Week 15- Marketing the Libraries Fiction Collection

Marketing is an important tool for libraries, just like it is for a business, and staff need to make thoughtful decisions.  While the marketing doesn't need to be flashy it does need to be eye catching and appropriate.  Personally I think that marketing should be done cohesively and when possible link a book display with a library program(s).  If possible, this could all fall under one main library marketing plan for the year.  While this isn't always appropriate or feasible, thought certainly needs to go into a plan.  Creating a general plan for the year will help with cohesiveness and allows staff to see which months might have heavy marketing events and/or displays and which months are lacking. It also allows staff to plan for national marketing, such as Black History Month, Banned Book Week or International Games Week. This promotion should when possible link to the libraries online presence, connecting with patrons that are heavy online and e-book users. 

Using sources such as ALA's events and celebration week staff can plan accordingly for marketing, http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks.  Knowing that marketing materials will be produced nationally can save staff time on creating marketing materials and can help new patrons to find some cohesiveness across libraries.  

A few ideas for marketing a libraries fiction collection would be:

1)  An active wall display of "What the Librarians Read".  Staff would be encouraged to read a broad spectrum of the fiction collection and as they finish a book post a copy of the book cover along with what made that book enjoyable to them at that time.  For example a Debbie Mcomber book could be shared with a comment such as, "I was looking for an easy read to relax with in the evening."  The idea would be that patrons could see that librarians read those genres that are perceived as something to be embarrassed by.  To promote readers' advisory general signs that are cohesive with the libraries marketing plan with logo etc could say something such as, "Not sure what to read, ask us or fill out our readers' advisory form to get book selections recommended to your reading preferences."  I think offering readers' advisory in person and via a paper or online form help reach a wider audience. If online readers' advisory forms are available I would include with a virtual display that is similar with "What Librarians Read" so that patrons that prefer the online readers' advisory or those that access the library virtually through e-books see a rotation of what staff are reading.  

2)  Rotating displays that are used for seasonal or celebration promotional displays.  The displays should also include a "If you liked ABC then try one of these."  Promoted books should have a brief annotation and a link to why the reader might like them.  Such as "character-driven", "intricate plot" or "fast paced" etc.  By doing a general plan for the year staff will see the months that might have display gaps and can also make sure that if cozy mysteries are highlighted then next time the display might need to be a science fiction centered display, this allows you to see if there are genres or collections that are not getting highlighted during the year. 

3)  Another ongoing promotion could be bookmarkers.  These can focus on a genre and be displayed with that genre if they are on the featured display mentioned above.  They can also be included throughout the library.  If your library has end caps that could hold a few books for display this is a great way to have a small spotlight on a couple of genres and bookmarks with read alikes.  

4)  As mentioned at the beginning I believe that any marketing that can be done multi-dimensionally is ideal.  Perhaps a book display aligns with the featured book for book club, a bookmark as well as an educational program.  For example a Cozy Mystery display with read alike mystery books bookmark.  The featured book for book club might be a Diane Mott Davidson book.  In the same month adult educational programming could include a cooking class, food safety, or even small business management.

5) My list could go on and on but a few other ideas would include a "Quick Pick" Cart, a crossword puzzle of books, and a Go Fishing bowl  The "Quick Pick" Cart  would have books displayed spine out and cover out.  On a set rotation different staff members would be charged with filling the cart each week or biweekly.  This would be placed close to the entrance and circulation desk, making it a quick stop for patrons.  The crossword puzzle would include a partially completed crossword with book ideas but the clues would lead them to other books that would fill in the crossword.  This could encourage reading across the spectrum of fiction and conclude with other programming in the library with a small prize for the first crosswords completed.  The Go Fishing bowl would have slips of paper that patrons can take to find a new book.  Slips would have a variety of suggestions or prompts such as read an author with the last name that starts with BL, pick a book from the "What the Librarians Read" wall etc. 

Some ideas adapted from:

https://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/c-d/continuing-ed/iloc/iloc-2017/handouts/dont-talk-to-me/donttalktome.pdf

Week 14 Prompt

The issue of shelving GLBTQ books and even Urban fiction books has come under great debate. What I find interesting is that for those that support shelving them separate want them shelved separate for different reason. I understand that some parents want to provide consent before youth can access the books, I understand that some want them in a separate group so that they are easy to find or so they can be highlighted as a feature in the library. However I think integrating them into the collections best serves majority of patrons.

If I was in charge of collections management I would shelve them with the rest of the library collection, by author's last name. I feel that unless the rest of the collection is separated by Western, Fantasy, Romance etc than these two  sub-genres shouldn't be separated. One reason being that while it makes them easy to find for those that might need/want to identify with a theme or character, it may also make it more uncomfortable for many of those readers to go to a special section. Therefore really missing connecting the patrons with the books. As a parent I understand the difficulties between respecting parents and providing access to all. However as a librarian we must remember our duty to uphold the Library Bill of Rights and in the ALA's statement and policy on schools and minors rights the interpretation is as follows, "Library policies and procedures that effectively deny minors equal and equitable access to all library resources available to other users violate the Library Bill of Rights. The American Library Association opposes all attempts to restrict access to library services, materials, and facilities based on the age of library users." For youth and adults we need to make all materials available to all in a non judgemental environment.

By labeling a book as GLBTQ or Urban when other books are not we also miss the patrons that might browse shelves and pick up something new. I believe that there is value in exposing other patrons to all varieties of books and labeling them may encourage others to avoid them. I think Kim Parker makes a good statement in Yorio and Ishizuka's article:

“I wonder why they can’t be in both places?” Parker says. “If we’re segregating in libraries, we’re saying you can be here, but you can’t be there.”
Young people use libraries differently than adults, she adds, and librarians must figure out where to get the “most bang for the buck.”
I think that means putting [diverse books] everywhere,” says Parker. “Maybe that’s text pairing, maybe it’s thinking differently how we shelve books, but access needs to change.”

