The Future of Reading: Week 16 Prompt Response

When I was growing up, I constantly had a book in my hand.  Like most kids I clung to picture books, and then chapter books when I was in elementary school.  I loved going to the library throughout middle school and high school, too, perusing the adult mysteries and reference books, among other things.  From the time I was very young, I always sought to read above my age/grade level--I taught myself to read when I was 4 years old, and from that point on I wanted to be as mature a reader as I could possibly be.  Ever an avid learner, I wanted to understand things that were a little beyond my years, and I wanted to do that through reading books.  I didn't have much interest in newspapers, and I only occasionally read magazines.  Books were where I spent my time reading.

Now, as an adult, I have very different reasons for and ways of reading.  I still like learning new things, but much of the reading I do now is for pleasure.  Today reading is an escape from reality, or a way to relate to others like myself.  Whereas it was a private activity when I was growing up, reading is more of a social activity these days.  I use GoodReads and talk with others about great (or horrible) books I've read.  I enjoy hashing out the characteristics and merits of books, just as many people like to do with movies or TV shows.  My reading extends beyond print books now; I don't just learn or gain satisfaction from them.  I also read eBooks, stories and articles online, social media posts, and more.  My preferred medium is print books, but I do spend a lot of time reading other formats of writing, which I didn't do as a child.

Le Guin (2008) gives an excellent description of the print book that sums up my own thoughts about it:

"The book itself is a curious artifact, not showy in its technology but complex and extremely efficient: a really neat little device, compact, often very pleasant to look at and handle, that can last decades, even centuries.  It doesn't have to be plugged in, activated, or performed by a machine; all it needs is light, a human eye, and a human mind.  It is not one of a kind, and it is not ephemeral.  It lasts.  It is reliable.  If a book told you something when you were fifteen, it will tell it to you again when you're fifty, though you may understand it so differently that it seems you're reading a whole new book." (p. 37).

Technology is constantly improving, and our ways of looking at and interacting with the world are constantly evolving.  Audiobooks and eBooks are being added to our libraries and bookstores by the thousands every day, and more people all the time are discovering the joys of the Kindle.  However, Le Guin's (2008) point about print books is a sentiment that has lasted since the first written words in history.  Some people might prefer print books over eBooks, or eBooks over print books.  Some people might be so fascinated with electronic devices that they think they want to leave printed books behind for good.  But the fact of the matter is, there's something so inherently special and desirable about print books that I can't see them ever disappearing for good.  There is a human compulsion to cling to the tangible, especially tangible things that display who we are (like books).  Even the most technology-obsessed person feels that compulsion...their devices are tangible "containers" of writing, after all.  Print books might change in physical composition in the future, being made of more environmentally-friendly paper or cheaper binding to keep up with the cost-efficiency of eBooks; but they will still be produced and consumed with fervor.  eBooks and other book formats are merely different kinds of packaging for the same stories as print books.  We aren't content to just share stories and information verbally anymore, so as long as we are still human there will still be a variety of book formats, including print.

Since we are still human and we do still have an obsession with recording our world, our lives, and our history, I think that reading will still be prevalent in the future.  The trend over time has been that, as more people gain access to education and literacy skill-building, more people read.  I think this trend will continue into the future.  The more our world changes, the more people will want to know, and that knowledge comes from reading.  I do think that publishing companies will start to cash in on the popularity of blogs and social media and publish some content exclusively through those mediums.  If that happens, reading will become more social and more interactive.  Even personal pleasure reading will become more of a social activity.  The Internet is so interactive and there is so much reading to be done on it already; as publishing moves to feed the shortening attention spans of people addicted to the Internet (and the need for people to share every thought that comes into their minds, thanks to social media), people will continue to treat reading as a social, collaborative activity.  We will read to learn, and we will read to entertain ourselves, but more and more we will do it together.

Reference

Le Guin, U. K. (2008, February). Staying awake: Notes on the alleged decline of reading. Harper's Magazine. 316(1893), 33-38.

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Creatively Promoting Fiction: Week 15 Prompt Response

There are tons of ways to creatively promote the library’s fiction collection, but following are some of the most inventive ways I could think of to achieve this, ways that would really spark patrons’ interests, expose them more to books they will enjoy, and make my library a more collaborative place with a deeper sense of community.

