Week 16 prompt

Both of our readings this week talk about the culture of reading and the future of the book. So I have two questions for you as readers, pulling on your own experiences and all of the readings we have done over the semester: First, how have reading and books changed since you were a child, for you specifically? Second, talk a little about what you see in the future for reading, books, or publishing - say 20 years from now. Will we read more or less, will our reading become more interactive? What will happen to traditional publishing? This is  a very free-form question, feel free to wildly extrapolate or calmly state facts, as suits your mood!

Books of course have changed from when I was a kid, of course.  We have ebooks now!  And audiobooks have become a thing.  Graphic novels and manga have hit a boom.  (A friend and I always like to joke about manga and how kids these days have it easy...in middle & high school, we really enjoyed manga but bookstores and the library only had about a shelf each because so few series were being translated, and each volume cost $15-20.  Now there are rows and rows of titles that only cost $9!)  I remember checking out mostly paperbacks too, but I feel like current purchasing and publishing trends are getting away from that and pushing hardcovers.  Or maybe it's just that my personal preference on that has changed!  Covers are also becoming more visually appealing and art-y too, I think.  Writing all that down, I realize that books have become more of a commercial package than I remember them being as a kid!

That one time I tweeted about how we weren't doing our jobs
&Neil Gaiman himself enabled us.

The act of reading itself hasn't changed much for me.  I still always have at least one book going, always have a to-read stack to grab the next one from.  That's always been my habit.  I took the History of the Book course last year, and we discussed how reading historically has been social--not everyone was literate, so books were read aloud, or even going back to ye olden times when books simply weren't available so people relied on oral storytellers to entertain them.  When you're a kid, reading is still a social event.  Parents read to you, the librarian reads to you, teachers read to you...  Reading as an adult is still a pretty social thing, for me.  (It was argued in that class, however, that reading is rapidly becoming a more solitary activity for the majority of people.)  Of course, as a librarian, I get plenty of chances to talk books and I jump on Goodreads and the Books subreddit fairly often, follow my favorite authors on Facebook.  But even beyond that...if it's a warm, lazy Sunday, you'll find myself, my boyfriend, and our dog laying out in a quilt in the backyard with our books.  We share the same taste in books, so we're usually telling each other about what we're reading and why the other one should read it.  (That's actually how we met--he was worked at a local bookstore that I frequented!)

That answer bled into the next question...I don't see reading becoming a solitary activity any time soon.  Nor do I see people reading less, especially once publishers wholly embrace ebooks.  They're (usually) cheaper, more convenient for people on the go, and tablets are becoming everyday technology meaning many people have access now.  Don't get me wrong, I still prefer my traditional books!  But with more options opening up, letting people read whenever and however they want, I don't see reading disappearing.  Especially since I've noted already that books are being marketed more and more attractively...publishers aren't going to let reading die out either!

I'm also very excited to see the future of reading, and of books, because I think traditional publishing may lose some footing to these new trends I'm seeing.  The 39 Clues books, while juvenile fiction, is a great example of where publishing may be going.  (Kids read the books, but they can also jump online to find clues and there are also collectible cards.)  Marvel has been experimenting with integrating their publishing with their movie and TV franchises to create a cohesive universe for their characters, so we may begin to see other companies pick that up.  A couple years ago, I purchase a non-fiction book about the behind-the-scenes creation of a popular, critically-acclaimed video game franchise that used QR codes so readers could see video of the programming or of the mo-cap stage.  It was even set up so the QR codes would 'refresh' every so often to show new content.

I'm sure we'll see some duds, but I think we'll see some exciting stuff too coming out of the world of books and of publishing.  I agreed with Wachtell in our readings for this week...we shouldn't confuse with "how" of reading with the "why" of reading.  Maybe ebooks and audiobooks will edge out traditional books someday...but that doesn't mean people aren't still reading.

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Happy summer, guys!  This class has been a lot of fun, but I'm ready to relax and enjoy this sun as much as possible now.  (Just gotta get this final project done!)

One last chance to show off Zero, sorry, had to take it!

Week 15 prompt

What do you think are the best ways to market your library's fiction collection? Name and describe three ways you do or would like to market your library or your future library's fiction. These can be tools, programs, services, displays - anything that you see as getting the word out.

