Prompt Response Week 16

1 - They've changed in format: I read most of my books on my kindle now, as it's easier to transport around and I don't have to remember to renew the book or return it on the right day. My audiobook listening is about the same, but I typically get those through electronic means, too, which means I'm listening to them on my phone instead of a CD or cassette player.


2 - Honestly, I see it changing some in regards to formatting, but not drastically, like it did when ebooks were introduced. People have still shown that they like physical books, and ebook sales have stabilized over recent years to help back this up. They've actually dropped, according to this article, but that brings up my second point: if the tides are going to change in regards to books, it's going to be the publishers changing, and/or the types of books people are reading changing.

By publishers, I'm referring again to the above article, that notes that while ebook sales have dropped, they've only really done so in relation to the big publishing names. Indie publishers, or self published authors, are picking up some of that slack. This will mean changes and challenges for public libraries in the future, if it continues in this manner, as they may need to reevaluate their collection development criteria, and the wants of their populations.

By the types of books people are reading, I'm thinking of author and character diversity of populations generally underrepresented in traditional publishing. We Need Diverse Books
is a great place to start if you're new to the movement, though it generally focuses on YA and children's books. I hope this trend continues over the next two decades, and that it travels further into adult fiction.

Prompt Response Week 15

Social Media

I really liked the route that Jessica Trouter took in Hilyard’s (2010) article. Bringing readers advisory, book lists, and suggestions to social media is a great idea in my opinion. And as she says, it keeps things more interesting so patrons don’t tune you out as easily. About a year ago my local library started posting a wider variety of things to their Facebook page, and they started up an Instagram account. It was honestly refreshing. They still advertised events, but it was mixed in with other things: photos of programs or contests, asking people to take ‘shelfies’, and on occasion they’ve had random quizzes asking people what quote a book is from. They don’t really include RA to this, but I think it would be a great way to add to the progress they’ve made towards broadening their social media presence: if you like X try Y, book lists, involving people so see which book they’re currently reading, or want to read, things like that.

Genre Studies

Again, from Hilyard’s article, Martha Patten’s discussion of a yearlong genre study at her library was fascinating, and it makes me want to participate in one! There are some genres that I know I’m going to have to spend more time with after this class is over, as there simply wasn’t enough time. The only downside is the likely untenability of the study without a grant to help fund the project, especially at smaller systems. This, of course, is all behind the scenes work as opposed to marketing the library’s collection. Patten mentioned that they had an author talk at the end to bring a close and bring the public in, but I wonder if they did or could have done more.

A book club that focuses on a different genre each year or so could be an interesting program to try to bring marketing and programming back into the picture. Members could be unfamiliar or very familiar with the genre (I think a mix would be ideal), and the different subgenres could be explored and then compared to one another - what makes legal and political thrillers differ from crime thrillers? It would take the right mix of people willing to both focus on a genre and potentially read out of their comfort zones, but I think it could turn out well.

Book Displays

This is a classic way of promoting the libraries materials, but I think it’s really effective if done right. Sarick’s notes in this week’s chapter on promoting and marketing that one still needs to be careful about what books they chose, because with time readers will rely on our choices in the displays for quality material that’s accurate to what genre or subject of book the display is promoting. I’m all for the entertainment value on the “the cover was X color” displays, but I worry that sometimes the selection process for those displays is lacking in picking quality items. And, the less rigorous we are in picking out accurate quality books for our displays, the less likely they’ll be seen as a place that readers will go to and look for books - if it’s hit or miss if the book is good, they may well begin ignoring the displays, which would defeat the purpose of creating them.

Urban Fiction Annotation: Murder Mamas

 
Author: Ashley & JaQuavis
Title: Murder Mamas
Genre: Urban Fiction
Publication Date: October 2011
Number of Pages: 236
Geographical Setting: California, Barbados
Time Period: 2000’s
Series: Makes occasional references to the Cartel Series, by the same authors. Not officially part of the series, however.
3 terms that best describe this book: violent, gritty, fast pacing
Subject Headings: Organized Crime, Assassins, Families, Extortion



 

Plot Summary: Aries thinks she’s in the clear, free from her old life, when she returns to Los Angeles one last time to see her fellow Murder Mama executed in prison. Robyn’s death leaves Aries as the last surviving Murder Mama - a group of women who made their business as assassins for hire in LA - and she’s more than ready to return to her family in Barbados. Unfortunately, she’s been followed back home by Case, the man who hired the Murder Mamas for the last time, five years ago, when everything went wrong. Case finds Aries because she ran off with the money meant to pay for a job that Case wanted completed. He’s got a new job for Aries, and it’s more high profile than she’d like.

Appeal: 

Language: “Is often narrated in a straightforward tone that reflects casual spoken language” (Honig, 2011, p. x). This is true for this novel, and there is abundant usage of street slang, non-standard grammar, and cursing. The novel is narrated in third person, making it easier for the narrator to switch between characters.  