The first method is to use social media to promote books.  My library (Hamilton East Public Library) currently has a social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram), and much of it is used to promote programming and to share fun things, like BuzzFeed articles related to books and reading. With the rollout of our new branding, we’ve started to do staff and patron book picks and reviews on the website, and I assume we will post these on social media as well.  To improve the library’s online presence and really use social media to its advantage, I think it would be great to do what Trotter (as cited in Hilyard, 2010) suggests and do reader’s advisory work on our social media accounts.  As she says, “Tweets [and other posts] have to be more than ‘we have a program tomorrow’ to hold patrons’ interest, and too many of that variety will make people tune out—missing that one program that might have brought them through the library’s doors” (Trotter, as cited in Hilyard, 2010, p. 13).  The library could do “If you like…” posts or tweets, or we could post book recommendation lists.  We could also retweet or repost content from the social media accounts of authors, publishers, other libraries, or book reviewers, with our library’s added commentary preceding the link to that content.  We could even post questions to our followers—for example, during Halloween time, we could ask followers, “What’s your favorite horror book?”, or during the summer months we could ask followers to name their top 3 beach reads.

Another great way to market the library’s fiction collection is to create “Best-Loved” lists.  These lists could include the 10 fiction titles that are, as the name suggests, best-loved by patrons, according to circulation statistics and patron feedback.  Each month, a new list could be posted, and it could be presented in three different ways.  First, there could be a large marker board at the entrance to the Adult Fiction section with the current month’s list written on it.  The librarians could either write or print and tape up short summaries of each title, as well as a note about the genre of each title.  Second, the list of titles could be printed on bookmarks and spread out in the stacks for patrons to grab and take with them.  Saricks (2005) states that using bookmarks as marketing is advantageous because “the reader can walk away not only with a book to read but also with a list of authors and titles to pursue on a later visit” (p. 144).  The bookmarks could also include the genres and call numbers of each title for easy reference for patrons.  Third, the monthly list could be posted (and boldly placed) on the library’s website.  Here, the list would include titles, genres, short summaries, call numbers, and links to the titles in the library’s online catalog.  Both the bookmarks and the posting of the lists to the website could be kept and archived for patrons to peruse later on.

My last idea for fiction promotion is my favorite.  I got this idea from the cataloging system at the Garden Library in Tel Aviv, Israel.  Rather than shelving books using conventional methods, the library categorizes books by emotional response. Once they’ve read a book, patrons are asked to mark on a sticker on the back cover which of seven color-coded emotions the book evoked for them: amusing, boring, bizarre, depressing, exciting, inspiring, or sentimental. Each reader’s response is added to the history of the book’s responses on the book’s spine, and then the book is shelved according to the most recent response.  My thought is to use this idea to provide passive reader’s advisory on the part of the librarians and active RA on the part of the patrons.  The logistics of setting this up in my library would be difficult to pin down…the Garden Library only has about 3,500 titles compared to HEPL’s total collection of over 360,000 print materials.  However, I think that starting small, maybe with our new fiction titles, could provide a good starting point that could eventually move to include a great deal of the fiction collection as a whole.  Each book could include a chart on the inside back cover where patrons can note their emotional response to the book.  As responses amass, the librarians could place color-coded stickers (similar to the Garden Library’s stickers) on the spine or back of each book.  A chart could be placed throughout the stacks to tell patrons what each color means and to encourage patrons to add their response after reading a book.  (Note: Books would still be shelved as they are now but, like the genre stickers we put on fiction titles, these emotional response stickers would just be an added feature to clue patrons in on the content of a book.)  Patrons frequently tell us at the circulation desk whether a book was great or terrible, and they love to give us their input about what they read.  These color-coded emotional response stickers could be a fantastic way for patrons to leave their input for the whole library community to see (anonymously, of course), and for patrons to learn from each other about books they might enjoy.  Most patrons aren’t privy to our librarian lingo regarding appeal terms, so letting them have the chance to essentially rate books based on emotional response provides an easier understanding of what a book might be like.  Most importantly, this allows patrons to play an active role in our reader’s advisory service.


References

Hilyard, N. (2010). The expanding scope of readers’ advisory. Public Libraries, 49(1), 10-25.

Saricks, J. (2005). Promoting and marketing readers’ advisory collections and services. In
Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library (pp.136-160). Chicago: ALA.