A third reason for integrating books is that it removes the pressure from librarian determining what is GLBTQ or Urban vs Romance, or Fantasy, Mystery etc.  Leaving it up to individuals to determine if a romance novel that has a gay main character is still a romance novel or an GBLTQ book can cause confusion for staff and for patrons.  While these books might be highlighted in a display during celebrations just as horror books at halloween or romance at valentine they should be treated as any other book would be in the library, just as any patron should be.  All welcome and all a part of our literary world.  

Ishizuka, K. & Yorio, K. (Oct. 26, 2018).  Shelving debate: To separate or integrate. School Library Journal.  Retrieved April 22, 2020 from https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=shelving-debate-separate-or-integrate

American Association of Libraries.  (2019).  ALA statements and policies on access.  Retrieved on April 22, 2020 from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/access

                                                               The Coldest Winter Ever
          By Sister Souljah


Synopsis: For a young girl raised in the projects of  Brooklyn, Winter has few worries.  Her father, Santiaga  runs the neighborhood and while they might have an apartment in the projects, it is 'dipped'.  Winter is raised in a culture of gangs, violence and drugs, although her dad doesn't use what he sells.  He has standards that include loyalty and only high quality goods.  Her mother teachers her and her sisters how to be 'a bad bitch' and is Santiaga's one and only.  Winter see's her parents partnership as a love story and enjoys living with all the fine things in life, doing as she pleases.

Santiaga moves the family to Long Island and when her mom gets fed up with being stuck in the suburbs Santiaga breaks his own rule and allows momma to go on a run with him.  Momma is shot and soon after the feds have arrested Santiaga, raided the house and seize all their possessions.  The young girls are picked up by social services and Winter's only hope is help from one of her pops men, Midnight. However Midnight is ready to get out and while he remains faithful to Santiaga he leaves Brooklyn behind to start a new life.  He continues to encourage Winter to contact Sister Souljah for help up and out.

Eventually Winter is picked up by social services and placed in a group home.  She starts her own side hustle, still believing she can get back in the business and rise to the top again.  Winter however can't see past a life of drugs and crime.  She will be loyal like her daddy taught her, but at what cost?

Key aspects to note:

Urban Fiction can be difficult to classify into one genre, Wyatt and Saricks choose to place it as a sub genre of Relationship fiction because the stories form around friendship, family, lovers and relationships.  However it also has many aspects of a Landscape, Romance and Literary Fiction.  However others, like Welch classify it as Street Lit.

Urban fiction is most often plot driven and the story is deeply rooted to the street with sex, drugs and violence.   Money is a key element in Urban Fiction or Street Lit and big brand names are dropped just as often as clubbing with big name rappers.  Storylines whether they plan to or not have a strong thread with relationship fiction, characters learn to or speak of only trusting their inner circle and being loyal to family.  Characters are typically determined to rise to the top. 

Setting:  Urban, with a street life focus. The Coldest Winter Ever sticks with the urban theme throughout and they storyline is always brought back to Winter's neighborhood in the projects.

Appeal:  With a casual language style, most stories are told in the first person and use of street slang and curse words are common.  The stories are bold, with sex drugs and violence.  These stories appeal to mostly youth/young adults that can relate to some of the struggles the characters face. 

Read alikes:
Books with similar urban fiction theme that fans of The Coldest Winter Ever might enjoy include:
Confessions of a Wild Child by Jackie Collins
Eve by K'wan
Sleeping with the Enemy by Wahida Clark

For readers looking for a different genre, but a strong ruthless female lead that will do anything to survive:
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Prompt 13- YA NA GN Access

I am a huge fan of YA, I started reading more of them while working in the school library because it gave me a better feel of the books to recommend to students.  It also allowed for different conversations with my own kids and the books they were reading. At that time we were living in the Middle East and so access to YA was only through the school library.  I knew a couple of teachers that also enjoyed YA, and I would often recommend some of the school books to them to read over the holidays.  Moving back to the US I no longer have the access to the school library like I did in Oman, but now we have access to a public library.  I still enjoy YA novels and because I am often looking at books with my kids I don't feel too out of place in the children's section of the library.

However, this prompt has made me think of YA & NA and access to them.  Our current public library and our past public library in Wyoming both had clearly defined adult and children's spaces.  In Wyoming our library had a teen section as well.  Adults can get into the space and the books without going through the main entrance of the teen area and where a lot of the gaming and computer activities happen.  I hadn't given the open space to access this area through the stacks much thought before, but beyond it being a safety measure of not getting cornered or blocked into a room with one access it does give adults the opportunity to access materials without intruding on the teen space too much.  In our current library in Pennsylvania the children's section is split into two, one area for picture books and the other for elementary readers and tween/teen.  As I said I am usually in there with my own children, but it brings up a question of how comfortable are other adults accessing this area.

The question of  'how do we make these materials available to adults and should we' brings up a lot of questions.  Should we make sure they have access to these- absolutely!  However it needs to be done with the thought of safety in mind and how we make all patrons feel comfortable accessing all materials can be more difficult.  In the Wyoming library example I think it is important to note that there is a full time teen librarian and the doors are glass so even if a staff member wasn't in there the staff at the circulation desk has a full view of the area.  This removes a lot of the risk of having adults in a youth/teen area.  By having a seperate access it has allowed adults to access materials without being directly in a teen hangout space.  I feel like this is a great way to manage access and safety.

The library in Pennsylvania does not have a seperate teen or children's librarian dedicated to those spaces.  The developing readers/tweens and teens section is fairly open with the entrance to that area visible from the circulation desk and while there are bean bags etc in there, you don't often find tweens or teens hanging out in the space. It is because of that, I believe that adults are maybe more comfortable going in there, however it isn't ideal for safety or access.  The largest part of the graphic novel section isn't in the children/teen section.  It is in another part of the main library, allow access to all patrons rather easily.  Some that are specifically children focused are still shelved with the childrens books.

Over all I think some adults might feel they are intruding on the youth section of the library and as librarians we need to address the question of access to all while maintain safe areas.  One way to promote YA and NA books is through a book display.  I think that book displays should when possible, offer a blend of materials; fiction, nonfiction, YA, NA.  This is a great way to promote the YA/NA section and assure adult patrons that they are encouraged and welcome to peruse the sections.  Of course there needs to be some signage as well on the books and in the section so that patrons know if they read and enjoyed a NA book where they can look for a similar read.   As a parent I enjoy reading a book that my 12 year old daughter has read- it allows for a new channel of communication.  This could be another way to promote reading in the YA section for adults- offering 2 copies of the same book for parent/guardian to read at the same time as the youth.

