Prompt: Marketing your Fiction Collection

 

There are several ways to market a fiction collection for your library. A primary tool we use at our library is LibraryAware. LIbraryAware is so thorough that all three ways to market your collection can be done by using this tool. The main reason is that the program is very easy to use and saves staff time, which we all need more time for at the library. LibraryAware does a lot of the work, including book descriptions, so all we have to do is pick the book or movie.  We market our collection through newsletters, flyers, and programs.

One way LibraryAware markets our fiction collection is by emailing book choices to people through Nextreads newsletters. Patrons can pick out which newsletter they subscribe to on our website, and it emails lists of new books by genre, such as thriller or nonfiction, or by the New York Times Bestseller lists.  Another way we market collections using LibraryAware is by making flyers, which we promote on our social media, website, or display wall.  We make event flyers and book flyers on topics such as April National Poetry Month. I use LibraryAware to promote staff picks in the library.  I ask staff members if they have a good book they would like to recommend. I put the choice in LibraryAware in a template, and it is done.  

 Another way we market the collection with LibraryAware is by using it to promote the books in the library. For example, we advertised a flyer called Winter Reading Bingo.  LibraryAware assigned the Winter Reading Bingo categories based on reading, and we promoted it on social media, our library, and our website. It was very popular because it was for adults instead of just the Summer Reading Program, which leans toward children. The winner received a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a book-related sticker when they turned in the bingo sheet. LibraryAware makes it so easy to do programs!  

Prompt #14 Urban Fiction and LGBTQ+ books

 

 At first, I was all for having a separate collection of Urban Fiction and LGBTQ+ books, but the 

more I thought about it and read about it, the more I changed my mind. One reason why I 

agree with having it separate is for the ease of finding novels.  We get asked daily where 

Urban Fiction is located in our library, and we do not separate it unless it is a main category. 

We created a book list for Urban Fiction by author and title, which has helped tremendously in 

finding those books on Urban Fiction.  However, after reading the articles on the shelving 

debate caused me to change my mind.

             One reason is the othering of the collection. For example, in Yorio & Ishizuka (2018) article Melissa McBride writes, “I do have a problem with students feeling “other” by having to go to that shelf, but until a better solution presents itself, it is what we are working with,” (p. 2). Another reason to keep them together is that the separate section can be judgmental and may create anxiety by having their peers see them in the separate section, especially if they are not ready to tell the world that they are LGBTQ+. Another problem with school libraries is that librarians are worried about the parental reaction to those books that LGBTQ+ separates. For example, libraries have put these books on LGBTQ+ in the parenting section to avoid complaints (Yorio & Ishizuka, 2018, p. 3).  Lastly, with Urban Fiction, the problem is that we are separating them from the rest of the collection, and therefore, by connection to the people they represent, they do not belong with the rest of the collection, a parallel to shelving titles separately (Yorio & Ishizuka, 2018, p. 3). It doesn’t create a welcoming atmosphere in the library when patrons have to find their books in a special separate section or only on displays. I agree with having a diverse library for everyone. And that involves not having the library separate these sections. I think we should not separate them due to both racism and homophobia. For these reasons, I think they should not be shelved separately but in the fiction section, with the other books awaiting discovery.      

 

References

Yorio, K., & Ishizuka, K. (2018, October 26). Shelving debate: To separate or integrate?. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/shelving-debate-separate-or-integrate

 

Young Adult Annotation-A Court of Thorns and Roses

 

Title:   A Court of Thorns and Roses           

Author: Sarah J. Maas         

Genre:  Young Adult

Publication Date: 2021

Number of pages: 419

Geographic Setting: The novel is set in Prythian. The first setting is in the mortal lands in Feyre’s cottage, and most of the book takes place in Tamlin’s Estate in the Spring Court.   

Period:  1700-1800s

Series:  A Court of Thorns and Roses Series-Book One     

Plot Summary:

Feyre’s family is starving, so she hunts and secures food for her sisters and father.   She sees a deer and a large-sized wolf hunting it.  She takes her ash wood core and kills the large wolf. Bringing the deer and the wolf meat back home, she returns to her family’s cabin. But, little does she know the wolf is high fae, and she has to leave home and live in the Fairie World from now on.  Tamlin collects her, and she goes to the Spring Court to live out her days.  At first, Feyre worries about her family and doesn’t want to break the promise she made to her mother to take care of her sisters and her father. She doesn’t realize at first that Tamlin told them she went to a rich aunt and would be away for a time, and he took care of her family.  At the Spring Court, she learns of the curse.  The fairies in the Spring Court have masks stuck to their faces, and their magic is wonky due to a curse placed on the Spring Court.  We learn the person who caused the curse is Amarantha.  She wants Tamlin’s love, and the curse is that a woman who hates the fairies falls in love with Tamlin, and all they have to say is I love you.  Feyre’s relationship with Tamlin develops, but before she can say I love you, she is told to return to the mortal realm. Will Feyre save Tamlin and the fairies in time, and can she save herself from Amarantha's dark magic?           