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To Separate or Not to Separate: Week 14 Prompt Response

I would not separate GLBTQ or African American fiction from the general collection, in terms of normal shelving. Though these two "genres" are distinct from other fiction in many ways, I wouldn't want patrons who check out these materials to feel segregated or set apart in a negative way. To put graphic fiction in its own place on the shelves is one thing--the format here is what sets it apart. People often choose different book formats in order to feed a learning style need or to accommodate for difficulties with reading (for example, people with visual impairments could choose large print versions of books because regular print is too difficult to read). To set books apart because of their content—their themes, kinds of characters, values shared—seems like a form of segregation that says to patrons that only certain people would enjoy "this" kind of fiction so that is why it is separated from the “other” fiction. People want to browse freely, without judgment or others watching what they’re picking up, and separating fiction by content seems to eliminate patrons’ ability to do that.

Along with that, I think that separating these books could send the message that we don’t consider
GLBTQ/African American stories or characters to be on the same level as other fiction. Many GLBTQ people and African Americans lack a sense of belonging in their communities because racism and prejudice cause separation between them and the majority (namely, straight people and white people). Thomas (2007) says that reading is a great opportunity for discovery for GLBTQ people, but that “this act of discovery can be problematic: literature has so often excluded them. In the last decades, as gays and lesbians have grown increasingly vocal in the effort to secure their rightful place in society, a broad range of fiction has emerged that effectively captures their concerns” (p. 40). It is something of a victory to them to have books now with characters that reflect their own personal struggles. However, it seems like it’s taking a step backward to then separate these books out from the rest of the fiction collection. We can’t say that we want members of the GLBTQ community to feel as respected as their straight peers, and then put GLBTQ-centric books in their own separate section of the library—that kind of says that being GLBTQ actually isn’t normal because if it was, then those books would coexist with stories of straight people. The same applies to African American fiction.

Not only would I not separate out GLBTQ or African American Fiction because of the segregation factors, but I also would not separate them for fear that those books would no longer reach all patrons. I said last week that I would incorporate more YA graphic novels into the adult graphic novels so that adults would be able to discover YA titles they'd enjoy, and so they wouldn't feel uncomfortable venturing down into the TeenZone. The same applies to GLBTQ and African American fiction. If those books were set apart on their own, then patrons who don't normally pick up books in those genres would miss out on titles they might really enjoy, whereas they would be able to stumble upon these titles if they were incorporated into the rest of the fiction section.

I understand the need for patrons to know that our collections include books to which they personally can relate, and for them to be able to easily find those books. One way to ensure that this can happen is to do pull-out displays with samplings from our GLBTQ or African American fiction collections. This could drum up interest in these genres and make patrons aware that we do carry these books. Also, as Thomas (2007) suggests, we could offer booklists of award winners, “best of” titles, and so on in GLBTQ and African American fiction. I think it is very important to make patrons aware that our collections include these books, but they don’t need to be segregated from the rest of the fiction. We make pull-out displays and booklists for romance, horror, and Christian fiction, but they are all shelved as simply fiction. The same should be done with GLBTQ and African American fiction.



Reference
Thomas, D. (2007). A place on the shelf. Library Journal, 132(8), 40-43.

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YA & Graphic Novels as Legitimate Literary Choices: Week 13 Prompt Response

According to the Library Bill of Rights we, as librarians, should "[resist] abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas" (ALA, 1996).  This means that anyone and everyone should have free access to any and every kind of material housed in our libraries, and it implies that this should be done without judgment from us.  If a child wishes to browse the adult non-fiction materials, then we have to do what we can to allow that child access to those materials.  Likewise, if an adult wants to check out YA fiction or graphic novels, then we are responsible for ensuring that he or she can do so.  Not only should we ensure all people access to all materials, but I believe we should also encourage all people to peruse all materials through our presentation of them.

