Prompt Response: Marketing and Readers' Advisory

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.

1. Physical displays - For me as a reader especially, physical displays are a great way to introduce me to new authors, books, and even genres.  The main library where I am a patron has a prominent island with rotating displays that work around a theme and this is where I am most likely to grab a book on impulse.  I especially enjoy season displays, but I also think timely displays related to pop culture trends grab my interest and likely the interest of other patrons.  I realize one limitation is that these displays may take time to prepare and who knew in February the extent that the nation would be obsessed with Tiger King in March?  But especially when we can plan ahead a bit, doing a display related to a royal wedding or the series finale of popular television shows can be really fun and hopefully draw people to books they might not have otherwise picked up.

2.  Curated lists for popular titles – In my circles, I have noticed in the past year that there’s a big group of readers that don’t get a lot of attention and that are the people who can probably count on one hand the number of books they read in a year and those books are all books that are popular in media or in their groups of friends.  These are the people who have all read Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens in the last six months but might not have read anything else.   In my circles, they’re the same people who read Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis a year or two ago.  For a couple of the people that I talked to in this group, I think a big problem for them is that they’re not readers and become overwhelmed trying to find their next book.  My thought would be to pull a few appeal factors from these books and create lists to help those people find their next read. 

3. Social media – This is one of the areas I see the most potential for libraries.  Celebrity book clubs and publishers are all over social media and the #bookstagram hashtag has over 42 million posts on Instagram.  I think libraries can do so much to market their collection and promote a culture of reading on social media and it should be an integral part of every library’s marketing strategy.  One of our readings for this week. I really enjoyed the points made about social media in our readings this week that any social media strategy should be social or interactive (Hilyard, 2010).  My local library started doing this over the shutdown by offering several afternoons where they did readers’ advisory via Facebook comments.  Also, one of my favorite weekly posts that I follow is where the Indianapolis Public Library asks their Facebook fans every Sunday, “What are you reading?”  It’s a fun way to learn about new books, see what’s popular, and I always get a kick out of seeing what backlist titles show up that I’ve read years ago.   While it is somewhat interactive because the library will usually reply to many of the comments, I really appreciate how it brings readers together to talk about books.

References:

Hilyard, N. (2010). The Expanding Scope of Readers’ Advisory. Public Libraries. 49(1). 10-25. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

Prompt Response: Genre-specific displays

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 Urban 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.

At my local library, adult fiction is mostly shelved together across various genres.   Currently, the majority of fiction books are shelved together by author last name with graphic novels, large print books, and mass market paperbacks being the exceptions.  Graphic novel shelves are typically set on taller shelves than general fiction to fit the physical height of many of those books and mass market paperback books are set on shorter shelves.  With this in mind, I would say that unless there were physical characteristics of the books that require special shelving considerations, GLBTQ and Urban Fiction books should be collocated among adult fiction. 

Looking at the bigger picture, for smaller public libraries such as the one I describe above, I think the idea of shelving all adult fiction together makes the most sense.  First, more and more books these days cross genre lines.  For a romantic suspense book, should it be shelved with romance or suspense?  Trott and Novak (2006) note that shelving by genre is most effective when multiple copies of a book can be shelved for books that cross genre lines, but that is often cost-prohibitive and space-prohibitive to small libraries. 

Secondly, Trott and Novak (2006) point out the danger of classifying books by genre when some genres have been stigmatized.  A reader who might enjoy a relationship fiction book might hesitate or refuse to check it out if it’s classified under the romance genre because of his or her preconceived notions about what romance entails. 

Thirdly, we have to consider the physical space of the library building.  I have been in libraries where having fiction separated by genre makes sense because the fiction collection is too large for one space and it has to be spread across multiple areas.  This would be a great case for splitting the collection to fit the physical space.  However, when a smaller collection is housed in a large, open space, separating the collection by genres may make a small collection seem even smaller and may point out deficiencies in the collection. 

I think that in the case of smaller libraries, there are other ways to make browsing a combined collection of fiction easier.  Utilizing tools on the library’s website and in the ILS, creating genre-specific displays and handouts, and having a visible readers advisory area can help readers find the materials they are seeking.