Authenticity: “Many street lit authors write directly from personal experience” (p. xi). Ashley and JaQuavis were disccused in one of the articles we read this week (https://www.ft.com/content/08785ece-86ee-11e5-9f8c-a8d619fa707c), and, indeed, add a personal touch to their stories, lending them authenticity.  

External Action: “The vast majority of action in street novels is external, happening between characters rather than within one characters mind” (p. xi). While there is internal monologue for some of the characters, most of the action is external: characters killing one another, threatening one another, having sex with one another, etc.  

Matter of Fact Treatment of Sex, Drugs, and Violence: “sexuality, drug use, drug dealing, and street violence are part of the landscape of street lit” (p. xi). All of these feature prominently, especially the violence.  

Pragmatism: “tells stories of characters making choices based on getting their basic needs met” (p. xi). Aries left the streets and only returns to them after she is tracked down by Case, and only works with him to ensure the safety of her family. She isn’t concerned whether what she’s doing is right or wrong, she’s concerned for her family.

Similar Authors and Works:

Mafia Princess by Deja King: Chosen for its violence and gritty writing style, though the setting is New York instead of LA, and there’s more focus placed on drug dealing than murdering.

A Hustler’s Wife by Nikki Turner: Chosen for its high drama and gritty writing style. Also focuses more on drug dealing and prison sentences than Murder Mamas.

Never Die Alone by Donald Goines: Chosen for its focus on revenge, this novel follows David as he rises to the top of the streets.

My Take: Urban fiction is a genre I've not read before but have had an interest in, which is why I chose it as one of my annotations. I was intrigued by this book, and might look into the Cartel series by the same authors after the semester is over. There was so much happening it was a difficult novel to put down for any length of time. The only thing I didn't like as much were the transitions between perspectives: there wouldn't be a break in the text, the next paragraph would just go to another character's thoughts or actions, and it took some getting used to. I will say that I read the ebook version of this, so it might have been formatted oddly and the transitions might be there for a physical book. A lot of the urban fiction titles were checked out at my library, and it was easier to find a title electronically.


--
Honig, Megan. (2011). Introduction. In Urban Grit: A guide to street lit. Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited.

Week 13 Prompt

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?
 
The biggest thing we can do is make sure they’re available and easily accessible. My local library has a teen area that’s open only during certain times of the day (usually after school), effectively making a portion of the collection inaccessible part of the day. To alleviate this, the library has a separate section of YA books near the main fiction collection. This means the library has to buy duplicate copies of a number of books.

Conversely, their graphic novel/manga collection is only separated into an adult section and a children’s section, making it easier to maneuver. Long story short, the library goes to great efforts to both give teens their own space, while also allowing adults access to YA books. With this library, it works; they have a large enough budget to acquire the extra books. I’m just not sure it’s a model that would work everywhere.

Going all the way back to the beginning of the semester, we read about the current definition of RA, and the history of RA. Saricks notes that we shouldn’t be trying to ‘elevate the masses’ but instead we should be helping them connect with books that they enjoy reading (Saricks, 2005). To me, this includes YA books and graphic novels - and even middle grade novels, if it’s appropriate - because if it’s something the reader is going to enjoy, then they should be able to access it and read it without judgement from librarians. Just because it has images (graphic novels) or has a main character who is between the ages of 14 and 18 (YA) doesn’t mean an adult can’t read and enjoy them.

Previous to this class, the majority of my RA interactions were with teens or kids looking for books. I know that when I make the shift to recommending more books for adults that I’ll be mixing in YA and graphic novels to people who will enjoy them, simply because I’m familiar with them. A big step towards ensuring that we can serve adults who enjoy YA and graphic novels is simply being somewhat familiar with the materials, just like we’re doing this semester.

Saricks, J. (2005). History and introduction. In Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library. Chicago: ALA. Pp. 1-13.

New Adult Annotation: It Ends With Us

Author: Colleen Hoover
Title: It Ends With Us
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date: August 2016
Number of Pages: 367
Geographical Setting: Boston, Massachusetts
Time Period: Contemporary; 2010’s
Series: No
Subject Headings: Abuse, Homelessness, Love triangles
3 terms that best describe this book: Issue oriented, compelling, heartwrenching



 




Plot Summary: Lily is settling into her life in Boston when her father dies, opening up old wounds for her to contend with. Lily begins reviewing old letters that she had written - but never sent - to Ellen DeGeneres when she was fifteen. She meets Ryle after returning to Boston from her father’s funeral, but Ryle wants no strings attached and all Lily really wants is a relationship. Over the next two years she begins her own business, and when a chance meeting at a new restaurant in town puts her back in touch with her first love, Atlas, she begins to see that her relationship with Ryle might not be so perfect after all. This heartwrenching novel considers the issue abuse and how Lily manages its lasting effects.

