, African American community and includes details of the African American experience during the mid-20th century, such as having separate benches labeled by race and treated unequally to white characters throughout the story.

Characterization
 In West Mills features a large cast of characters that readers will love to hate. Knot, the antiheroine, is unlikeable, flawed, and complex. The author develops main characters who the readers becomes attached to and want to see succeed but can become frustrated when they don’t make the choices one would expect. This complex approach to the main characters causes the reader to become deeply engaged with the story and connect with the characters through their flaws. The author is also able to create authentic characters that fit the personalities and actions of the African American community during the civil rights era. They want to live their life freely without interference from others and are willing to stand their ground to have their freedoms recognized.

FICTION READ ALIKES

Sula- Toni Morrison
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat: Edward Kelsey Moore
 Queen Sugar- Natalie Baszile

BLOGGERS OPINION

In West Mills was a quick read, but because the story line spanned 40 plus years, it felt like you had time to connect with the characters. I did have a really hard time liking the characters, which was how they were created to be. I haven’t read a lot of books where there was an antiheroine that you loved to hate, so this was a new experience for me. I was invested in the characters, so it was frustrating to see them make choices that were (to me) obviously a bad route, but they did it anyways. However, I think this is a major part of the charm of this novel. The characters are all flawed so it truly depicted real, authentic people. Some books never show a character’s flaws so that they seem perfect, but this book does the opposite. I also liked that the experiences of the characters matched the time period. As the characters got older or times changed within the country (as much of it was during the Civil Rights-era), the scenes changed as well. I think that this book would be a good introduction to African American literature for those readers that do not have a lot of experience with this sub-genre.

Resources: 
New World Encyclopedia. (n.d.) African american literature. Retrieved from https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/African_American_literature

Prompt #7: YA and Graphic Novels for Adults

A library stands to serve all patrons of the community and to provide them with the resources that they desire. This includes those adults that find entertainment within the pages of Young Adult literature or graphic novels. Reading ,regardless of genre or target age group, is still reading and if patrons enjoy these “genres”, then they are legitimate literary choices. The library must ensure that patrons understand that their preferences are of importance to the library and do so by promoting and providing these materials.

First and foremost, the library has a responsibility to provide resources that reflect community needs and wants, as well as unbiased responses to these desires. The American Library Association’s (ALA) Code of Ethics states, “We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests (2008).” The library strives to provide appropriate resources for its patrons. If adult patrons desire Young Adult or graphic fiction novels, then it the library’s duty to do so in order to continue to provide the highest level of service. If the library chooses to not spend their budget on these “genres”, then they are not truly meeting the needs of the community.

The only way that the library can provide the resources that the community desires is by assessing the community on what they want. Informally interview your patrons, mail out surveys, run quantitative tests to see what collections are being checked out; do a variety of assessments to develop a real understanding of your community.  If asked, many adults may admit that they prefer Young Adult novels and can give insight into what sub-genres they prefer which can help the library build up the collection. After the collection is built, then staff can start to promote it.

Library staff can also combat the biased opinions regarding adult enjoyment of Young Adult and graphic novels by taking the time to promote the materials to adult audiences. If the library shows that they feel this is a legitimate literary choices, then patrons too will feel comfortable engaging with these materials. Dunneback & Towner (2010) write, “Your patrons want to read these books. What do they think if we consider romance unimportant and not worthy of our effort (p. 223).” Replace the word romance with Young Adult and graphic novels and the message remains the same: don’t denigrate your patrons reading choices, rather embrace them. Cataldi (2015) suggests that displays, book lists, and bookmarks can all help to promote collections within the library. Taking time to make these displays/tools can show patrons that you feel like there is literary value in Young Adult and graphic novels to adults and increase the positive opinions to the public.

Resources:

American Library Association. (2008). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/tools/ethics

Cataldi, E. (2015). Betwixt and Between: New Adult Fiction. The library journal. Retrieved from https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=betwixt-and-between-new-adult-fiction-collection-development-september-1-2015

Dunneback, K. & Towner, M.W. (2010). Everything romance. Integrated advisory services. Denver, CO: Libraries Unlimited.

Prompt #6: Nonfiction Readers' Advisory Matrix

Title: Get Out of Your Own Way: A Skeptics Guide to Growth and Fulfillment
Author: Dave Hollis
Publishing Date: March 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1400215423

   1.  Where is the book on the narrative continuum?

____ Highly narrative (reads like fiction)

_X_ a mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose

____ highly fact based (has few or no narrative moments)

   2. What is the subject of the book?

Personal Growth

·       The book is about how the author overcame the lies he told himself that were keeping him from reaching his full potential and offers tools and resources for how to overcome your own personal lies in your journey for personal growth.

   3. What type of book is it?

A self-help book written in expository form with narrative insights

4. Articulate Appeal

What is the pacing of the book?

This book is leisurely paced, but the short chapters make for quick reading

Describe the characters of the book.