References:

Trott, B., & Novak, V. (2006). A House Divided? Two Views on Genre Separation. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 46(2), 33–38.

African American Literature Annotation: The Nickel Boys

The Nickel Boys

by Colson Whitehead

Synopsis

Before his life gets upended after being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Elwood Curtis is known as a good kid.  As a teenager in the 1960s living in Tallahassee, Florida, Elwood was a budding social justice activist, responsible employee, and good student who was set to begin early college classes. However, in a cruel twist of fate, he ends up sentenced to time at The Nickel Academy, a reform school for boys (based on the real-life Florida Industrial School for Boys, later known as the Dozier Academy).  Elwood quickly finds out that corruption and racism run rampant among the staff members at Nickel Academy and punishments are severe with several boys being sent “out back” never to be heard from again.  Elwood battles throughout the story with his desire to seek justice and his need to survive. 

Elements of Appeal

-          Story Line: The story begins by establishing Elwood’s character as that of a good teenage boy who excelled in his studies and stayed out of trouble. When he is arrested and sentenced for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, he is sent to a reform school rife with corruption, The Nickel Academy.  With separate campuses for the white and black students in the Jim Crow era, it becomes apparent that staff and administrators are often racists and the black students are thus subject to harsher punishments.   The story tells how Elwood and his fellow students adapt to survive their time at Nickel.  There are chapters that flash forward to show Elwood in current day and how his time at Nickel affects his current life.

-          Tone: The introduction to the book tells the story of the real-life inspiration for the Nickel Academy, the Florida Industrial School for Boys, where mass graves were found upon the closure of the school.  This creates a foreboding sense of doom for the characters knowing that there were many students who didn’t make it out of the school alive and most who did left with physical scars from being whipped.  Many of the students at Nickel Academy were from broken families, if there was any family at all, and there was little hope for their futures which added to the desperation and doom felt throughout the story.

-          Characterization: The main character, Elwood, is a teenage boy being raised by his grandmother after his parents abandoned him.  Elwood is inspired to join social justice movements after being gifted an album of a Martin Luther King, Jr. speech, and that motivation to right what is wrong means that he puts himself in danger at Nickel Academy.   Secondary characters are boys who have already been in trouble with the law at a young age, many who have been orphaned or abandoned by their families, and those characters show the struggles the boys faced as they tried to survive on their own at a young age.

-          Frame/Setting: The story is set during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s in the American South.  Framing elements include many references to Martin Luther King, Jr., particularly his famous speeches and quotes.   

-          Language/Style: The language used reflects the culture and the times with staff including racial slurs and demeaning terms aimed at minorities.

Read-a-likes

The Vain Conversation by Anthony Grooms

Ruby by Cynthia Bond

Delicious Foods by James Hannaham

Prompt Response: Young Adult, New Adult, and Graphic Novels

Prompt:  Though this week's group of "genres" (Young Adult, New Adult, Graphic Novels) all seem very different, they all have in common the fact that many people don't feel that they are legitimate literary choices and libraries shouldn't be spending money on them or promoting them to adults. 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 believe that public libraries should provide a wide range of materials for adult pleasure reading, including YA literature and graphic novels.  The Reading Agency, a UK based nonprofit, found that “(t)here is strong evidence that reading for pleasure can increase empathy, improve relationships with others, reduce the symptoms of depression and improve wellbeing throughout life (“Reading for Pleasure…,” n.d., para. 1).”  Reading for pleasure varies widely among the population and therefore, public libraries should provide the materials to meet needs across that spectrum. 

Speaking of spectrums, libraries should not only be providing YA literature and graphic novels, but they should be aiming to provide a wide variety of materials within these genres.  Both YA literature and graphic novels can range from fantasy to romance to horror, and collections should represent this diversity.

I don’t read a lot of YA, but I will occasionally grab titles that are talked about or written by authors I love.   Flanagan (2008) said about the YA romance novel, Twilight, “stirred something in me so long forgotten that I felt embarrassed by it (para. 8).”  But I think that return to the feelings of adolescence can feel like an escape that older adults like me sometimes desire after a day of endless adulting.  I recently stumbled across a Sophie Kinsella book in the YA section while volunteering at my library, so I took it home and read it as she is one of my favorite chick-lit authors.  It was a fun read and took me back to all my angsty teenage years for a few hours. 