I like passive RA--laying out bookmarks, read-a-like flyers and posting up the bestseller lists.  One week, we forgot to change the NYT bestseller list that's posted in our New Fiction section, and several patrons let us know about it!  A couple homebound patrons also send us their own highlighted copies to let us know what they're interested in.  Teens don't seem to care about the NYT bestseller list all that much, however.  (Probably because it usually stays the same for long periods of time...for months, my boss and I had a guessing game about how many John Green books were listed per week!)  Bookmarks are especially popular as they serve that double purpose--pointing patrons towards new reads but also marking their spot in their current book!  Older patrons like the read-a-like flyers, or even just print-outs that list series in order because if the series isn't listed within the book, they are unlikely to try the computer themselves to find that information.

Displays are also a hit, and sometimes a lot of fun to put together!  There's more opportunity to create elaborate and imaginative displays for Children's and Young Adult, but we like to get creative with the Adult fiction too.  An attractive sign or a few props really draw the eye, and our patrons often to stop and browse the latest display.  I've done some holiday-centered ones for Young Adult, a Star Wars display for Children's that was crazy popular, and just today I set up a Downton Abbey read-a-like display for this class' final project.  Other displays I've seen around at our libraries include color-coded ones, "Books Gone Hollywood!", a dueling dog display and cat display set across from each other...  Thematic displays are a good way to bring some older titles into the spotlight.

One marketing strategy I'd like to explore more is using social media to promote our materials.  Our library website has a blog function, and I believe there were hopes that designated staff members would post about what they're reading, but it fell through the cracks between other projects.  Our Facebook and Twitter page advertises programs and services, which as I believe Saricks points out in this week's reading, isn't enough to boost circ stats.  I attended CYPD last year in Indy and one of the speakers there had great suggestions about how to use Youtube for book talks and Twitter for personalized suggestions.  There was some talk about starting a Youtube channel for our Teen department, but again I think that fell by the wayside of other projects.  I tried a Twitter account for recommending YA material, but didn't have a good way to promote it.  I'm interested in trying these sites again, and will try pushing for more support on them.

Week 14 prompt

Consider yourself part of the collection management committee of your local library, or a library at which you would like to work. You must decide whether or not to separate GBLTQ fiction and African American Fiction from the general collection to its own special place. Some patrons have requested this, yet many staff are uncomfortable with the idea - saying it promotes segregation and disrupts serendipitous discovery of an author who might be different from the reader. Do you separate them? Do you separate one and not the other? Why or why not? You must provide at least 3 reasons for or against your decision. Feel free to use outside sources - this is a weighty question that is answered differently in a lot of different libraries.


I would ultimately decide against separating these works from the rest of the fiction section.

The first reason is the simplest, non-controversial reason--we do not have the available shelf space to do so.  The branch library I work at serves a small, rural community.  The Main library, while much larger, still could not be called "large."  Shelving has been arranged in a way that maxes out our available space while remaining aesthetically pleasing.  All fiction titles are interfiled with each other, and no genre gets its own unit.  There is simply no space to arrange specialized shelving, or at least not in a way that would make sense and seem appealing.

I also agree that separating out the GBLTQ and African American fiction borders on segregation.  One of our articles this week, "Urban Grit," hits on this--why would we shelve a Toni Morrison next to a Relentless Aaron?  Purely on the basis that both authors are black?  That seems ridiculous to me, and I'm sure many others.  Pulling authors' works and grouping them together based solely on their minority status may send the signal that their work is not considered equal.  To group them separately would be ignoring all other appeal factors within the novel and saying "it's just about homosexuality" or "it's just about the Black experience."  If the novels were to remain interfiled with the rest of the fiction, they may be found and judged (hopefully) on the appeal factors of the story.

The third reason is similar to the second reason.  Not only could the authors of these works receive the wrong message of how their writing is valued, it can send the wrong message to the readers as well.  We serve a rather uniform community that is beginning to grow in its diversity, yet there are still pockets of extreme conservatism.  One of my fears is that separation of GBLTQ and street lit would send the message of "only gays or African Americans would be interested in this," and the other fear is that it would also say "only gays or African Americans should read this."  In the first case, I think that would be a shame, if a reader ignored a title because they think it wasn't for them or wouldn't appeal to them as it's not their life.  That's one of the main points of reading!  Vicariously experiencing another's life and gaining a new perspective or even empathy.  In the second case, it could be bad for the reader's actual well-being.  A lot of my work is focused on our little teen area, and I do make a concentrated effort to have an inclusive collection in our branch.  It wasn't all that long ago I was in high school either and I can remember how kids who either were gay or were suspected of being gay were downright bullied.  I can't imagine a questioning teen browsing a section of GBLTQ literature; it'd be putting a spotlight on their back!  However, were titles by gay authors, or with gay characters, interfiled with the rest of the fiction...a patron could search with discretion.