Subject Headings: Fairies, Young Adult Book, Young Adult Fantasy, magic, curses

Appeal: One appeal factor is the age of the heroine in the book. Young adult books feature teenage protagonists in middle school and high school. Feyre is a young adult trying to figure out the world and who she is. This leads to the second appeal factor: the book is a coming-of-age story.  Teens decide who they want to become in the world.  It is their first step into the world.  In contrast, new adults also have coming-of-age stories, but they become who they want to be or not (Brookover et al., 2014).  Another appeal factor is characterization.  Usually, young adult novels have a likable main character and a character they can support. Feyre is a likable character who would do anything for her family, even to her detriment.  As she figures out the fairy world, the reader cheers her on.          

 Storyline: The pace of this young adult book is fast. The plot drives it along. The book focuses on what happens to Feyre’s life as she navigates fairyland and her relationship with Tamlin and the other fairies. The other characters in the book drive the pace, too! Mainly because we learn about the curse as we read the book.  As the story goes along, the book contains violence toward the fairies and the humans as we struggle to find out who is evil and who is not.        

Three terms that best describe this book:  Dangerous, magical creatures, and romance

Similar Authors and Works (Why are they similar?)

3 Relevant fiction works and authors

1.     The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.   Both books are fast-paced and go through an epic adventure.  Both fall in love with their captor.

2.     Hunted by Meagan Spooner.  Both are Beauty and the Beast retellings. Both have extensive world-building.  

3.     The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Francis Long. Both books have a heroine trying to survive Fae politics they don’t understand.  Both use their wits to survive and their love interest.        

3 Relevant non-fiction works and authors

1.     21 Songs to listen to while you read A Court of Thorns and Roses by S. Wingo. Music plays a part in the plot in several areas in the book.  For instance, when Feyre and Tamlin drink fairies’ wine and dance the night away. 

2.     Beauty and the Beast and Classic Fairy Tales by Various Authors. Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses retells this classic fairy tale. Tamlin's mask covers most of his face, and Feyre has to fall in love without seeing his face. 

3.     A Court of Thorns and Roses Coloring book by Sarah J. Maas. Feyre is a budding artist. She painted her cabin when she was in the human world and later in the fairie world. https://tinyurl.com/5j2babz2

   

                                                            References

 Brookover, S., Burns, E., & Jensen, K. (2014). What’s New About New Adult? Horn Book         Magazine, 90(1), 41–45.000000

Wingo, S. (2022, November 22). Twenty-one songs to listen to while you read “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” Bookstr. https://bookstr.com/article/21-songs-to-listen-to-while-you-read-a-court-of-thorns-and-roses/

 

Prompt #13

    I remember when Harry Potter was very popular, and people hid the covers so no one would

 know that they were reading a children’s book by an adult. I know people complain that 

graphic novels are just comic books. However, I firmly believe that you should read what you 

Enjoy and do not worry about what other people think of your reading selections.  Personally, 

I love young adult books, and I am over 50.  If anyone criticized my reading taste, I wouldn’t 

listen to them.   I haven’t read much New Adult, but it is an option for someone tired of teen 

angst and has a more mature romance.   I love young adult books because they get me out of 

a reading slump from school.  It is hard after reading for school to transfer to reading for 

myself.  The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros was the book that got me out of the slump. The 

fast-paced and appealing characters grab my attention like no other.   Reading A Court of 

Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas for class also helped, and I can’t wait to read the rest of 

the series to see the change from the young adult genre to the romance genre.   As a 

librarian, I would never dismiss someone’s choice of reading materials, whether young adult, 

new adult, graphic novels, or romance.  If a librarian criticizes someone's reading choices, 

they should reevaluate their profession.     

           One way I would promote young adult books, new adult books, or graphic novels is to include them in a display with adult books by subject. For example, the graphic novel Maus and other non-fiction books about the Holocaust. When giving book recommendations, I would include both young adult and new adult graphic novels with their suggestions. 

          I wonder if it would help to remove young adult or graphic novels from Children’s 

Section.   Adults might feel angst about visiting the children’s section to find a book. If they are 

are concerned about reading a book for a young adult, it might help adults become more 

comfortable with their book choices.  When patrons come to the Reference Desk, they get 

put off if I send them to the children’s section to find a book, swearing that it is in the adult 

Section.       

Prompt #12

 Readers’ Advisory Matrix for Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

1.       Where is the book on the narrative continuum? 

Highly Narrative (readers like fiction)

2.      What is the subject of the book? 

The book is a diary that Anne Frank wrote while hiding in an attic from the nazis during the Holocaust.   