In addition to providing a range of materials for adults, libraries should be marketing YA materials and graphic novels to their patrons and on their social media accounts to draw in new and reluctant adult readers.  One way to do this is with tie-ins to current trends in pop culture, movies, etc., that readers may already be aware of.  For example, earlier this year, Netflix released the second movie in the “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” trilogy by Jenny Han.  This would have been a great opportunity to do a YA display on teen romance series.  (I picked up the series when the first movie came out and subsequently read all three books in about four days). 

Another idea I’ve seen at libraries is book clubs for fans of YA or graphic novels.  These can be helpful in taking the stigma out of these genres by connecting readers to other fans of the genres.   And since both genres are so diverse, they can help reluctant readers to try new “genres within a genre.”

In summary, public libraries should be aiming to provide and connect all readers with high interest materials, regardless of their perceived literary merit.

References:

Flanagan, C. (2008). What girls want: A series of vampire novels illuminates the complexities of female adolescent desire. The Atlantic, 108-120. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/12/what-girls-want/307161/

Reading for pleasure builds empathy and improves wellbeing, research from The Reading Agency Finds. (n.d.).  Retrieved from https://readingagency.org.uk/news/media/reading-for-pleasure-builds-empathy-and-improves-wellbeing-research-from-the-reading-agency-finds.html

Prompt Response: Nonfiction Reader's Advisory Matrix

Book: Un-Trumping America: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again by Dan Pfieffer.  Released February 18, 2020.  Read March 2020.

1. Where is the book on narrative continuum? I would say it falls in the middle of the narrative continuum.  Each chapter tells a story and the themes of each chapter follow a somewhat linear path, but the book reads more like a collection of related essays than a continuous story.
2. What is the subject of the book?  Dan Pfeiffer, who is a former White House staffer under President Obama and cohost of the political left-wing podcast Pod Save America, shares his ideas for how the Democrats can win the 2020 election and outlines some of the issues Democrats face in trying to win an election in today’s highly divisive partisan environment.  He also outlines steps the Democrats need to take once they have political power to protect democracy in America in the future.
3. What type of book is it?  The book is mainly political opinion/current events but there are elements of memoir, telling stories of his political experiences, as well.
4.   Articulate appeal.
• What is the pacing of the book?  I found the pacing of this book to be a little uneven.  Picking up the book and reading its title, you know where the book is going to take you.  Pfeiffer sets a good structure for the overall book by dividing the book into three sections: how we got here, how we fix it in the short term, and how we fix the long-term problems that let this happen in the first place.  Within each section, each chapter reads almost like an individual essay that was then compiled with other essays to make a book.  This led the book to not read as cohesively at times as the narrative hook pulling you through (the battle to save democracy) pulled you through at different paces depending on the chapter.  At the start of each chapter, Pfeiffer sets the scene and provides background information to the issue at hand, which as a regular listener of the Pod Save America podcast, I did not really need but others may.  This led me to quickly read the background and then slow down to read his solutions. 
• Describe the characters of the book. Pfeiffer quickly and clearly paints Republicans as the villains and Democrats as the heroes of the story.  While President Trump is the primary villain, he includes secondary villains like Fox News and Mitch McConnell among a host of other characters.  Not a lot of time is spent introducing the characters since the topic and characters are current and it can be assumed that most people reading the book would have a basic knowledge of those involved. 
•  How does the story feel? Seeing this book was released in February of 2020 about the 2020 Presidential election, there is an underlying sense of urgency.  Pfeiffer writes with passion about how he believes the results of this election could have dire consequences for the future of our democracy.  There is a cautious optimism at points, but overall, the tone is serious and at times foreboding. 
• What is the intent of the author? The book is educational and persuasive in nature.  Pfeiffer makes several arguments for why the Democrats need to oust President Trump in the 2020 election and take bold steps to protect our democracy.  He shares what he feels are the best strategies for doing so and includes a series of action steps for the reader at the end of many chapters.
• What is the focus of the story? The book is told in three main parts: why Democrats are at a disadvantage heading into the 2020 election, what they need to do in order to win the 2020 Presidential election, and what steps Democrats need to take once they regain political power to safeguard our democratic ideals in the future.
• Does the language matter? The language matters here.  Pfeiffer takes a topic that some people find intimidating (politics) and makes it easily digestible for most people.  He uses a lot of persuasive language to try to convince readers that his ideas are important.  He sometimes uses dry humor and sarcastic undertones.  However, I would argue that this language choice is important for his intended audience.  I suspect a large percentage of readers would be younger Democrats who are already somewhat plugged into politics and a high percentage of readers are probably familiar with, or regular listeners of, the Crooked Media podcasts.  Fans of the podcast would expect the same tone and language and the book follows that.
• Is the setting important and well described? Pfeiffer does a good job of painting a picture of the current political landscape in the country.  The people and ideas are more important than a specific location since the work of our government impacts the entire nation.
• Are there details and, if so, of what?  There is a lot of detail about our federal government and the election process as well as some historical information about politics in our country.  Additional detail is provided about the role of journalism in politics and government. 
• Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear?  Very few graphics are included.  Many chapters end with a chart of “What you can do to help” that stresses key takeaways and action items for the chapter’s theme.
• Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience?  Primarily learning and understanding.  However, Pfeiffer includes some stories of his political experiences that offer readers an inside view of working on a presidential campaign and in the White House.
5. Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)?
• Learning/experiencing
• Language
• Detail