My library has a very large collection of graphic novels in both the children's and YA departments, but it has recently started a collection of graphic novels in the Adult section.  Patrons love this, and these items are becoming very popular.  This budding collection is a great way to serve adults who like graphic novels, and especially those who don't necessarily want to check out YA graphic novels.  However, many of the patrons who are checking out these new adult graphic novels have checked out YA graphic novels in the past, and most continue to do so.  Many adults also like to check out other YA fiction.  Anyone is welcome to browse the collection in the YA area, but I get the feeling that many people think that this area is completely off limits to anyone who isn't a teenager because there's a sign designating it as being for teens and because our policy states that only teenagers can "hang out" there.  This could obviously limit adults who want YA materials.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (2006) suggests that all graphic novels, both YA and adult, could be shelved "in a specially designated graphic novels area for easier browsing of all graphic works" where adult graphic novels could still be shelved separately from YA ones, but where anyone, regardless of age, could browse them all in one spot.  We shouldn't necessarily shelve all materials in the entire library based on their cataloged, intended age grouping--"shelving location must not be assumed to be a predictor of who will read or borrow a particular graphic novel" (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, 2006).  For materials like YA fiction, where their most sensible location is in the YA section, we could have pull-out displays in the adult area of some of the most popular YA fiction titles.  Another easy way to encourage adults who enjoy YA literature is to ask people during reader's advisory interviews if they like YA books.  If they do, then we can recommend both adult and YA titles.  Regardless of where we house materials within the library walls or of how they are cataloged, we should celebrate and encourage all reading interests, not just the ones that "fit" with a person's age.



References
ALA. (1996). Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved from
          http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. (2006). Graphic novels: Suggestions for librarians. Retrieved from http://cbldf.org/graphic-novels-suggestions-for-librarians/

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Commencement: New Adult Annotation

Commencement
by J. Courtney Sullivan

Genre: New Adult
Publication Date: 2009
Number of Pages: 419
Geographical Setting: Primarily Smith College (Northampton, MA); Savannah, GA; San Francisco, CA; New York City
Time Period: Present (1998-2008)

Plot Summary: The book begins as four friends--Celia, Bree, Sally, and April--are preparing for Sally's wedding at their alma mater, Smith College.  Being back at Smith drums up memories of the four years they spent there together, and the narrative flashes back to those times and moves back to the present, spanning from the girls' first weekend at Smith in 1998 to where the story ends a few years after graduation, in 2008.  The book explores the relationships they made amongst themselves and with others, the trials and joys of the first years of adulthood, and the struggles to find identities during and just after college.  The characters demonstrate how choices during these prime years of growth can affect a person's life, possibly forever, and it gives new adult readers the sense that they are not alone during such an experimental, challenging time in life.

Subject Headings: Women college students--Fiction; Female friendship--Fiction; Young women--United States--Social conditions--Fiction.

Characteristics and Appeal:
Story Line -- This book is largely centered around the concept of feminism.  The setting is a women's college where students readily explore lesbian experiences and relationships, women's rights issues, and defying patriarchy.  Religion is heavily criticized in this book.  The author incessantly employs strong language, and she presents heavy issues, such as sex trafficking, abuse, intolerance, abortion, and family conflict.  The book is centered around the characters, and it follows both the group as a whole and four individual story lines.  The author intended to portray the reality of life at a college exclusive to women.

Tone -- The tone of this book is nostalgic, as the characters call upon memories of their past with each other to explain what is happening in the present.  Their history together at Smith College colors much of what they experience post-graduation.  For the most part, the story is upbeat and moving, as the girls' friendship gets them through their darkest days.

Characterization -- Being that she herself is a graduate of Smith, the author portrays the four main characters realistically.  They occupy certain "types" (for example, April is the uber-feminist who dresses in dark clothing and cares nothing about being ladylike or fitting social conventions), but they are lifelike nonetheless.  Secondary characters add much to the story because their interactions with the main characters cause significant life change for them.

Read-Alikes:
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell -- This is another character-driven story of a new college student searching for identity while navigating academic life.

The Group by Mary McCarthy -- This book follows eight friends following graduation from Vassar, exploring both their individual experiences and their lives together as a group, as they attempt to figure out adulthood.

Graduates in Wonderland by Jessica Pan and Rachel Kapelke-Dale -- This is a non-fictional account of two friends who met in college and rely on their friendship to get through school and into new adulthood.

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Readers' Advisory Matrix: Week 12 Prompt Response

Reader’s Advisory Matrix

Giant George: Life with the World’s Biggest Dog 

by Dave Nasser

1.  Where is the book on the narrative continuum?

            þ Highly narrative (reads like fiction)

   ¨       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?