Readers' Advisory Matrix

*I found these questions challenging to answer, but they also caused me to reflect on the book and what I thought of it when I read it. I have been working on my final paper, conducting readers' advisory on friends and family and I may have to go back to one of them now with this information in hand.  They like to read fiction and non fiction and I struggled  with how to accurately evaluate the non fiction books they would like.

Born to Run
by Christopher McDougall

Where is the book on the narrative continuum?  A mix

What is the subject of the book?  It is an adventure read mixed in with the science of running and ancient culture.

What type of book is it?  Memoir

Articulate appeal
What is the pacing of the book?  The book has a leisurely pace, easy to set down and come back to again.

Describe the characters of the book?  While it is Chris McDougall's biography and he delves into his search for an answer about running pain free, it is also the story of hard to find Tarahumara Indians of Mexico and the answers he find with them and a few other extreme athletes.

How does the story feel?  Your are taken a long on the journey as the author searches for his answer about running pain free.  But you don't have to be a runner to be inspired.

What is the focus of the story?  The main focus at first seems to be about running pain free and finding the answer to do it.  But it is also about the strength of the human spirit.

Does the language matter?  Yes

Is the setting important and well described?  The setting isn't necessarily important, however in sections as he talks about finding the tribe and running in Mexico's Copper Canyons then it becomes important and is well described.

Are their details and, if so, of what?  The details are in the location, the biometrics of running and the people.

Are their sufficient charts and other graphic materials?  Are they useful and clear?  None

Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding or experience?  The whole story leads to learning and understanding gained from the experience, but they all come together to make an impact.

Why would a reader enjoy this book?
1) Self-reflection    2) Learning/experience    3) Humor

The Innocents

The Innocents

By: Michael Crummey

Synopsis:
Orphaned on an isolated cove in northern Newfoundland brother and sister, Evered and Ada must learn to survive in the harsh conditions all on their own.  Having grown up isolated with only their parents they can't read or write and are naive about the world outside the cove.  However they had helped their parents since they were young, in the garden, with the fishing and the curing.  They are determined to use their limited knowledge to make their own way in the cove.  Fear of others and the unknown drives them to withstand the loneliness and harsh conditions on their own instead of seeking a refuge in the neighboring but foreign town of Mockbegger.

The supply ship, The Hope, comes to the cove twice a year to trade goods and is their only consistent link without the outside world.  Evered takes over his father's role when it comes to fishing and trading while Ada manges the house, garden and drying the fish. Their ability to endure and grow up is challenged with every season as they age. As a few visitors make their way to the cove Evered and Ada's loyalty to each other is questioned.  It is a story of a coming of age, survival and the hardships of an isolated life.

Characteristics of Literary Fiction

Language and Style:  Readers of literacy fiction must appreciate the complex language and styles used. The descriptive language is layered in long, almost poetic writing.

The language in The Innocents is complex as some descriptions will have a lengthy flow, while using phrases or terms that are uncommon and require the reader to think and reread what the author has written.

Pacing:  Unlike many other genres literary fiction has a slow and steady pace with complex characters and storylines.  The imaginative use of writing and layering slows the story down as readers must untangle the descriptions to get to a deeper meaning.

While the pacing is steady in The Innocents there are questions that will leave you wanting to find out how the story concludes.  However readers will get drawn into the imagery of the cove and the characters Evered and Ada meet.

Characters:  There are typically philosophical questions in this writing and the characters become more important than the plot itself.  While understandable the main characters are distinct, with no stereotype roles, even the secondary characters are descriptive and multidimensional.  The relationships between characters is often equally as important.

Evered and Ada are the driving characters in Crummey's novel, however their relationships with the few people they meet are interwoven into their (Evered and Ada's) story.  Passing visitors weave into their ever challenging and confusing relationship as do faint memories of their parents.

Read Alikes:
The Bear by Andrew Krivak follows a young girls journey of survival in a post civilization world.

This Tender land by William Kent Krueger is a lyrical character driven book much like The Innocents.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is set in the wilderness of Alaska as a young girl struggles to survive her family while navigating the complexities of her age.

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin is based on a man living alone that is grappling with the disappearance of his sister and takes in two young pregnant women, written with quotation free dialogue.

Jennifer's Note:
I found this a challenging book to annotate.  It is a book that in every sense meets the description of literary fiction.  While I can typically find enjoyment in a book genre that isn't my typical book of choice I didn't enjoy this one at all.  Part of it was the subject matter but also the language and writing style.  It did however give me an excellent example of this genre.

Week 11 Prompt- Audiobooks and Ebooks

In the article, Ebooks and Readers' Advisory Katie Dunnback said, "Books are the brand of libraries. All formats of books. All. Formats" (p.327).  I think this is a powerful statement when the merit of ebooks or audiobooks are questions. Paper books, ebooks, audiobooks and even read alongs have their place and serve a population that might otherwise be underserved.

I believe that the addition of ebooks and audiobooks to the literary landscape has been a great move forward to encourage more reading and more learning. While physically reading the book is great for obvious reasons like decoding words and pronunciation, an audiobook can allow a reader/listener with ability to focus just on content and comprehension. An increase of 83% since 2011, in the production of audiobooks makes a statement to their popularity. Audiobooks can be an important part of the a library's circulation numbers, with most listeners preference in borrowing an audiobook versus owning one. While many people like to go back and reread a book or parts of a book, seldom do listeners go back at a later date to listen to one part of an audiobook.

The increase in production then means there is an increase in demand for audiobooks as readers/listeners fill their long commutes with 'reading a book' instead of listening to the radio. They are also a valuable part of the literacy world for those with poor eyesight that would struggle to read the book, but can enjoy it via audio.