Prompt Response: Appeal of eBooks and Audiobooks

Assignment: 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’m the first to admit – I’m a physical book snob.  I love the feel of a book in my hands, and yes, the smell of the pages.  I buy books, I borrow them from the library, and I borrow them from friends, but if I’m reading a book, it’s almost always a physical book.  However, I am keenly aware that times are changing and that the number of us who prefer the physical book over other formats are dwindling.  I understand the appeals of other formats. As a new mom, I loved reading eBooks on my Nook because I could read with one hand while sitting for endless hours holding a sleeping child.  (Have you ever tried to turn the pages of a physical book while holding it with one hand because your sleeping baby is lying in the other arm? It is virtually impossible to do.  I tried.) And I am a devotee of multiple podcasts, so I can understand why people choose audiobooks.   

When it comes to appeal for eBooks, a lot of older readers and readers with visual impairments rave about the ability to adjust the text on eBooks to make it easier to read.  From our readings this week, I learned that using a larger text size on an eReader can affect pacing and tone of the book.  Larger blocks of text often indicate a denser, more detailed story that is meant to be read at a more leisurely pace, but adjusting text size can deceive the reader about the size of the paragraphs (Dunneback, 2011). Authors are intentional about fonts and paper as well, using those details to help create the story, and when you change the font or take away the paper, you are taking away some of the details that help create tone.

For audiobooks, audible presentation is a key appeal factor for most readers and includes the factors of appeal as presented in narration.  For most fans of audiobooks, appeal is heavily driven by the narrator and many readers will choose or avoid certain audiobooks based solely on the narrator.  I know a couple of my book club friends are audiobook devotees and they can each rattle off a list of narrators they love.  Audiobooks can also use music and/or sound effects to help set the tone of the story and help with the narrative (Mediatore, 2003).

I can probably count on one hand the number of audiobooks I’ve listened to personally.  I love podcasts that are broken up into easily digestible bits, especially those I can finish in under an hour while I’m on a run or walk or when I’m out running errands.  Having one book last 8 to 10 hours is too long for me to stay engaged, so I can’t offer a lot of personal experience to the appeal of audiobooks. 

I would think that certain books would have a harder time adapting to eBook or audiobook, such as books with illustrations or special formatting.  I know I read several Jen Lancaster books when I was using an eReader and she makes copious use of footnotes, which were a nightmare to navigate at the time on an eReader.   