The book is about how the Nassers raised George, a Great Dane, from puppyhood and soon discovered his ever-increasing size was something special.

3.  What type of book is it?

      A memoir.

4.  Articulate appeal

     What is the pacing of the book?

     The pace is steady and makes the book a quick read.

     

     Describe the characters of the book. 

     The book revolves primarily around the major characters.  The author, Dave, is reluctant to add a     

     dog to his marriage.  His wife, Christie, persistently and successfully persuades him to do it  

     anyway, and they end up with George, the Great Dane puppy that eventually becomes a contender   

     for the Guinness World Record for World’s Biggest Dog.

     How does the story feel?

     Upbeat and heartwarming.

     What is the intent of the author?

     To share his experience with George and enlighten readers about raising a famous, world record-    

     holding dog.

     What is the focus of the story?

     How life changed once the Nassers got George and as he continued growing beyond their 

     expectations.

     Does the language matter?

     No.

     Is the setting important and well described?

     The setting only matters in that the very reason the Nassers got George was because they moved 

     away from Christie’s family, and she insisted on having a canine companion to compensate for    

     that.

     Are there details and, if so, of what?

     Most of the details revolve around George’s weight and size, including measurements during 

     veterinary visits, and how his weight/size influenced the Nassers’ lives and lifestyle.

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

     None.

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

     The book stresses moments of learning for the Nassers.  The readers have moments of 

     understanding life with a truly giant dog, and experiencing the highs and lows of that life.

5.  Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)?
     1.  Detail                     2.  Tone                       3. Characterization

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Off the Leash: Non-fiction Annotation

Off the Leash: A Year at the Dog Park
by Matthew Gilbert

Genre: Non-fiction
Publication Date: 2014
Number of Pages: 223
Geographical Setting: Boston, Massachusetts
Time Period: Present

Plot Summary: Matthew Gilbert is a dedicated TV critic who grew up afraid of dogs and who prefers the company of people when they're on his television screen.  He marries a dog lover, who still mourns the loss of a beloved yellow lab years after its death and who cannot imagine life without a canine companion.  Inevitably, the couple ends up finding a puppy of their own: a seven-week-old black/yellow lab mix they name Toby.  In an attempt to do right by Toby and raise him right, Matthew starts taking him to Amory Park, a popular destination for dog-parents and their furry children.  He recounts their first year at the park, including early mishaps, budding friendships, and life lessons learned for both man and dog.  Matthew explores how their experience at Amory became less about turning Toby into the perfect dog, and more about helping himself to see the value of being present in the here and now of the dog park world, as quirky as it might be.

Subject Headings: Dogs--Behavior--Anecdotes; Parks for dogs--Anecdotes; Dogs--Behavior; Parks for dogs

Characteristics and Appeal:
Characterization -- Matthew and Toby are the major "characters" in this book, but they interact with many important secondary characters.  They encounter the same few people and dogs every day at Amory, and many of their most memorable moments with these characters are documented.  Matthew's story revolves entirely around these other people and dogs that he and Toby meet at the dog park--they are crucial to Matthew and Toby's own development throughout their year at Amory.  These other people are "types" that are easily recognized, and each of their unique personalities contributes to Matthew's experience.

Tone -- This book is very upbeat, heartwarming, and humorous.  Matthew is known for his amusing TV reviews, and this carries over into Off the Leash.  He tells of his experiences at Amory in a funny light, even the moments that scared or intimidated him at the time.  The story is light, with a bit of snark, and always hilarious.  Dog lovers can easily relate to Matthew's observations about dogs and other dog lovers.

Writing Style -- Matthew's writing style is candid and charming.  He never shies away from cluing the reader in on his fears and misgivings about life with a dog.  Some of the funniest and most charming moments of the book happen when he discusses the trials and tribulations of people cleaning up, or not cleaning up, after their dogs at the park.  His writing is relatable and funny, as he commingles his personal thoughts, dialogue with others, anecdotes of behavior at Amory, and the meaning it all conveys about life.

Read-Alikes:
A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz -- This is an upbeat nonfiction account of how a dog changed a couple's lives.

Marley and Me by John Grogan -- Another upbeat, true tale of a puppy entering a family and the positive impact he had on them.

You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam -- Another first-time dog owner documents the valuable life lessons she learned from her pets.

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