I would absolutely support creating displays that highlight GBLTQ and African American authors, because every patron needs to know that the library supports having a diversity of voices in its collection.  However, I do not think separating out those titles permanently from the rest of the collection sends the right messages to our patrons.

Week 13 prompt

Though this week's group of "genres" all seem very different, they all have in common the fact that many people don't feel that they are legitimate literary choices and libraries shouldn't be spending money on them or promoting them to adults. The common belief is that adults still don't or shouldn't read that stuff. How can we as librarians, work to ensure that we are able to serve adults who enjoy YA literature or graphic novels? Or should we? I can't wait to read your thoughts on this. Thanks!

In the Reference class, it's discussed over and over how we as librarians need to be impartial to what our patrons request.  And while that attitude may seem more appropriate to the reference desk, it should also carry over to Reader's Advisory.  If there is demand for a genre or a particular title, it would be worth the library's money to obtain it.  We do not need to look too deeply into pop culture to see the demands for the stories told in YA and graphic novels, at least.

I wrote my midterm on integrating graphic novels into RA, so I don't know that I need to repeat myself.  Personally, I think graphic novels are a fantastic storytelling format.  Between the art and the words, I find them wonderfully creative.  Others may find them too busy, or may prefer to not see any objectionable themes illustrated.  That's fine!  Just as it's fine if an adult prefers to read a YA book.  YA often deals with problems specific to teenagers, but they may also cover the same territory adult books do, just in a more simplistic way.  We all read for different reasons.  I don't think it's our place as librarians to tell a patron that their preferences aren't "good enough" or to push challenging material on a patron that just wants something escapist.

If we focus on appeal factors, I don't think we'll have a hard time at least recommending YA, NA, or graphic novel stories to our patrons.  Of course, after we make the recommendation, it's ultimately up to the patron to decide if they'll try it!  I just think we might have more success if we lead with the appeal factors first, get the patron intrigued before introducing the format/recommended age range.  If we act as if it doesn't matter that the book is intended towards teens or 20-something adults, or that it's illustrated, it may ease any hesitation a patron might have.

(Although I was a little thrown by NA books.  I had never heard the term before!  It feels like a marketing ploy to me, but maybe that's because I'm unfamiliar with it.  "Adult" fiction encompasses so many decades of life and experiences, why shouldn't younger adults have their niche?  I've also read many good articles about being aware that while adults may read YA books and love them, it is important for marketers and publishers to remember that they are intended for teens.  But as we are RA librarians who are concerned with connecting readers to stories, we need only to be concerned about marketing in how it might influence our patrons' preconceptions.)

Week 12 prompt

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything
by Chris Hadfield

Where is this book on narrative spectrum?

• A mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose)

What is the subject of the book?

• Commander Hadfield explains his life as an astronaut--all the training on Earth, three trips to space--and how it impacts his philosophy towards life on Earth.

What type of book is it?

• Memoir, with bits of investigative science

Articulate appeal:

1. What is the pacing of the book?

• Leisurely.  A mix of personal perspective and interesting facts make the book engaging, but not the quickest read.

       2. Describe the characters of the book

• Chris Hadfield is the "main" character.  He participated in two space shuttle flights, and acted as commander of the International Space Station during his third trip to space.  He became famous after uploading a series of videos to Youtube in which he demonstrated simple tasks (such as playing his guitar) in zero gravity.  He writes of his family and the other astronauts he flew with, all shone in a positive manner.

        3. How does the story feel?

• Educational, inspiring

        4. What is the intent of the author?

• To share not just the scientific side of space and astronomy, but also the attitude and work ethic that goes into being as astronaut--how they must be trained and prepared for anything to happen in space, where they are alone with themselves and finite supplies

        5. What is the focus of the story?

• Hadfield's career as a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot and as an astronaut, and how this work has influenced the way he views life.

