Week 16

My reading as a child and now…

When I was young I read feverously, I have a feeling many of us who are spending good money to become librarians could say the same. For me, it was R.L. Stine’s Goosebump series, they engrossed me in slightly spooky worlds that entertained me and made me love the act of reading. I found that the interaction between the words on the page and the images conjured in my head were more vivid and lasting than any video game, movie, or television show I had experienced. I also learned that when I was at a store with my mother, she might be reluctant to buy me a toy, but I don’t believe she ever told me I couldn’t leave with a book. I distinctly remember that by the time I was in the 6^th grade I had read and loved T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, I still love that book so much that I even used it as an example for something in this class. I’m not sure how much I understood of the subtext as a young reader, but I remember that the book program between my elementary school and Pizza Hut credited me enough point to get a whole personal pan peperoni pizza on that book alone! I can’t explain why I remember that, but as I grew older the love of books never left, as my ability to understand context and history grew so did my love of books. By my 3^rd year of high school I knew I wanted words and books to be my life (at that time I wanted to be an English teacher), I took every class that was based on books. During my undergrad degree I majored in English with a minor in Classical studies, I was disillusioned on teaching by then, but I wanted to make my life around words. As most English students can probably relate to, I’ve forgotten how many books I’ve read and forgotten a lot of books I have read. As an adult, reading is still important to me, I find the same interaction with books now that I remember loving as a child. To answer the question shortly, I don’t think my reading habits have changed since I was a child, just my capacity to experience books deeper.

Reading in the Future

I think the largest change that awaits books specifically deals with corporate publishers. Looking at the rise of Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu and other like services used by ‘cable-cutters’, the decline of the music industry’s major record labels influence, and the culture of content creation on platforms like Youtube and Twitch, it seems books will enjoy a indie publisher boom very soon. I think all the things I just listed are a response to the digital era, but I think it shows that there is a culture of people who like to seek creative content that is not tainted by mass media influence. This is a personal and subjective feeling, and I’ll grant I haven’t watched a television show on a major network during its actual run-time in nearly 10 years. The internet has allowed self-publishing of all kinds of content to be easy and lucrative without as much necessary middle-men taking money away from your bottom line as a content producer. I don’t anticipate this changing the kinds of books that are written or read, but an increase in selection and availability of books. I also think libraries would be wise to find ways to promote and grow the indie publisher scene so they can be a part of my anticipated resurgence.  

Week 15

1. Book Club (Program)

I think a book club helps market the fiction collection through several avenues that include social and promotional aspects. Beginning with the social aspects of a book club, there are two intents, creating a culture around the love of fiction and growing in the understanding of the inherent power of storytelling. Both of these ideals create a ‘buzz’ around reading. The book club meetings are a guided invitation to share your love of reading and books, but they imply an invitation to the fiction collection. When promoting the book club through social media and flyers, a focus on the book is as important as explaining the program. 

2.  Dress Like a Super Hero Night (Event)

This is an idea I had to support our growing graphic novel and manga selection in our teen space. This would be a one-off event where the youth and I would don costumes of our favorite super heroes and have a short book talk about a graphic novel. My library has had success with evening ‘lock-in’ style programs and this could be a fun twist on it that includes cosplay, maybe even involving the makerspace for the costumes, a superhero movie and video games in the in between times. Throughout the night integrated advising could be used to show parts of the graphic novel and manga collection that correspond with all the other super hero media.

3.  Bookmarks

 I love the idea of offering bookmarks that highlight a specific part of the collection. Saricks writes, “We have found that the more useful bookmarks focus on limited subject areas for which full annotations are not necessary” (144). An example might be a focus on beach reading in the summer or spooky titles in the fall. They are also an invitation to explore the collection that is guided, suggesting a good title so the patron doesn’t fear that they will not enjoy the book they leave with. I also love that bookmarks have a useful purpose, unlike an annotated bibliography where after it is read is most likely discarded, bookmarks after they are used in the current book are a reminder of other books like the title that was just enjoyed.  I love tangible promotional materials that can serve multiple purposes.

