Week 15 Prompt

 How has reading and books changed for me since I was a child?

I think reading has changed a few times for me since I was a child then a teen and now an adult. When I was really little I enjoyed storytimes and seeing puppet plays. The interaction I got while a book was being read to me made the book so much more fun. I enjoyed reading books with others and being able to talk about them with my parents. Then as I grew older reading was split in half. It was required for school through textbooks and then it was something I did for fun. When it came to textbooks and required reading for school I despised it. I have never been a fan of being told what to read and how long I have to read it. I think it is because I am a slow reader. If I was told in school that I had to read a book I almost automatically disliked it and did not want to finish it. I have also never been big into literary classics or Shakespeare so odds were I was not going to care for the required reading. On the other hand I loved mysteries, fantasies, and science fiction. I saw them as an escape from the world and often chose to read a book instead of watching a show or movie growing up. I was that weird kid who convinced her parents that a small box of books was the way to go for Christmas (my sister did not like that this became a tradition all through our school years). Then, in 11th grade I had a teacher who changed my perspective on required reading and changed my attitude slightly. He was new at our school and did not get to pick our summer reading. I did not like the book at all and he automatically won me over when he looked at the class and told us he'd give the book a 5 out of 10. We still did a few assignments with the book but he made me know that I could say my opinion of a required book without being told I was wrong. He even let us come up with books for the next year's required reading and put them to a vote. I still don't like all my required reading but I have an appreciation for reading outside my comfort zone. Now that I am an adult I almost only read for pleasure. I have started doing more reading about how to do upkeep on a home and some other essential things that come with adulthood but I enjoy it now. I respect that not all my reading is exactly fun, but I can make myself engaged with a monotonous topic. I also don't have loads of free time to read. This is sad but I have responsibilities and when I do have time to read it is so much more enjoyable.

What do I see in the future for reading, books, or publishing -20 years from now? Will we read more or less, will it become more interactive? What will happen to traditional publishing?

This is a big question with so much unpredictability. 

I think there are always going to be two types of people. Those who think libraries will become extinct in the next few decades and those who continue to go to libraries to find a new favorite author. I think it all depends on who is choosing to read. I know with the younger generations many prefer the convenience of an eBook or eAudiobook. They do not have to visit the library to get the book and they can still enjoy all the perks of having a library card. I am starting to see the value of online materials, and I used to only read print materials. I think those who dive into reading in the next few decades will happily embrace online formats more than ever. I also think younger school age children will end up preferring eBooks because many schools have done away with a majority of their print materials. I know where I went to school had started phasing out print textbooks in 2012 and by the next year my sister had almost no textbooks. The first college I went to only used eTextbooks (I'm not sure if that is a word). This makes me sad because there is a different atmosphere that comes with reading a book in print. I can see print books in libraries forever, but I think there will be a shift towards online content in budgets if it has not already happened. 

There will always be readers who enjoy the mainstream authors. I think there will always be people who want to read print because it makes more sense with formatting (graphic novels). I do however think more and more books are being published as only eBooks and see this being more normal in 20 years. I also hope that reading will become more prominent. I think the pandemic helped many people get back into the habit. I am curious to see if the increase in library use will continue. With the closure of local video stores, less movie theaters, and rural areas not having access to quality internet, I could see an increase of reading in rural areas due to lack of internet. I can also see people valuing their local libraries due to the rise in costs for living and entertainment. Time will tell if this is true. I hope more people read in the future.

When it comes to publishing I think we will see a greater percentage of independently published books. It is becoming more common for new authors to publish their own works on Amazon and promote them through online avenues and local schools, libraries, and shops. I could see this as a new hip and trendy way of publishing works and will require libraries to be more flexible with how they purchase materials. I think publishing will change immensely over 20 years but I can honestly say I hope it is for the better and the benefit of the authors and readers who consume the works. I have no clue what publishing will look like but my assumptions are that it will have many new ways. I still think all the authors who write thrillers, mysteries, and romance that use the same formula for all their books or authors who are considered book factories will be popular but I think there will be a shift in publishing. I just hope it is not similar to how shows and movies keep doing remakes. I have faith in authors to write original works and hope that publishers see the value in them.