        6. Does the language matter?

• Yes, technical terms are often, but always explained.

        7. Is the setting important and well-described?

• Settings range between labs and training facilities, and outer space.  The settings are important, especially the International Space Station, and all are well-described.

        8. Are there details and if so, of what?

• There are plenty of details throughout the book as the author explains his highly-technical career so that the average reader will understand.  Details may be over technology, engineering and science.

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

• There are no charts or graphs.  There are some pages of pictures of Hadfield's life or photos he took from the space station.

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

• All three, as it is the intent of the book to explore Hadfield's career which is full of unique experiences, and to learn and understand more intimately about what it means to be an astronaut.

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

1. learning/experiencing
2. detail
3. author's perspective

Non-Fiction annotation

Travels with Casey
by Benoit Denizet-Lewis

Publication date: July 22, 2014

Number of pages: 352

Series information: n/a

Geographical setting: United States of America

Time period: contemporary

Subject headings: dogs--United States; dogs--effect of human beings on--United States

Summary: Author Denizet-Lewis confesses to a psychologist that he believes his Labrador Retriever named Casey doesn't love him.  In an attempt to bond with his dog, Denizet-Lewis rents an RV and plots out a cross-country examination of America's dog culture.  They spend the day at a dog park in NYC, with a couple of homeless teens and their dogs in California, and the afternoon with a woman who taken to court over dog poop.  They visit Cesar Millan, a dog clinic that rehabilitated the dogs confiscated from Michael Vick, and the headquarters of PETA.  It is an enlightening journey, not just into how Americans feel about their dogs, but for Denizet-Lewis personally.

Librarian's Opinion: Throughout the book, Denizet-Lewis' humor and positivity shines as he navigates the country and his relationships with Casey and other humans.  I enjoyed reading his perspective.  As a dog person myself, I appreciated this comprehensive view into America's dog culture.  Not every story is cute, some are depressing, and some are surprisingly revealing about humans.  Portions of the book focus on relationships, both platonic and romantic, that the author makes along the way but the vast majority is focused on all aspects of dog culture.  While a good book in many regards, a strong interest in the subject matter is necessary.

Elements of the book

Narrative

This book is written more towards the narrative end of the non-fiction spectrum.  Readers new to non-fiction may enjoy that this is written more as a story of one man's roadtrip rather than a series of facts about dogs and their effects on their human owners.  In order to make seem more like a story, the author breaks up his dog-related visits with anecdotes about friends he meets along the way, the man he begins dating halfway through his roadtrip and their efforts to meet up at different locations in the country, and talk of his own family, human and canine.

Pacing

While readers are bound to find some topics more interesting than others, the books flows at a good pace.  Denizet-Lewis does not bog his readers down with long sentences, and he typically goes from one roadtrip stop to the next.  Occasionally, however, the pacing may seem off when he relates a story out-of-order.  He may have stopped somewhere or met someone that did not have enough of an impact to be related in full, but he may bring up this event in an anecdotal paragraph during a more noteworthy event that occurs weeks later.

Author's voice

Denizet-Lewis writes in a conversational, personable fashion.  As stated earlier, his humor and positivity shines through in his stories.  Even when he comes across dogs (and sometimes people) in horrible circumstances, he tries to find an optimistic angle if at all possible.  The author's voice helps blend this travelogue with animal nonfiction, and keeps readers turning the pages.

Subject matter

While the author has a personable writing style and this narrative non-fiction flows at a good pace, if the reader is not at all or only slightly interested in dogs, this may book may not be for them.  The author plans out the roadtrip stops to explore all aspects of dog culture.  He speaks to owners, breeders, and professional walkers.  He speaks with shelter workers, dog psychologists, and one of the world's leading dog toy designers.  He has two pet photography sessions, attends a dog yoga class on the beach, and stays overnight in an inn shaped like a massive beagle.  The book will delve into topics readers expect and may introduce them to new aspects of American dog culture, and amaze them with how much people love their dogs.