3.      What type of book is it? A memoir in epistolary form.

4.      Articulate appeal?

What is the pacing of the book?  It is conversational and reads quickly. 

Describe the characters in the book.  It is a character-driven novel.

The People in the Attic

Anne Frank, the diary's author, grows up hidden in the attic and puts her most intimate and formative thoughts in the diary.  

Margot Frank, Anne’s sister, shows up in the diary when Anne is frustrated or angry. 

Otto Frank, Anne’s father, moved to Amsterdam to be free from prejudice and to have a better life.  Once they started to gather the Jews, he decided to hide his family in the attic.  Otto Frank is the only one who survives and decides to share Anne’s diary with the world.

Edith Frank, Anne’s mother. They have a close mother-daughter bond, but their relationship can be tumultuous.

Mr. Van Daan is the father of the second family, hiding in the attic, and a co-worker of Otto Frank.

Mrs. Van Daan, the mother of the second family hiding in the attic, fights a lot with her husband.

Peter Van Daan, the son.  At first, he argues with Anne, but then romantic feelings happen; he is Anne’s first kiss.

Albert Dussel is a dentist who is friends with Franks. He shares the room with Anne and drives her crazy.      

How does the story feel?  Sad, Depressing, and Haunting. 

What was the intent of the author?  Anne intended to make her diary a birthday present for herself; she called the diary her friend Kitty and shared her life experiences as a source of comfort.  It became a picture of her feelings growing up and being a Jew during the Nazi Holocaust.  Later, she wanted to publish the diary to fight Nazism.    

What is the focus of the story?  What would it feel like to live in an attic with seven people and always be quiet, not to attract any attention, if the nazi were not to find them?  

Does the language matter?  Yes, Anne Frank was an insightful and descriptive writer. 

Is the setting important and well-described? Yes! It is essential for the plot. Anne started her diary in their apartment on June 12, 1942; on July 6, 1942, it was the first day in the attic.   Anne was a descriptive writer.  She begins by describing her apartment and, later, the attic. 

Are there details, and if so, of what? Anne described both ordinary details and significant details in her life. She explained what the attic looked like, how people survived, and the relationships between those in the attic. 

Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Pictures of each inhabitant and the attic are at the end of the diary, but most of it is Anne’s diary.   

Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience?  Yes!  The book teaches about what it is like being Jewish during the Nazi Party's reign.  The steps they took to survive in the attic, as well as their everyday life and experience of being stuck in an attic with seven other people, hiding from the Nazis. The last day in Anne’s Diary was August 1, 1944, when they were found in the attic, arrested, and sent to the concentration camps.  They would all die in the concentration camps, except for Anne’s father.           

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

1.      1. True experience 2. Details in the book 3. Tone

Prompt #11 eBooks and Audiobooks Appeal Factors

 

One disadvantage of eBooks is how much they cost libraries. For example, Gross (2021)

 writes, "In 2011, HarperCollins introduced a new lending model that was capped at twenty-six

 checkouts, after the library would need to purchase again" (p. 6). The library I worked at didn't

 get eBooks immediately, primarily due to cost. The other local main library around town did

 have eBooks, and so the patrons and staff wanted eBooks at our library, too! We finally got

 eBooks from Baker & Taylor's Axis 360 a year later. The pandemic of COVID-19 changed

 eBooks as well. eBooks gained popularity, mainly because libraries were closed or limited

 due to the virus.

Even before Covid-19, I was a big fan of eBooks. One reason is that I could get the eBook much faster than the book's version. I liked that I could save space in my house by downloading my eBooks on E-reader. Traveling with eBooks is more manageable than with large, clunky books. Yes, I take more than one book on trips. With eBooks, I don't have to worry about returning the book and accumulating fines. Another reason is that I can have trouble reading smaller print as I age. With an eBook, I can make the display bigger so that I can read the text. Otherwise, I would have to use a magnifier to read a book or, if it is too small, not read it. EBooks and audiobooks have a common benefit or appeal factor for people with poor eyesight or who have arthritis and can't hold a regular book. They can help readers enjoy books they might have been prevented from enjoying before the eBooks were available.     

According to Dunneback (2011), the display is a vital appeal factor for eBook readers. For example, she mentions that having an e-reader that can change pages using a finger will recreate the feel of the book. The size and weight of the e-reader, which can be the reader's preference, is the same as a reader preferring paperbacks to hardbacks (p. 327).       Because of the change in display factors, the pacing might change due to the different spacing in the book since it is being altered from the way the author intended it. It may be more challenging for someone with eBooks to weigh the book's length, so they may have to rely on the narrative. A disadvantage is trying to go back to check the information in the book quickly. This is the first year I have bought an eBook textbook instead of a physical copy due to the cost. This has been frustrating me to no end. It is hard to go to a chapter, forward to the index, and back to another chapter quickly. While an eBook has highlighters, I miss using an actual highlighter to mark my book.  