Interactive reading will become more important for authors to consider. There are so many options for books and people who read for pleasure enjoy the interactive nature of a book. I think this will become one of the most important factors as time goes on. I already think it is but maybe that is because I think you have to be interactive to actually read a book and absorb the contents of it. 

Week 14 Prompt

I think marketing library books to patrons can be a great tool to get the word out about new and old books.  I am going to talk about three ways I see libraries marketing materials and I am going to try and pick ones that are more passive due to social distancing and less in-house programming.

1. Staff recommendations from all staff and in multiple ways. We have done this in a few different ways over the past year. Last year when we got sent home we got asked to send pictures of books that we were reading. If we were reading books online we were asked to send a list to our outreach librarian. The outreach librarian would create graphics with the photos or a graphic with the list and post it on all of our social media. She would let patrons know how they can read the book online and once we were able to do curbside orders she let them know if the book was available in print. This alone has been pretty successful in connecting with patrons who are staying home and especially when we were doing curbside orders. We got them to read some new fiction and some books that brought back nostalgia. I recommended a science fiction series back in January and it has been constantly checked out or on hold both in print and online with ebook and eaudiobook formats. Now that we have more patrons coming into the building we are using our plexiglass surrounded desk to our advantage and created a staff recommendations section that spans YA, DVDs, and books. This has been going on for about a month and the circulation manager switches out the selections every week to keep the display fresh and appealing. Any staff member can send a list of recommendations to our circulation manager and he randomly selects from them and tries to make sure there are a variety of genres. This method has been great to get readers into older series and some of our new authors and books. I also think one way that would be fun to try with staff recommendations is through shelf talkers. We could have them say why they liked the book and what was appealing. After they have written their opinions then we place it by the book. As they get checked out we can take them down, save them for another time, and add new ones to the shelves.
2. I have seen a lot of libraries that put suggestions into bowls and patrons randomly select a book to read. I then saw one where they color coded the paper with a genre patrons should try. I think it would be fun to do it a little differently. I would color coordinate the paper with genres and then have a bookmark or sheet for each genre that gives suggestions that the patron can find in our fiction collection or through our online resources. I think to make it more patron friendly I would do a couple bowls that accommodate to those who read regular fiction, those who can only read large print materials, and our young adult collection (it is also upstairs). The library could do some popular genres mixed with some more unknown or underrated genres. I also think it would be fun to somehow incorporate this for those who look at our social media accounts with some sort of color spinner (like twister if anyone remembers playing that game). Then the patron could look at an image of a curated list that matches what the spinner landed on, place a hold for a book, and pick it up at their earliest convenience through curbside. They would not be long lists, and I think it would be smart to switch out the suggestions once a month or every other month so patrons can keep enjoying the spontaneity. Who knows, the patron could find a new favorite author this way! 
3. I know one way our library has successfully gotten new books and movies to get checked out faster is by sending out genre or format newsletters. We use BookSite and just scan the barcodes into the correct newsletter and it creates a newsletter with a photo of the book and details on the book for readers to look over. A couple examples of these newsletters are new fiction, new mysteries, new large print, new audiobooks, new Christian fiction, new movies, and a few nonfiction newsletters. This has created hold lists for many authors that were not being seen and even longer lists for popular authors. The newsletter is not fancy but it allows patrons to see what is new within the library. I think if we wanted to expand the newsletters it would be fun to create a nostalgia list where librarians can ask patrons to write down books they loved years ago (that we have in our collection) and create a list to send out to our patrons who subscribe. Then all areas of fiction could be represented in the newsletters.

If you have similar ways of promoting fiction or if you have different ways that your patrons have enjoyed finding new books let me know in the comments section!

References:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/80924124533546067/ 

Carrol, B. (2020, December 7) Don’t talk to me: Passive readers’ advisory. State Library of Iowa. https://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/c-d/continuing-ed/iloc/copy_of_iloc-2016/handouts/dont-talk-to-me/donttalktome.pdf

Saricks, J. (2005) Promoting and marketing readers’ advisory collections and services. Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library. ALA. 136-160. 