Week 14

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. Also, it's been in the news recently. These articles (and the comments) can help you get a feel for the issue:

I would separate neither:

Reason One:


As Devon Thomas’ A Place On the Shelf explains, “A separate section for gay and lesbian fiction might pose problems, making some readers feel exposed when browsing and others ghettoized (p.40)”. Though Thomas’ comment deals specifically with LGBT issues, separating books by race could generate feelings of otherness in the same manner. There is also a plethora of privacy concerns that surround moving the books into a specific place, some members of the LGBT community are not “out” or may have to have an unpleasant social experience by having to discuss their sexuality because the bump into an acquaintance at the library. Have you ever been embarrassed by what was in your shopping cart at the grocery store? Pregnancy tests, condoms, tampons, or 3 gallons of ice cream all have an awkward shopping experience depending on your age, sex, and myriad of other factors. If you have had an embarrassing shopping experience, the ones where you definitely don’t want to see anyone you know, you can understand how ensuring that feeling never happens at the library is really important. 


Reason 2:


Separating books by race and sexuality forces the library into a decision tree of factors that make books harder to find and select. What do you do with a book that handles “African American fiction” themes, but it is written by a Hispanic, white, or Native American author? What about the black author who is writing an awesome sci-fi book? Should it be collected in African American Literature or in Science fiction? While many libraries already make these kinds of decisions with authors that write in several genres, I think considering the sexual preference and race of the author and subject matter complicates these issues. I also feel the same way about separating mysteries, science fiction, and westerns from the overall fiction collection even though that is a commonly accepted practice.

Reason 3:


I don’t want to separate books by race or sexuality because they are an important part of literature. Books with African American or LGBT authors or characters are part of the American literary tradition, so much work has been done to make people feel like they are not identified as different or ‘other’, an example could be the controversy a few years back about transgender people using bathrooms that match their gender identity. In this book controversy and the bathroom controversy, it seems to not be the members of the LGBT community calling for separation but a religious motivation from members outside of the community. Jennifer Lenzini’s online article quotes a town resident who called for the books to moved to a separate space, “I think that's what most of the people of this town who have multiple kids say, we want to be able to take them to the library, and have them go through stuff, and have them know, 'oh hidden in here is an agenda that is popular, but we as conservative Christians say no, we're not going along with that”. While the town residents’ religious motivations should not be the organizational factor for the library. The ALA’s second right reads, “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.” While this does not deal directly with storage, the moving of books based on sexual identity or race is an attempt to lower the contact with an idea, and I believe that should not be allowed in a library. I believe it is important to display and celebrate great works from African American and LGBT authors or those works that include characters who are black or LGBT. While doing an African American authors display during Black History Month is awesome, I think the inclusion of LGBT/Black authors into topical/thematically displays needs to happen more regularly. This shows that these works are not separate, but a vital part of their genres.

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Works Cited


Lenzini, Jennifer. “Orange City, IA public library to test trial-run of separately labeling books with LGBTQ themes”. KTIV. March 20, 2018. http://www.ktiv.com/story/37771686/2018/03/Tuesday/orange-city-ia-public-library-to-separately-label-books-with-lgbtq-themes. Accessed April 15, 2018.

Library Bill of Rights. ALA. January 23, 1996. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill. Accessed April 15, 2018.

Thomas, D. (2007). A Place On the Shelf. Library Journal (1976), 132(8), 40-3. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

Week 13 Repsonse

When considering this question I was reminded of the reading from Jennifer Burek Pierce, The Boderland Age and Borderline Books. In it she writes of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s morally prescriptive treatment of books, especially toward young adults. Pierce explains, “Among the themes of this plentiful professional literature was an interest in good books. Whereas reader’s advisory efforts for adults in this era focused on self-improvement as prescribed by cultural norms, librarians’ recommendations to adolescents directed teens’ attention toward wholesome literature that would compete with their enjoyment of such popular and affordable genres as the dime novel, with its allusions to sex and depictions of violence.” Honestly it seems that there is always a vocal population, no matter the time period, that wants to argue a book, movie, or video game’s worth based on a prescriptive moral basis. While I think the parenting choices of young adult’s parents should be respected, I don’t believe librarians should serve as arbiters on the moral judgment of a creative work.