I think one of the primary appeals for both eBooks and audiobooks is convenience.  EBooks allow patrons to have multiple books in the palm of their hand on a smartphone or other device and allow them to pick up a book almost anywhere.  They’re convenient for traveling, or even reading while you’re stuck in line at the grocery store.  Audiobooks are convenient for readers who want to multitask – reading while they commute, do housework, exercise, etc.  I am in a book club made up of seven very busy women and one of the key factors in selecting our next read each month is in what formats the book is available – can we get it on Amazon, Audible, and from the library in physical form, eBook and/or audiobook?  We all need and prefer books in different formats to meet our needs, so if a majority of those options aren’t available, we pick a different book.

As librarians, our goal is to meet our readers where they are, and eBooks and audiobooks can help reach a lot of readers who would be less likely to read a physical book and expand the reading horizons of all readers.

Readings referenced:

Dunneback, K., & Trott, B. (2011). E-books and Readers' Advisory. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 50(4), 325-9. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

Mediatore, K. (2003). Reading with Your Ears: Readers' Advisory and Audio Books. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 42(4), 318-23. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database

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Historical Fiction Annotation - The Nightingale

The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

Synopsis

This epic novel tells the story of the women of World War II and the battles they fought at home and behind the scenes. The compelling story centers around sisters Vianne Mauriac and Isabelle Rossignol and their struggles for survival amidst the devastating effects of war.  Older sister Vianne is a teacher who lives with her husband Antoine and daughter Sophie in the French Countryside when Antoine is called to join the war.  When the Nazis invade France, Antoine is captured as a prisoner of war and Vianne is forced to survive on her own and protect Sophie for more than five years, all while Nazi soldiers billet in her home.  Meanwhile, the younger, impetuous Isabelle joins the resistance movement, facing her own perils and falling in love along the way.  As the often-quoted line from the book states, “In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.”

Elements of Historical Fiction

-          Frame/Setting:  Hannah devotes large sections of the novel to create vivid pictures where the story takes place.  We get detailed descriptions of Vianne and Antoine’s home in Carriveau known as Le Jardin, the Parisian apartment of the girl’s father, the escape route Isabelle traverses at the Nightingale, and the concentration camps at the end of the story.  Framing elements include a large focus on food and cooking as well as details about life in Paris.  As the war progresses, the imagery becomes more and more bleak throughout the book.  While I cannot vouch for their historical accuracy, Hannah includes a list of recommended reading to accompany the list that shows her intention on telling a story that is historically accurate.

-          Tone: As with many historical fiction novels about war, the tone of The Nightingale is grim and bleak throughout the majority of the story.  There is much suffering and the story and its details convey the pain that the characters are experiencing.

-          Story Line: The story line focuses on the effects of World War II on the people, especially the women, of France.  The story starts with Vianne’s husband being called to duty to defend France’s border against the Germans and ends shortly after the liberation of France and the Concentration Camps by the Allied Forces and the end of the war.  

-          Characterization: Sisters Vianne and Isabelle are fully developed, realistic characters although completely fictional.  Hannah creates a heart-breaking back story for the sisters where their mother dies at a young age and their father, a veteran of World War I who is heavily affected by his time in battle, is consumed by the grief after the loss of his wife and sends his daughters off to be raised in a boarding home. This trauma shapes the girls’ individual stories and adds to the complicated relationship between the sisters.  Nevertheless, the sisters are strong female co-leads in a story that demonstrates the power and resilience of women in the war.  Hannah also creates two vastly different Nazi soldiers who live with Vianne in her home and these soldiers give readers pictures of the different types of men fighting for the Germans.

-          Language/Style: The story primarily takes place in France and there were some French words and phrases included at times; however, the language choices were not significant.  The story is full of rich details.

-          Pacing: This was a larger book (over 550 pages) which is common for historical fiction novels.  As is common, the book starts slowly as Hannah spends a lot of time on the setting and framing of the story. Sections of the book also moved more slowly as detail about events or new people or places were added to create additional layers in the story.  As the war draws to a close, the story picks up pace as the reader is engrossed in the events leading to the Germans retreat and the fate of the characters.

Read-a-likes

Stolen Beauty by Laurie Lico Albanese

The Room on Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel

The Words I Never Wrote by Jane Thynne