Week 13 Prompt

I am using the library I work at to answer this question. It is a smaller Class B library. If I had patrons requesting that we only separate LGBTQ and urban fiction books I would tell them no for these reasons:

1. We do not separate any other book based on its contents and will not do so for only two genres. We separate all of our fiction by author then title in our adult and young adult collections and separate our children's books by reading age ranges (jE fic, jER, jI fic, j fic, etc.) that are then organized by author. We also already put genre stickers on many of our different books like mystery, romance, fantasy, science fiction, and westerns and could always look to see if we could start putting stickers on newer works for these two genres. If we were to separate these collections it could cause unwanted discrimination and judgment on those who enjoy these genres. If we keep all the collections organized how they are now, by author and title, then patrons can freely browse for books without feeling like people are watching them. 
2. If we were to separate these two genres we would do the entire library and that would require all new labels, lots of manpower, possibly more shelves and new signage, and a lot of taxpayer money going to fund this project. The library does not see it in their best interest to use the budget or our staff's time to do this project. It would easily confuse many of our patrons and require far more manpower than we have. We value every penny that is given to us and would rather spend our budget on collection development, new programming, and online resources. We may also need to shutdown our library to move the collection and shelving around and we would rather keep our doors open to the public.
3. If parents are concerned about their children reading works in these two genres we remind them that we are a public library that is here to serve the entire community. Parents are in charge of monitoring what they allow their children to read or watch from our collection. We encourage parents to come in with their children. If they feel like they need to set parameters of what their children should and should not read they can always come in with them to look over the books or search for descriptions in our catalog. As board member Mabel Mantel of Orange City, Iowa (2018) states to parents, "You have to set the parameters and you have to make the decisions and you have to enforce them," she said. "Not us. Not the library board that meets one hour a month" (The Oklahoman). 
4. Many people are against street lit because it has violence and not a lifestyle that is considered nice. Urban fiction needs to start being viewed as many of the writers of the genre say, as a way to show the consequences of the lifestyle and that it is not worth those consequences. These books are often based on real life stories that have every right to be in fiction. They are also stories that connect with a large group of readers. We want all people to feel like they have representation in our library and will not discriminate because the story is not what the majority sees as right. As librarians you all trust us to provide access to information and resources. This also means you trust us to purchase books for all ages. 
5. Separating only street lit and LGBTQ books from the rest of the collection is saying that they are wrong and that is setting up for hurt people and making our library come off as bias and insensitive. It is also setting the library up for censuring if the public feels like they should be able to tell the library how collections should be developed. In Iowa concerns of indoctrinating children and needing to ask about purchasing LGBTQ materials have been brought up with some books in the children's room (Des Moines Register, 2018). In Orange City they are accusing the library of trying to indoctrinate children because there is a book about transgender in the collection. This is not the case. If it is anything like the library I work at they just want to have representation for all people. In regards to purchasing LGBTQ books but only doing so if the library seeks the public's input I think that is not okay and why would patrons want this. This specific genre is being targeted because of the content and people who are in the book. It has nothing to do with the petitioners wanting the books separated. They want them taken out of the collection so their children never read them. We believe, as librarians, that the freedom to read and watch is a right for anyone at any age. We purposefully purchase books in all genres and formats so we do not discriminate. We ask that the public takes this into account when making complaints about the books. 

References:

Libguides. (2020, December 7). Urban fiction: About street lit. Durham Tech. https://durhamtech.libguides.com/streetlit 

Munshi, N. (2020, December 7). Urban fiction: Words on the street. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/08785ece-86ee-11e5-9f8c-a8d619fa707c 

https://oklahoman.com/article/feed/1904116/iowa-library-to-separate-books-after-complaints-about-lgbtq 

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/03/21/library-change-lgbtq-content-grouping-change-orange-city-iowa/445970002/

Week 12 Prompt

 I think I work in an odd library. Most of the staff really values YA and loves promoting it to any age and at least half of us often read YA, graphic novels, and children's books. We actually just started putting staff recommendations at our desk and part of them are YA choices or YA movies. I also just got one of my fellow librarians to try out a YA series and she is loving it! I also know that many of our YA books get checked out by adults. It is a reason why we have made a point of keeping them separated from the children's area. It creates less of a stigma that they are only for kids and teens. As for NA I think that is a little harder to promote for patrons who have not thought about reading it before. I think YA, graphic novels, and NA are viewed as a niche and that many people do not want to be categorized as "those kind of readers." Doing passive readers' advisory, having conversations with patrons about these genres, and educating people about how diverse these genres are can help adults be more on board with reading YA, graphic novels, and NA. They are worth the money and time that is spent curating the collections or marketing the materials. 