The narrator plays a large role in the success of an audiobook. While most audiobooks that are chosen to be produced as an audiobook were popular in print, they can be a flop if the wrong narrator is chosen. While some listeners have a strong preference for one or two narrators I find that my preference depends on the book. We listen to audiobooks on road trips with the kids and I find that is a tough audience to cover with narrators.  Some try too hard to sound like a little boy or girl and instead of hearing the story I only hear their voice and how terrible it sounds. My kids however never comment on this being something they notice.  We can listen to the same book at the same time and have completely different experiences!  I recently listened to The City of Brass and I am now listening to the next in the series, The Kingdom of Copper. The narrator, Soneela Nankani has a voice that is easy to listen to and slight accent that fits the Middle Eastern influence of the book. She keeps the pace of the book flowing and listening to the book was easier having her pronounce names and words that are of Middle East and supernatural descent. I probably wouldn't read these books if I had to physically read them because they are long and I feel the story flows much better with the narrator.

I love ebooks for the convenience. I love having access to three libraries ebooks at my fingertips- especially right now. Like many others there are reasons to love them, but they change the reading experience. My most recent read was in adobe and on my phone. To make it big enough to read easily I found I was flicking the page all the time as it only had small section of print up at a time.  One page had only 4 full sentences and two partial sentences, that is a lot of page turning!  I miss the feel of the physical book in my hand, but mostly I find the pace of the book is harder to get a feel for when I am turning the electronic page. The lack of physical indication of how much of the book is left leaves me disappointed at end because I didn't have the anticipation of the story ending.

While the readers ability to change text size, font, color, spacing etc can have an impact on the book these are often the features that allow that person to have access to the book. Perhaps they need the larger font but the paper copy isn't in large print. For dyslexic readers these changes make reading easier and more enjoyable. And ultimately isn't that what we want- people reading! Library collections should reach as many patrons as possible and to do that it is the responsibility of the library to balance the collection of print, audio and ebooks and just keep people reading.


Cahill, M., & Moore, J. (2017). A Sound History. Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, 15(1), 22–29.

Dunneback, K., & Trott, B. (2011). E-books and Readers' Advisory. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 50(4), 325-9. 

Mediatore, K. (2003). Reading with Your Ears: Readers' Advisory and Audio Books. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 42(4), 318-23.

Fantasy Annotation

The City of Brass

S.A. Cakraborty

Synopsis:

Nahri was a survivor and a swindler.  Despite her ability to find easy marks that would pay well she was always trying to make more money.  In the city of Cairo she had bribes to pay and a dream of leaving the harshness of Cairo for Istanbul to study real medicine.  With an ability she didn’t understand she could read and sometimes heal others illnesses and help Yaqib in his apothecary.  Yaqib warns her that she is dabbling in dangerous magic when he learns she is leading zars and exorcising djinn.  While leading a zar she finds out that she is more than a trickster, and the djinn are very much real.  The magical stories she remembers hearing as a child weren’t make believe, and she summons a mysterious djinn warrior.  As she escapes the ifrit with the help of the warrior they cross lands unknown to her and face creatures of fire, hawks that aren’t what they seem and ruins of once prosperous human cities, all on their way to the legendary city of brass where she thinks she will be safe.  But behind the gilded brass walls are the six gates of the djinn and old resentments are brewing.  Magic and politics are dangerous and have deadly consequences. 

Characteristics of a Fantasy:

Setting:  Readers of a fantasy novel read knowing and expecting to enter the realm of another world and authors meet that expectation with complex details.  Rich descriptions evoc sights, feelings and smells of this other world.  While a reader knows it is fantasy, while reading they feel like it is real.

The City of Brass is written in a richly descriptive style, drawing the reader from the real world of Cairo to worlds unknown to Narhi. The magic becomes greater the closer she comes to Daevabad.  Readers will be woven into the story with the details of sight, smells and sounds.

Characters:  Typically characters are defined as good or bad, typically with magical powers.  Characters are often challenged physically and ethically.  Typical fantasy novels are heavily loaded with characters.

While some characters in The City of Brass are easily defined as good or bad, the details of some characters make you as the reader question their loyalty, their powers and the reasons for their actions. Like a typical fantasy novel readers will learn of a whole cast of characters.  While some play larger roles than others they all have part of the story to tell.

Language/Style:  The language of a fantasy novel can vary, however as highly descriptive novels there is no shortage of adjectives.  Unusual names are commonplace and some fans believe they have a true fantasy when a glossary is included.

The City of Brass makes an excellent audiobook with the language and names setting cadence for the story.  The words have a sound and while the rhythm can be found reading it to oneself, terminology used lends itself to a flowing engaging audiobook.

Read Alikes: The selection below are all influenced by the Middle East, legends and lore. Readers will recognize some modern day Middle East cities. The protagonists are strong and complex characters that have a supernatural heritage.

The Golem and Jinn by Helene Wecker

The Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri 

Dijnn City by Saad Z. Hossain 

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Book Club

Book Club

I attended my first book at my local library in February.  While I have participated in book clubs before, this was the first library hosted book club I have attended.  In past book clubs the 'host' each month selected the book and led the discussion.  It was a social, fun and open dialogue about the book.  I enjoy leaving a book discussion pondering other perceptions of the book.

There were six of us attending the February library book club, including the library staff leading the book, Sold on a Monday.  The audience for this book club is older and only four of the six attending had read the book.  Overall we were there for 1.5 hours.  The majority of the time was spent trying to brief one other attendee on the book, the second one didn't participate he only listened and occasionally wandered away. (I was warned this was normal.) The library staff member began to brief the other attendee, but was often interrupted by another member of book club.  By the end of the evening I could see that this was her way of participating in the discussion, but I wonder if it would have been a more productive discussion had she let the staff member give a brief overview.  I was also under the assumption that the staff member would try to lead the discussion with a few questions regarding the book, but she didn't.  I don't know if this was because of the debriefing of the book took over the discussion or if this is how book club normally goes.  I could tell that she (staff member) was frustrated when the other member continually interrupted her.  She and I were the only ones there under the age of 65 so she would glance my way with a look of frustration.  I think she was also gauging my reaction to it.  Ultimately I realized this discussion was going to be a combination of explaining the book to the other member, and sometimes a deeper issue or style of writing would be brought into the conversation.  Every time I thought we had finally moved on to discussing the book, someone went back to explaining the story. Some of the actual brief discussions that took place were:

*Timeline- How quickly this whole story took place.  This also played into discussions about the reality of travelling as much as they did in the 1930’s. 