Similar Reads

• Off the Leash: A Year at the Dog Park by Matthew Gilbert--Another non-fiction memoir that revolves around dogs.  Similar to the beginning of Travels with Casey when the author stays a day at an NYC dog park, Gilbert spends a year visiting a Boston dog park.  A reluctant first time owner of an enthusiastic Lab puppy, Gilbert is exposed to dog culture and the pack of wacky dog owners who visit the park along him.
• My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts by Laura T. Coffey & Lori Fusaro--This book may be a good recommendation for those readers interested in dogs yet unsure about non-fiction.  The stories of these rescue dogs, some who were rescued from extreme situations (such as Ground Zero) and some who were adopted in to extraordinary families, are told in an anecdotal fashion accompanied with full page photographs.  The book can be read entirely or flipped through at leisure.
• A Dog's Purpose by Bruce W. Cameron--Delving back into fiction, Cameron is well-known for his dog-centric novels.  This humorous book is the first in a series.  The story follows a dog who keeps reincarnating into a new life, meeting and loving new owners.  Viewing life through a puppy's eyes, Cameron explores the great mystery of "why are we here?" and the worth of companionship.

Sorry, we talked about dogs again.  Here's my boy Zero!

Week 11 prompt

Ebooks and audiobooks are a part of our landscape. What does the change in medium mean for appeal factors? If you can't hold a book and feel the physical weight of it in your hands, how does that affect your knowledge of the genre? How about readers being able to change the font, line spacing, and color of text - how does that affect pacing and tone? How about audiobooks? Track length, narrator choice, is there music?  For this week, I want you to think about how ebooks and audiobooks affect appeal factors - also think about appeals that are unique to both mediums. Please feel free to use your own experience and that of your (anonymous of course) patrons. I look forward to reading these!

The story-focused appeal factors that Saricks uses remains the same, but these new formats introduce new, unique appeal factors.

Audiobooks are perhaps more straight forward in terms of their appeal factors, but I also admit that I don't have a lot of experience with them.  I use my phone to listen to music and podcasts, and my commute to work is two minutes if I hit a traffic light.  (Yay for only living a couple blocks away!)  I suppose a Playaway would solve the tech issue, but I would still find the "time required" too daunting.  I'm not one for sitting still, and I'm worried I will miss details if I split my attention to do another task while listening.  Yet I know for many others, listening to audiobooks is relaxing.  My mother listens to one for about an hour every night while she puts together a jigsaw puzzle.  I also know they're popular with people who commute to the city for work, and they're also lifesavers to the avid readers whose eyes are going bad.  (One of our patrons was declared legally blind a couple years ago, and every week her daughter comes in to pick up anywhere from four to eight audiobooks for her!)

Although I did listen to the BBC radio adaption of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, and I was surprised how fun it was.  They had sound effects, music, and celebrity to voice the different characters.  I had it in my head that audiobooks were bland.  Writing this, I'm starting to think I'm just making a bunch of unfair assumptions about audiobooks....  :)

The audiobook's hours daunt me because then I feel like I'm locked into it until the chapter or the disc ends.  A book that's thick with hundreds of pages doesn't daunt me, because I know I can read a few at a time.  Yet I know it's usually the opposite for my patrons.  There's one who's reading through George R.R. Martin's series who would normally never pick up a book that's 1100 pages, but he'll laugh about how Storm of Swords is 39 discs!  I imagine it'd be the same for ebooks...the physical size isn't there to scare patrons away from trying something new.

Ebooks are also cheap.  One of our readings touched on this and the sampling feature, and how these factors influence their reading habits into becoming more diverse.  I've done the same..."eh, it's $1.99, I wouldn't be out much to try it."  I'll use my e-reader for books I only have a slight interest in reading, or to bypass the long hold list for a physical copy at my library.  As for patrons, most questions about our Overdrive app begin "So I'm going on vacation..."  I've also noticed a growing number of busy mothers using ebooks because it cuts out adding a trip to the library from their schedule, or just reduces the number of physical lending material they need to keep track off.

I do like many of the unique appeal factors of ebooks, such as being able to look up a word's definition by holding it, or being able to search for a particular word within the text.  (Helpful in fantasy novels when I don't remember what a made-up word means or who this character with a weird name is.)  The ability to change font size is also a benefit to patrons with weaker eyes.  But I'm sure these capabilities may be daunting to others, who don't consider themselves tech-literate.

Each reader can argue pros and cons of a format.  But these unique appeal factors give readers so many more options than just the traditional book.  Between books, audiobooks, and ebooks, readers can pick the storytelling that works best for them.  As we RA librarians get to know our patrons, we may be able to help them find a way to read (or listen!) that will enhance their enjoyment and set them up to become even more avid readers.