This story features the author (Dave Hollis) as the main character as he tells personal stories to reiterate a point, as well as the author’s wife (Rachel Hollis) who serves as a mentor and influencer in his personal growth journey. His four children and colleagues are mentioned throughout the book but do not serve as main characters to the story.

How does the story feel?

The story is inspirational, hopeful, impassioned, and thought-provoking

What is the intent of the author?

The author’s intent is to share his experience with personal growth and motivate/inspire others to partake on their personal growth journeys.

What is the focus of the story?

The story is focused on a set of lies that the author told himself to keep him from reaching his full potential and goals in life and how he overcame those.

Does the language matter?

Yes- the language is friendly and everyday words so that readers can cannot the author’s experiences, thoughts, and feelings.

Is the setting important and well-described?

The setting is described but is not important to the focus of the story. The events can take place anywhere and still have the same inspirational effect on the readers.

Are there details, and if so, of what?

There are some details that are mainly focused on the author’s personal experiences. The details given help to enhance the connection between the experience and what the author is trying to teach the reader.

Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear?

There are no charts or graphic materials used in this book.

Does the book stress moment of learning, understanding, or experience?

The entire book focuses on moments of learning and experiences of the author as he goes on his journey for personal growth. These experiences and learning moments help to enhance the point of each chapter and the book as a whole.

5.  Why would a reader enjoy this book? (rank appeal)

1. Learning/experiencing

2. Tone

3. Pacing

Hollis, D. (2020). Get out of your own way: A skeptics guide to growth and fulfillment. Nashville, TN: HarperCollins Leadership

Prompt #5: E-books and Audio Books

E-books and audiobooks are changing the way that librarians look at collection development and how they are meeting the needs of their community members. Some patrons thrive on electronic resources due to their busy schedules or physical limitations while others still desire the feel of a physical book in their hands. All types of medium are important to the modern-day library, but the new emphasis on electronic formats causes librarians to think about the appeal factors of stories in a different way as it applies to e-books and audio books.

For e-books, many of the appeal factors remain similar such as the story line, characterization, and writing style. Since the reader is reading the same words as in the physical books, these appeal factors generally remain steadfast. Where the difference lies within e-books is that of pacing and tone. With e-books, readers can adjust the size of the text, which is a great addition for those with poor eyesight who need larger print. However, according to Dunneback & Trott (2011), “Pacing is also affected by how much text is visible on the screen, so the larger the text, the less there is to indicate how quickly the story is moving (p. 328).” The authors indicate that richly detailed stories will have larger chunks of text, while quick-witted dialogue will appear shorter on the page. This same tool of adjusting the text size can affect the tone as well. When a novel is gripping and a scene creates a specific tone, the tone can be diminished due to the large number of times that a reader has to pause to turn the page. It may seem minute, but if a scene takes 5 pages in a physical book to get to the climax but takes 10-12 pages in an e-reader due to text size, the brief pauses can decrease the impact of that climactic moment.

Pacing is also affected by the fact that readers do not have a visual way of seeing how close to the end they are. Many e-book software will give a page number or percentage completed, but it does not inspire faster pacing compared to physically seeing the small number of pages remaining in a text. In my own experience, I have noticed that when I read e-books, it takes me longer to finish a book than when reading a physical book of the same genre/author because I subconsciously look at the amount of pages left in a book or chapter and feel that I continue. Whereas when reading an e-book, the percentage complete indicator doesn’t inspire the same zest for finishing the story.

Audiobooks, even more so than e-books, can change the appeal factors of a novel. The appeal factors of characterization, tone, pacing, and frame are all affected through the implementation of a fifth appeal that is specific for audiobooks: audible presentation. According to Mediatore (2003), “The most significant element of appeal for a recorded book- audible presentation- takes into account how all of the above appeal factors blend together when narrated for a recorded book (p. 319).” The way a narrator interprets and presents the story can either increase or decrease pacing or lighten and darken tone, as well as developing believable characters. If the narrator interprets the authors intentions in a different manner, readers may experience the appeals in a completely different way than if they were reading the physical book. Choosing the right narrator is always an important step with working with audio books.

In addition to how the narrator drives the appeals, pacing can be slowed because of how the tracks are set up. I have had patrons in the past who wanted to listen to a novel but saw how long the entire thing lasts (usually around 7-10 hours) and choose to go another route, sometimes even checking out the physical book instead. While both the physical book and audiobook will usually take the same amount of time, the blatant length of time on the audiobook can deter people from choosing this format or, if they do choose this medium, it may seem like the pacing is slower than if they were physically reading the story.

Electronic resources, such as e-books and audiobooks, are becoming a staple in library collections. More people are living busy lives and want novels that are portable to take with them, which both e-books and audiobooks can accomplish. Therefore, it is important for librarians to develop an understanding of the way appeals are represented in these mediums and what appeals, such as audible presentation, are important to the mediums individually.

Resources:

Dunneback, K. & Trott, B. (2011). E-books and readers’ advisory. Reference and user services quarterly, 

          50(4):325-329.

Mediatore, K. (2002). Reading with your ears: Readers’ advisory and audio books. Reference and user services 

          quarterly, 42(4): 318-323.