*Too many side stories- While there was the main plot, several characters had side stories going on.  There were mixed feelings about the value this added to the book

*Reality/History- There was a fair amount of discussion regarding the believability of the story and the idea of a child being sold.  This idea led to discussion regarding families and the value of children, the need for large families and the harsh reality of knowing that typically not all your children would survive. 

The book club ended with a general discussion of books that had and hadn't been read in book club.  I took a book for next month, I'll give the book club one more try but it wasn't the fun discussion and social atmosphere of other book clubs I have participated in.  The one interrupting member later told me she was glad to have someone young attending and was happy that I was willing to interrupt her in discussions as she thinks that it makes for a better discussion.  

Overall I found the experience frustrating.  It will be interesting to try and attend in March to see if everyone has read the book and if there is more discussion or if it is another retelling of the book.  Personally I think that when a library hosts a book club there should be more structure to it, and the librarian would take the role of leading the group.  This librarian has only been leading the book club for less than 6 months and so I do feel that she is struggling to change the format of the book club.  My guess is that those attending have been for several years and don’t see any need to change the way they have been doing it. I think this is a reflection on the library and what seems to be the attitude of this is how it has always been done so why change anything.  While staff is very friendly the programming and vibe of the library, from children’s to adults is rather stale. 

Special Topics Paper

If you look on the ALA website for a definition of readers advisory you will mostly likely find these two definitions.  Defined by Herald, “readers' advisory is the act of putting people together with the books they love." While Saricks defines readers' advisory as “a patron-oriented library service for adult fiction readers. A successful readers' advisory service is one in which knowledgeable, nonjudgmental staff help fiction readers with their reading needs."  While Saricks specifies adult fiction readers, this idea can be transferred to readers’ advisory for youth.  However, I would contend that readers advisory for youth provides more challenges, not only are they(youth) busy forming their own likes/dislikes and opinions much like an adult, but also because of parental and school constraints and reading levels.  Keasler recommends, “don’t pay too much attention to reading levels.”  Scales states “we’re treating reading too much like a science. It needs to be treated more like an art form. Science is exact, art is looking at the whole composition—to create a painting of a reader, [we need] to look at them as a person.”

Reader's advisory for our children in the public library and in the school need to be treated as art, as a whole person.  While in a public library, librarians may have direct contact with parents they typically won't have this contact in a school library.  Either way it is important that we do our best to uphold the ALA Library Bill of Rights interpretation for minors,  "Equitable access to all library resources and services should not be abridged based on chronological age, apparent maturity, educational level, literacy skills, legal status, or through restrictive scheduling and use policies".

Additional challenges faced in the school library is leveled reading.  While some teacher embrace and respect the child's right to choose others focus on students selecting only within their reading level.  It is important then as a school librarian to have your own policy in place that states students have the right to self select a minimum of one purely recreational read of their choice.  School librarians also need to help students that have a desire to read at the level of peers, when their own reading skills don't match the level.  By shelving easier to read chapter books with other chapter books students have that sense of security.  

Teaching younger patrons, in the public or school library, to self-assess is valuable.  Can they look at a book and ask themselves is this a ‘just right book for me?’  We are here to foster their love of reading and learning, if we don’t allow them to explore fiction, non-fiction, easy books and too hard books, then we are robbing them of the opportunity to express themselves through reading.  

Week 7 Prompt- Celebrity Book Clubs

Celebrity Book Clubs

This week we've had the opportunity to explore controversy over books, celebrity book clubs, fake memoirs and author mills.  While some of these are headlines I have skimmed in the past, it was interesting to read them with intent this week.

While the phenomenon of the Oprah Winfrey book club has slowed down over the years, there has to be something said for a book club that has been around for 26 years.  Yes, some of the hiatus' have been long and she has changed her format over the years from inviting the authors to her show to most recently to hosting the book talks on her Apple TV program and reducing the number of books each year, but we can't deny that she has brought books into the top of the book charts for many years.  As Butler, Cowen and Nilsson showed in their study "from 1996 to 2002, an Oprah endorsement was enough to bring a book up into the top 150 bestsellers in America, and almost certainly guaranteed a sturdy spike in the rankings in the beginning, followed by a prolonged period of strong sales for months to come."  Lucky are most the authors that have had a book selected for her book club.  Even author James Frey, whom years ago was called him out on television by Winfrey for his inaccurate account of his personal life unfolding in A Million Little Pieces, gained from being on her book club list.  Just recently she has been bound to another book/author controversy with American Dirt, receiving messages and letters from fans asking her to remove this book from her 2020 Book Club list.  While people might be calling for her to pull it from her list, the continued controversy continues to keep the book title in the news. 

Reese Witherspoon and Emma Watson also have book clubs, but far less controversial. Emma Watson's focuses on feminist classics while she is serving as a UN Ambassador.  While she encourages fans to read strong women literature it is done is a far more subdued and limited manner. 
Reese Witherspoon recently announced a position for her book club librarian and her Hello Sunshine Book Club encourages reading and an online discussion of books.  Notes from the authors give an extra insight to the books.  Will her book club garner notoriety of Oprah's, we don't know. 

Maybe celebrity book clubs will be a trend that will fade, but 26 years and counting tells me they have found a niche. Following celebrities via social media is a trend that is only growing and I would guess that as celebrity book clubs continue to build an online social media presence their popularity will continue to grow.  What I hope is that it is done out of a love for reading.  I hope their book selections are done based on what they want to read, not done as a financial gain.  I hope that their book clubs continue to inspire a love of reading. 