Should libraries spend money on YA and NA books? If there is demand from the community then absolutely! Those unfamiliar with YA books may deem them less worthy when compared to Dickens, Shakespeare, and Austin, and in many ways I agree with that assessment, but it shouldn’t be a librarian’s job to force classic literature down their patrons’ throats. Is Twilight less of a work than the myriad of Danielle Steel books that is fly off the shelves? Probably not, or at least they both offer something that the reader wants and can enrich their lives. This should always be the primary concern- meeting the needs and wants of the community you serve. I know many adults that love YA books, in my undergrad English degree I took a class on YA books and found they can offer a similar level of depth and discussion to books that are in any other genre. Graphic novels follow the same line of thinking for me, though I have less experience with them. I think promoting great books of any genre, format or age level is an excellent way to let our patrons experience all that the library can offer.

To wrap it all up, I think that if our patrons want any thing whether YA or a graphic novel, we should be happy to provide a great collection for them!

Literary Fiction Annotation

White Noise

By Don Delillo

Synopsis:

White Noise centers on Jack Gladney who pioneered the academic field of Hitler studies at the College-on-the-Hill. The narrative centers around Jack’s family and collegiate peers as we delve into their idiosyncratic lives, disillusionment, and ultimately their fear of death. Central events involve murder, sickness, mass hysteria, and trust. The plot, in itself, serves as a layered character that challenges the reader yielding dialogue both absent and rich.  

Elements of Literary Fiction:

Language

As the title suggests, White Noise, offers a commentary on language and conversation weaved throughout the character’s dialogue. This enables Delillo’s artistic word choice, phrasing, and style to not only carry the story, but also impact a greater conversation. The sentences themselves have a tendency to be deceptively simple, the same is true about the sequences of dialogue. Yet many readers will find the work challenging as they are asked to read between the lines. White Noise also challenges the reader to question whether they trust the narrator’s explanations and motivations at face value, as there seems to be a current of emotions if the reader is able to break the logical surface.  

Pacing

White Noise develops its layers slowly, asking the reader to contemplate events while reading. At its best, Delillo offers a pace that desires the reader to savor passages much more like a fine meal than a hamburger. The post-modern-esque writing style contributes to a feeling of a languished pace, this an artistic choice forcing the reader to dwell on the writing, often in times of inaction. The pacing of action events provides a counterpoint, often moving at a speed that feels blurred. Though that description may seem like an inept quality, a reader will understand, they are being forced to experience events as the author’s hand brilliantly intends.   

Storyline

The story of White Noise is simple, it is able to be fully explained in a matter of a few sentences, yet I will withhold at this moment to avoid spoilers. The simplicity of the overall story belies its significance to the overall conversation the book offers. As is common in literary fiction, especially in works that learn to the post-modern, Delillo has stitched meaning into the fabric of both menial and elaborate events. This makes what seems like a simple dialogue that takes place within the safety of Jack’s home as important to the overall arc as a large community-wide tragedy. The story offers a resolution, but the reader will most likely be left with questions unresolved, challenged to think about the book long after the last page.

Tone/Mood

Overall, White Noise is somber and serious. Ironically, a reader approaching the work will find humor and wit within the passages. The characters often feel like caricatures who act and voice ridiculous opinions, ‘facts’, and worldviews. The interplay between the narrative voice, dialogue, and action presents an intentional hodgepodge of emotions and responses. An overarching feeling exists throughout the book asking the reader if they “get it” yet. The feelings the reader has while reading White Noise seem as intentional as the mood the words of the book generate. They are constantly intertwined and interplayed with another.   

Read-A-Likes:

Endgame by Samuel Beckett

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

The Marriage Plot by Jeffery Eugenides