            I don't have much experience with audiobooks. I have never listened to one, but that may change soon. I feel that I may not pay attention and miss an important point in the book. I did ask my sister about her love of audiobooks and why they appeal to her. One reason was that she could listen to books anywhere and read a story. She likes male voices better than female ones because she can hear them over the lawnmower. But she loves audiobooks that feature both male and female narrators, which is an appeal factor strictly for audiobooks. Mediatore (2003) lists five important appeal factors of audiobooks: pacing, characterization, storyline, and frame. The fifth important appeal factor unique to audiobooks is the narrator, who works with the other four (p. 319). A narrator can make or break an audiobook. Pacing is an appeal factor.

The story's tone can create a difference in leisurely or fast pacing. If the pace doesn't match the narrator, it can cause the patron to stop listening. Characterization is vital because different voices can demonstrate the differences between multiple characters. According to Mediatore (2003), "the frame is the feel or the tone of the book garnered from the narrator" (p. 320). Music, sound effects, and additional readings create the frame and add layers to the audiobook. Format is essential when looking for audiobooks. I know I have patrons who only want CDs or MP3 players. Our Playaway or MP3 players have gained popularity since you don't need a separate device to play the Playaway. Just put in batteries and go!      

 

References

 

Dunneback, K. (2011). E-books and Readers' Advisory. Reference & User Services            Quarterly, 50(4), 325–329. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20865421

Gross, D. A. (2021, September 2). The surprisingly big business of library e-books. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/an-app-called-libby-and-the-surprisingly-big-business-of-library-e-books

Mediatore, K. (2003). Reading with your ears: Readers' advisory and audiobooks. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 42(4), 318-323. Retrieved from http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search.proquest.com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/scholarly-journals/reading-with-your-ears-readers-advisory-audio/docview/217876117/se-2

 

 

Book Club Experience -Any Book Club

 

Book Club Experience- The Any Book Club

 

            There are few book clubs around me, so I attended the Any Book Club at the Michigan City Public Library in February.  We don’t have any other book clubs at our library. It has been like that for a long time (since I started working here 15 years ago).  I’m unsure why that happened, but staff members are always asked about a book club in the Reference Department. It doesn’t matter what kind. Librarian staff time would be one reason I could think off the top of my head. I know we are not entirely fully staffed in the Reference Department, and that could factor in because we are spread so thin that a regular book club is out of reach.  So, the Any Book Club is the only book club at my library. I never attended a book club before, so this was my first experience. I want to try a regular book club if a nearby library would do one. I do not have much spare time in library school to read a set read, so the Any Book Club is perfect for someone who doesn’t have a lot of time or can’t travel to the next town to do a book club.     

            Since I worked there, they already knew my identity as someone who works for the library. I participated in the Any Book Club. There isn’t a set reading; people share their books, what they want to read in the future, and whether they like or dislike the book. The idea behind Any Book Club participants talked about the book they read for about five minutes and mentioned what they liked or disliked about the book. There is no pressure to pick one book and have the participants discuss it.  The book club doesn’t have a set genre of books; it can be anything patrons read, whether non-fiction or fiction.   

            The book club's atmosphere is inviting. It is at the library in one of our larger meeting rooms. The chairs are organized in a circle so everyone can see everyone and hear the discussion. The participants had snacks, primarily chips, cookies, and drinks like water or soda pop. It was a relaxing atmosphere as we got ready for the book club.  Eleven people attended the book club besides the person running the show.  The head person who runs the program isn’t a librarian, but I don't think that mattered because we weren’t discussing the ins and outs of one book. The people who attended were of multiple ages, primarily women, but one male attended.

            The Any Book Club is organized by people taking turns talking about the books that they read. There is no leader in traditional book clubs, but a staff member organizes the event and keeps time if patrons go over time. All attendees participate in the book discussion. The participants go around a circle, sharing their reading experiences.  If people have questions about the book, they ask during the speaker’s time. I am not much of a public speaker, so mine was quick, and I talked about how I disliked my last mystery read, Thursday Murder Club. But people talked about graphic novels, vampires, and Vietnam.  So, the books were eclectic, but it worked.        

 I wondered if any of the participants monopolized the conversation, and yes, they had a problem with one patron at the beginning of the program. The patron took over the conversation and began discussing conspiracy theories instead of a book.   They had to have a conversation with her about time limits, especially when the book club was going to end; she was still talking. They haven’t had the problem since, and it didn’t occur when I attended.  Mostly, patrons were happy to share what they were reading, and they shared laughs. There was quite a variation in books, so it was an excellent experience, and I would attend again.