Butler, R. J. ., Cowan, B. W. ., & Nilsson, S. (2005). From Obscurity to Bestseller: Examining the Impact of Oprah’s Book Club Selections. Publishing Research Quarterly, 20(4), 23–34. https://doi-org.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/10.1007/s12109-005-0045-2
https://hello-sunshine.com/

Week 6 Prompt Response- Promoting Romance

Promoting Romance

I would use an integrated advisory to promote the romance genre; linking books, audiobooks and move resources within the library.  This would be a great opportunity to link a fun display with library resources and programming.

To:       ABC Library Director

From:  Jennifer Anderson

Date:   February 19, 2020

RE:      Promoting romance genre

Attached you will find my detailed plan for using a display and integrated advisory to promote the large selection of romance genre materials we have.  I believe this genre is currently under circulated based on perception and we can help patrons expand their reading prosectives and promote other library resources and services.  

An overview of this promotion would start with display, as we do for other topics, celebrations and genre's.  This book display would predominantly showcase a variety of romance genre books, sharing mostly fiction books, but when appropriate non fiction that would fit.  Display visuals would include statements like, "If you liked ___ then try ___"  This will include highlighting non romance books that might have some read alike features to a romance book, encouraging readers to try something new.  It would also include linking current romance novel readers to other romance (historical, relationship and mystery) novels, but also exposing readers to graphic novels, memoirs, poetry and nonfiction.  These "If you like ____then try ___" prompts will also include encouraging patrons to try audiobooks, and eBooks.  I would also include pairings of romance novels with movies that we have available on DVD or through streaming services offered.  To keep the display fresh feeling I would also include a "Blind Date with a Book" section with a fun raffle prize for returned date slips/reviews at the end of the promotion. 

I would like this to also include programs around the 'romance' genre that could include a book club with a romance book, promotion of nonfiction would include a cooking class, flower arrangement course

Romance Annotation- Lost and Found

Lost and Found

By: Danielle Steel

Synopsis: Maddie did what she felt she needed to when her children were younger. As a single mom of three she propelled all of her efforts into raising her kids and establishing a career to support them. She tried dating a handful of times, but eventually all three of the relationships ended when confronted with a decision of what to do next.

An accident forces her to slow down and re evaluate those decisions. While recovering she sifts through an old box of memories containing letters and pictures from those three men. Where are they now? What would it have been like had she made other choices?

When confronted with the stark reality of growing old alone she decides to revisit the past. She travels across the country from New York to California, stopping to see the men from her past if the decisions she made in the past were the right ones. Only after confronting the ghosts in her closet can she look forward to the future and unknowingly heal relationships with her children.

Characteristics of a Romance:

Tone: The tone of a romance is full of strong emotional connections between all the characters. This emotional connection moves the story along quickly and typically to a happy ending, although sometimes with a twist.

In the first few chapters of Lost and Found, through repetitive writing, Steel builds the relationship between the reader and Maddie. She develops the background story of her life and paves the pathway for the rest of the story.

Characters: Characters are developed with vivid characterization that include looks and personality traits. Typically men are written as powerful and somewhat dangerous. Women are developed to be strong and independent, typically the back story develops these traits for the women. In most, one or more characters are forced to undergo a transformation in attitude or way of thinking.

Maddie is quickly developed as an independent and successful woman that outwardly appears confident. Her vulnerability is exposed as the story unfolds. She is joined by three men that have personalities that are powerful, confident and each offer their own sense of danger. Maddie’s three children also have varying personalities that she handles with great finesse.

Language: Language plays an important role is setting the stage for a romance novel. The
language is descriptive to create the characters, scenery and emotions.

Steel builds the setting in her story for readers to imagine looks of each characters and scenes. They will feel like they know exactly what the refurbished firehouse house looks like with all the charm. As Maddie drives across country readers feel like they are riding along seeing cities, cornfields, mountains and the California coast. The sincerity of the emotion will have readers hoping for a happy ending in romance and in healing relationships.

Pace: The pace is fast, with the author setting the reader up to fall for the characters. More of the writing is done in dialogue which moves the reader through the story quickly- looking for a resolution.

As with many books the first couple of chapters are spent setting up the characters and the emotional ties between them. This catapults Lost and Found into a quick read as readers follow the dialogue of the characters.

Read Alikes: 

The selection below touches on relationships with strong female leads. They each face something in their lives that they regroup from and start again. Self-discovery is a strong linking theme along with romance and relationships. Debbie Mcomber are ‘ensemble’ books, characters carry over from other books, however a new reader can pick up anywhere in the series. 

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews
Starting Now by Debbie Mcomber

Week 5 Prompt Response

How do reviews affect collection development?
When reviews are sought out for collection development I think it is important to look at more than one review from more than one source.  While reviews are opinion, they still need to be credible.  Kirkus allows the reviewer to be as honest as they would like because they are anonymous, for me this opens up concerns and credibility of anonymity. "The knowledge of how BRs are written in different disciplines is of overarching importance to those interested in genre studies. Besides, cross-cultural investigations can be conducted in order to see how cultural specificities might affect the formation of BRs and whether the overall organization of a BR would remain intact across different cultures and languages," was the conclusion of Jaliffar and Tanivar in their study on book reviews, albeit academic focused, and the politeness factor used to reduce an FTA (Face Threatening Act), was an interesting point to consider.  If reviewers aren't anonymous will they be more guarded in their written review? 

Are the two review examples reliable?  How likely would I be to buy this for my library?
In my opinion all reviews need to be taken with grain of salt.  When I am reading reviews on anything that I might buy, read or watch I look at how many reviews there are.  One great and one terrible- then they cancel each other out.  Reviews are often written because the consumer was really happy with the whole product or at least most of it or they really disliked it and were unsatisfied. If an item or book has many reviews I find it more reliable, more people have read/used the item.  It is also important to note that reviewers on Amazon, as in the example have no connection to you, however if you are reading a review on a blog it is often because you follow that blogger.  You have already identified that you have something you like about the person or what they read and so you typically will value their opinion over that of a stranger that happened to read a book that you looked at online.

Would I buy this book for my library- probably not.  Although both reviews give it an average rating there is nothing about it that either reviewer is raving over. A short 185 page easy read most likely has dozens of read alikes within the library for patrons to read.