Graphic novels are great. They can get readers interested in art, different genres, and authors. Many YA authors are starting to continue their stories with a couple graphic novels and I think it is a great way to get new readers. For adults I think it is important that graphic novels get displayed more and are not just shoved in a far away area. One thing I have noticed about our library is that we put almost all of our graphic novels over in the YA section. So, unless you already know they are there you may never come across them. I also have noticed that people assume they are only about superheroes. I just read a nonfiction one and have read many nonfiction graphic novels that are better suited for this format because the pictures enhance the character's emotions and set the tone of the book without any words in some panels. I think if we start to put them in highly trafficked areas and start conversations about them then patrons would give them a go. I also am really confused as to why people don't consider them real books or good reads. They are fine with watching film adaptations so what is so bad about reading them.

I think YA is a valuable set of books that should be in libraries. It shows us what is trending among teens and some adults as well as allows us to have a little bit more fantasy and bizarre elements to the story. Many YA books I see have magic, vampires, or the typical teen romance. I ate these up as a teen and love being able to recommend books that I found fun or that I have read recently. I see both New Adult and YA as the transition periods for readers. I am not saying that only certain people should read them but I know it is usually people who are in that age range that these stories appeal to. I also know many moms and grandmas who are excited that our library is getting more New Adult books because they used to have to interlibrary loan them all. They really appreciate that their library is taking the interests of all patrons into account. Both these writing styles have something different in my eyes than the other books readers view, they have a part of a story that the reader can relate to more. Yes, in YA and NA there tends to be more of another world or magical elements but readers can relate to the awkwardness of a first love or reading about someone who is going through a divorce or getting bullied. The topics are ones that readers want to see from another perspective besides their own.

A big way these "genres" can gain more appeal in libraries is by actually displaying them, making those genre bookmarks that you see at many libraries, and doing some passive readers' advisory with them. Free bookmarks are a great way to get patrons to get interested in a new author or series. Librarians could have eye turning bookmarks for YA, graphic novels, and NA books that get people interested. They could put 3 words that describe the book beside the title or 3 words that describe the author's works. At my library we have always shied away from putting the New Adult books on display shelves because we have a lot of kids come into the adult areas with their parents. I think if we started displaying them in our new book section that we could get a more diverse group checking them out. If a library is not comfortable displaying them maybe try putting small placards* by NA suggestions within the new books section. The YA books have never had an issue because we display on top of shelves and no one has ever complained. I think one thing that could be beneficial is starting a book club at a library that is purely YA and NA. Right now it could be virtual but I think librarians could serve a new group of people by doing this.

Another way I think libraries could really promote YA, graphic novels, and NA is by putting them as suggestions on their apps, social media and newsletters. Our library has a new book newsletter that gets sent out once a month that has an array of different genres. One could be set up for these three styles to get people intrigued. If the library has social media then do staff recommendations or books that appeal to different readers a couple times a week. During the pandemic many libraries started doing YA pick of the day and that would be great to promote books at anytime. I also think if there are staff recommendations or curated collections on Overdrive and Libby then people who like to read ebooks and eaudiobooks would try them out. When we are giving our new patron spiel we like telling them how to access graphic novel books through our apps and even tell them a few titles if they show interest.

Our library has been trying to think of ways to promote books with the summer reading program. I had suggested going into the children, YA, and adult areas and doing displays or posters that say things like, "If you liked these books or authors as a kid try these YA or adult authors" or "Is your kid reading this right now, try this series out and have a conversation." This could easily be adapted to promoting YA, graphic novels, and NA books and authors. There could even be displays around the library that have the poster in the middle or a flow chart that asks different questions and ends with a different genre in these formats. Librarians could also take this poster idea into the DVD area to make suggestions of books that readers would enjoy if they liked a movie adaptation with that style of book.