Angela's Ashes- how do the reviews make me feel about adding it to the collection?
Each of the exampled reviews of Angela's Ashes are vastly different.  The Kirkus review comes across as a brutal review of the father in the story, but ultimately makes for a compelling description and review of the book itself. I feel like all four reviews were positive for the book and the author and based on them I would purchase this book for a library collection.  

As a side note I found the Library Journal and the School Library Journal reviews written in a sterile matter of fact manor, while the other reviews drew me in and made me want to read the book. Interestly I just looked up reviews for a book I recently read and didn't really enjoy and it was compared to Angela's Ashes as a read alike.  So while the 4 reviews make me interested in reading the book, knowing it is comparable to what I just finished makes me less inclined to read it myself.  

Is it fair one type of book is reviewed a lot and others get little to no coverage?  
I did a search for Danielle Steel in Kirkus, Library Journal, and the New York Times Reviews.  I was surprised that I was unable to find any reviews.  I then search for another well known romance novelist, Robyn Carr and found reviews for her in both Kirkus and Library Journal.  In general I think romance novels get fewer reviews, especially those written by those well known in the genre.  I would venture to say their literature worth is deemed less important and once a fan has found their romance novels they tend to stick with them, with or without reviews.  Is it fair, probably not but they seem to have a good circulation without reviews. 

How does this affect a libraries collection?  
I think this has more of an affect on new authors than established ones, which then makes it difficult for a library to determine if it should be added to the collection.  While reviewers might not find value in them, the readers of this genre are typically loyal readers and it is a responsibility of the collection manager to provide a collection for all. 

How do you feel about review sources that don't print the negative?  Is that appropriate?  
I have a tendency to distrust those that don't allow for negative reviews.  It limits the purpose of the review of only positive reviews are made and it doesn't allow consumers/patrons to have all the information about the book.

If you buy for a library- how often do you use reviews?  
When I was purchasing books for the international school library I used reviews from Amazon, GoodReads, Scholastic or the site I was purchasing books on.  I took into consideration if the books I was purchasing were for students pleasure reading, if they were books we wanted to supplement english classes or if they were for our IPC (International Primary Curriculum) units.  The IPC site often had books that it recommended to include in a reference library to support the unit.  

If not, how do you feel about reviews for personal reading?  What are your favorite review sources? 
I've never been in the habit of looking up reviews on  regular basis for books I am picking up from the library.  I am either there to browse the shelves or I have a recommendation for a specific book I am looking for.  The recommendations are often verbal reviews from friends, although I will sometimes do a quick search for a book on Amazon or Goodreads for a review.  I just finished a book which I picked out during my secret shopper experience.  I just looked up a couple of reviews for the book which were mostly positive, however at the end of the book I can't say I would recommend it. Reviews are very personal and I think unless I know the reviewer or the person recommending the book it's a gamble.  However I will say if I check reviews for personal reading and they are positive I am far more likely to try a book and hope that I am not disappointed. 

Jalilifar, A. “Ahvaz,” & Tanavar, L. “Shiraz.” (2015). In search of the generic identity of the book review: a chronological and pragmatic study. Linguistik Online, 3, 51.

Kirkus Style Review

Sold on a Monday

Kristina McMorris

An innocent picture is taken by struggling the reporter, Ellis Reed, which exploits one family and forces others to face their own secrets. 

McMorris introduces Reed Ellis, feeding us bits and pieces of his past and his present.  He takes a picture of two children in front of a sign that says “2 children for sale’ “If Ellis’s brother had survived, he wondered, would they have looked just as similar?  Would they have both been wanted?”  Lily shares the picture with his newspaper editor and Ellis is given his first opportunity to write a real piece for the paper. An innocent picture and an innocent mistake.  All Ellis wants is to be a reporter that makes a difference and this might be his big break. What happens when the image is destroyed?  What happens when we act without thinking about the repercussions?  With each of the main characters having a secret to be exposed and romantic tensions interspersed some parts of the story become too predictable.  However, McMorris makes her readers wonder, what would you be willing to sacrifice in times of desperation?  

Each family faces their own secrets and tragedies and despite their misdoings, you will be left hoping for forgiveness and happiness for them all. 

Adventure Annotation

East of the Mountains
David Guterson

Synopsis: As a doctor Ben knows that death is inevitable, a part of the cycle of life. However when he is faced with his own impending death Ben determines that he will be in control of his ultimate demise, knowing all too well that medicine can’t help him. Without his families knowledge of his illness or his plans he starts out on a personal journey to end his life back where it all began.

Fate interferes with his initial plans with a minor car crash. That crash leads him into the lives of a young adventuring couple, a drifter, Mexican immigrants, a stranger on a bus and a family from his past. Each of their lives impacts Ben. Meanwhile he wrestles with questions of life, how to live it, how to end it and if it should include his family.

Characteristics of an Adventure:

Pacing: The pacing in the adventure genre is generally brisk paced, escaping one danger only to

experience another. The story takes place generally over a short period of time with date/time stamps in the chapter.

While this story set up takes a few chapters, begins to unfold as he leaves for his hunting trip and moves at a steady pace as he experiences each event, while not necessarily dangerous they quickly move the reader through the story. Moments in the story are interrupted with flashbacks to his childhood, marriage and war- each adding another adventurous episode.

Storyline: The storyline focuses on action, a mission and the obstacles that the ‘hero’ faces along the way to his/her generally happy ending.

Ben’s adventures are more low-key than others in the genre, however equally effective to move the story along as the ‘hero’ faces his own immortality.

Hero: The main character that readers relate to and hope that he succeeds in his mission.

Ben is the obvious hero, however he has the readers hoping for a failure in his mission as he grapples with his plan to take his life.

Details: Location is key in an adventure story, detailed descriptions draw the reader into feeling like they are there in the action. Maps often accompany adventure books as readers follow the hero.

Gulterson spares no details in East of the Mountains, using all five senses to make the reader feel like they are travelling along on the adventure. Road signs, descriptions of valleys, the taste of the fruit detail the adventure from the west coast over the mountains to his childhood.

Read Alikes: 

The selection below follows the adventure genre with pacing, storyline and details as the ‘hero’s’ face their own obstacles on their journeys, each of these also contain elements of a psychological fiction as does East of the Mountains.

The Round House by Louise Erdrich
A Small White Scar by K.A. Nuzum
Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Secret Shopper- Summary

I made two visits to two separate libraries and I can't say that either was a good secret shopper/readers advisory experience, in fact it was nearly non existent.  However the experience cemented my belief in customer service and how it adds value to a library.  When community libraries rely on community support and tax funds it is vital to 'sell' the value of the library both in quantitative evaluation, this can be simply circulation numbers, and qualitative evaluation, peoples experiences.  If you haven't taken courses on evaluation I highly recommend it for all specializations but especially for school and public libraries!  Practical Evaluation Techniques for Librarians by Rachel Applegate lays out the procedure and data collection from conducting secret shopper evaluation within your own library.  Honestly until I tried it in the last two weeks I wasn't sold on it effectiveness as an evaluation technique- however my thinking has changed!    

So what was my experience that led to this?  We are relatively new to this community and I don't know any of the librarians by name although they most likely recognize me as we are in the library on a regular basis. We were at the circulation desk and the librarian asked if there was anything else she could help with.  It was the perfect in!  I said I was in a bit of a reading rut and asked for some book recommendations. I was really hopeful- so far so good.  But that's where the questions ended.  There were no follow up questions about what I had read recently that I like/disliked, what my interests were, if I liked thrillers or romance.  

She said "Well have you checked out the books on this shelf here- they are are our newest books".

She pointed out a fantasy and a couple of others and left it at that.  Now I could have been more aggressive and followed up with her.  I could have asked if there were any on the shelf she had read and would recommend, but I felt like that would have been a bit of a role reversal.  I know that this library has Novelist, a great tool as we discussed last week and it wasn't used or even suggested I try it on a library computer. 

I wondered if this interaction was lacking in assistance because I am a regular there, although I would hope that even regular patrons would get more readers advisory assistance than I did. 

So I decided to try again as a new face in a new library and drove to the next town over.  If you can believe it, the experience was even worse!  The librarian didn't recognize my entrance into the library and I had get her attention in a desk back behind the circulation desk.  I wanted to confirm that I could used my card at this library.  She said yes and without another word she went back to her desk.  She didn't ask if I needed help finding anything or give me a general layout of the library even though it was obvious I was a new patron to this library.  I browsed the shelves and listed for other patron interactions, there were two others that cam in after me, but no interaction between them and the librarian.  

So while I do value and appreciate that these community libraries are available for patrons I left feeling disappointed for myself and the community. 

Applegate, R. (2013). Practical evaluation techniques for librarians. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Week Three Prompt Response- Novelist

1. I am looking for a book by Laurell K. Hamilton. I just read the third book in the Anita Blake series and I can’t figure out which one comes next! 

The next book in her series is The Lunatic Cafe.

2. What have I read recently? Well, I just finished this great book by Barbara Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer. I really liked the way it was written, you know, the way she used language. I wouldn't mind something a bit faster paced though.

A read alike book I would recommend is Where the Crawdads sing, sticking with the writing style of Kingsolver with a green theme, literary fiction and strong female characters. I would also suggest she try books by Christ Cleave because most of her books have a strong female protagonist dealing with conflict, relationships and often have a green nature to them.

3. I like reading books set in different countries. I just read one set in China, could you help me find one set in Japan? No, not modern – historical. I like it when the author describes it so much it feels like I was there! 

By looking for historical fiction and a setting in Japan I would suggest Autumn Bridge, Jade Dragon Mountain and The Painting. The detail in each should draw the reader into feeling like they are there.

4. I read this great mystery by Elizabeth George called Well-Schooled in Murder and I loved it. Then my dentist said that if I liked mysteries I would probably like John Sandford, but boy was he creepy I couldn't finish it! Do you have any suggestions? 

I would suggest they try authors like Ruth Rendell, Jane Harper and Deborah Crombre. These focus on Scotland and Australia for locations, and include a leisurely pace for a crime/mystery storyline

5. My husband has really gotten into zombies lately. He’s already read The Walking Dead and World War Z, is there anything else you can recommend? 

I would suggest a variety of other zombie books including Zombies of Byzantium, Married with Zombies and War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies while trying to steer clear of more teen focused zombie books.

6. I love books that get turned into movies, especially literary ones. Can you recommend some? Nothing too old, maybe just those from the last 5 years or so. 

I love the feature of Novelist that gives lists of books to movies. Using that and the readers request of literary books I would suggest they try The Invisible Man, All the Bright Places, The After Math and Dancing on the Edge of the Roof.

7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast paced.
I found this harder to select, maybe I wasn't finding the right way to filter language and sex scenes. I did tend to look at those that were teen books, but that isn't always an adequate way to filter. I would want to find out if the reader had specific themes within thriller they were looking for but would lean toward historical, legal and medical thrillers. A couple I would suggest are Deadly Cure and Mississippi Blood.

Second, after you get a chance to do the readings and explore Mary Chelton's list of tools, I want to hear about how you find books to read. It could be a site or a resource you've just discovered or one you've used for years, one you use for yourself or for your patrons or family and friends. 

 The use of Novelist was a first for me with this assignment- and I am in love! I think it is a great tool to use for patrons but also for myself when I feel like I am stuck in a rut or I have finished all the books an author has written and I want more like it. Generally I rely on friends and family for book recommendations, I sometimes look at BookRiot for book lists and blogs that have reading recommendations. I also watch Goodreads to see what 'friends' are reading or what they send me for a recommendation. When I was doing readers advisory for elementary students I used our catalog to know what we had, ( I was in an international school overseas so library opportunites outside of the school was limited to one other library) and goodreads for read alikes. The tools shared by Mary Chelton are endless and I would have loved to know about many of them when I was in the school.

Readers Advisory History

I forgot to ask if anyone was as surprised by the readers' advisory history as I was?  I found it interesting that they would base the suggested reading list, that was mailed to them, highly based on the type of magazine they read.  Those that read Atlantic Monthly were considered to have a higher reading level than those that were likely to read The Saturday Evening Post!