I have one patron who I adore and for the first 3 years of me working at the library I was petrified of her. She is super sarcastic (I did not realize this. She is great with her deadpan delivery), in her mid-70s, and loves New Adult. At one point she decided to make some of the employees and patrons blush by pronouncing, "Don't suggest anything unless it has sex and someone I can get all hot and bothered about." She said a lot more but I think she has the right mindset with books. She will try about anything even though she tells us to make sure it has sex. She loves reading and NA is her favorite because she can read so many different genres. It can be fantasy, general fiction, romance, and more. She likes expanding her horizons and she sees NA as the way to do that. It leads to her reading new genres. She is also getting her teenage granddaughter to read some of the same style of books in the YA section. I say all this because it is a great story about how patrons can influence other patrons to read things. Get some patrons talking if they are both checking out and you think they'd like to give each other suggestions. Let others join in on suggesting books if a patron is asking you for book suggestions. It could get more patrons to try these "forbidden" books.

*I cannot think of the word for the little sign that hangs off shelves that gives suggestions or book limits. If anyone knows the word feel free to put it in the comments section. :)

Young Adult Annotation: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Steven Scott, & Justin Eisinger

 

They Called Us Enemy

Author: George Takei, Steven Scott, & Justin Eisinger

Illustrator: Harmony Becker

Genre: Young Adult/Memoir/Graphic Novel/Nonfiction

Publication Date: July 16, 2019

Number of Pages: 204

Publisher: Top Shelf Productions

Geographical Setting: Los Angeles, California, Santa Anita Racetrack, California, Rohwer Relocation Center, Arkansas, Tule Lake, California

Subject Headings: WWII, Japanese, Pearl Harbor, Internment Camp, Memoir

Summary:

George Takei relives his past in this graphic novel to shed light on the internment camps during World War II. He shows how his parents persevered through all the moves and challenges that came along with being segregated, discriminated, and stripped of all their worldly possessions. George spent 4 years in camps and when his family and others got out there was a fight to not be deported and to find work and homes quickly. Due to Takei's age during this time he shows how not only adults were traumatized with his parents' story but also the children who knew nothing but being imprisoned in camps. He shows this by taking us along with him as he grows up and becomes an adult giving speeches or marching along with Martin Luther King Jr.. He always remembered these times and as a child he was told they were going on vacation or a new adventure. Takei's work shows the pride he has for his family and their heritage. They had to learn how to live outside the barb wire. 

Memoir/Graphic Novel Elements:

The elements of a memoir can be seen throughout this graphic novel. A few of these elements are:

• It has a focused theme. Memoirs can be about telling lessons the author has learned. This novel tells the story of George Takei and his family during WWII and their time in internment camps. It is supposed to educate and help people understand what happened and the impact these camps had on the people put into the camps.
• It has storytelling elements that focus on moments and events that influenced the author. His time growing up in these camps changed his perspective of the world. He was afraid of being outside the walls because of what people would say to him and because of his time in these camps he grew up to advocate for his rights as well as others.
• It is a reflection of how he saw his life. The author tells the story of his life from when he was little up to present day in order of the events that happened.

The elements of a graphic novel help emphasize the memoir nature of this story. Some of these elements are:

• The captions and panels give more description to the story being told. The captions may help lead to a new part of the story, explain what the dialog means, as well as emphasize the emotion the characters are feeling. The captions and panels also show how Takei's parents saw the world compared to the children. The panels bring all the feelings the reader should feel to life and gives vivid detail to what happened in the internment camps.
• Dialog bubbles help readers differentiate the characters speaking as well as give readers insight to what is going on with secondary characters. It helps Takei show what his parents were saying that he might not have understood at such a young age but remembers later on in life.

3 Terms to Describe the Book:

• Emotional
• Thought-provoking
• Historical

Read-Alikes:

• Displacement by Kiku Hughes
• Dear Miss Breed: true stories of the Japanese American incarceration during World War II and a librarian who made a difference by Joanne Oppenheim 
• March: Book One by John Lewis
• Torn Apart: The Internment Diary of Mary Kobayashi by Susan Aihoshi
• Take What You Can Carry by Kevin C. Pyle
• The War Outside by Monica Hesse