Appeal:

Tone/Mood: Heartwrenching: the tone and mood are impacted by the story line, with certain chapters being more upbeat than others.

Story Line: Issue oriented: While Lily is finished with college and has a job at the beginning of the novel, she does quit her job to start her own business, which is it’s own plot. For the most part, however, the story line deals with abuse, both from Lily’s past and her present.

Style/Language: Compelling: the style and language are easy to process, making the novel easy to read even if the topics are heavy. The novel relies on a lot of conversation and old letters to keep readers engaged.

Characterization: Sympathetic: the characters are easy to relate to, and don’t do anything too out of line, and they are easy to empathize with.

Pacing: Steady: while some events unfold quickly, the novel does span two to three years worth of time, though we only see the periods of time where there is upheaval or change in Lily’s life. This keeps the plot moving along rather quickly.

3 Relevant Works and Authors:

Beautiful Oblivion (Jul 2014) by Jamie McGuire: Chosen for being a new adult contemporary romance with an emphasis on family dysfunction.  

Chasing Red (Sep 2017) by Isabelle Ronin: Chosen for being a new adult contemporary romance that’s intricately plotted.  

I See You (Nov 2016) by Molly McAdams: Chosen for being a new adult contemporary romance that deals with love triangles.

My Take: It took me three tries to find a Colleen Hoover book that I could read without hate-reading, while also having it be new adult. This novel was really well done, and I especially appreciated the author’s note at the end.

Week 12 Prompt

Reader’s Advisory Matrix: 
The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn

Where is the book on the narrative continuum?

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

What is the subject of the book

The subject of this book is Jim Jones - it’s a biography of his life with a focus on his time at Peoples Temple.

What type of book is it?

True crime / Biography

 Articulate Appeal

What is the pacing of the book? 

The book is long, but the pacing is relatively steady throughout, though it speeds up marginally when Jonestown becomes involved.

Describe the characters of the book

The big character in this book is Jim Jones himself: we follow him through his entire life, and there are brief moments of focus on people who were around him, like his mother, wife, children, and others in Peoples Temple that he interacted with frequently.

How does the story feel?

Creepy but informative - the first chapter begins with reports of something happening in Jonestown, but then we go back to Jone’s childhood and work our way back to Jonestown.

What is the intent of the author?

To convey, objectively, the life of Jim Jones.

What is the focus of the story?

Jim Jones - though most people would be reading it for the focus of the Jonestown Massacre, and it is the second big focus of the book.

The does language matter?

Yes. 

Is the setting important and well described?

Yes - each time a move is made to a different city, be it Richmond to Indianapolis, or California to Guyana, time is spent with the geography and population makeup of each place, as well as the buildings and land that Jones inhabits.

Are there details, and if so, of what?

All of the things. There’s so much detail, which makes it a long book, but it’s not overly dry or unnecessary information.

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

No, and they’re not needed.

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

Yes - there are moments, for example, where the author stresses how Jones slowly escalated, and many of his followers didn’t even realize things were getting worse, per se.

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

1 Comprehensive, 2 Disturbing, 3 Intensifying

Week 11 Prompt

Audiobooks have always had an impact on my life, which I suppose somewhat shows my age. I grew up listening to them as well as reading them and would often listen to the same ones over and over again (I’m looking at you, Harry Potter with Jim Dale’s narration). I quit listening to them for quite a few years before picking them back up about a year and a half ago, when I was required to review different formats for my materials for youth class. Since then, I usually have an audiobook downloaded through overdrive at any given time. I’ll listen to about anything, though I do generally focus on middle grade and young adult fiction, as well as general nonfiction (I wouldn’t get through the nonfiction otherwise).

With Overdrive, I appreciate that you can speed up the narration if you want to. I typically listen at 1.25x so I pay more attention to what’s happening in the track. If not for this ability, there would be more narrators I wouldn’t enjoy listening too, simply for pacing. There are still narrators I avoid, but I’m more likely to find a narrator I love. The narrator’s style can have a big affect on appeal - what usually impacts me the most is tone, as Saricks describes (2015). Narrators can make the tone better or worse, depending.

Additionally, the number of narrators can also have an impact. Some people don’t like multiple narrators, and there’s definitely more risk when choosing an audiobook with more than one narrator that one of them won’t be stellar. Music can also be added, and I wish it was noted more beforehand: there are instances where it works beautifully (I’m thinking of Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan), and others that are off putting. Knowing if an audiobook contains music and the use of multiple narrators and their impact on appeal should be taken into consideration.

I avoided ebooks until I was in graduate school, when I realized reading fiction was far easier to read electronically than a textbook and that having a kindle meant I could bring whatever book I wanted with me, and no one would know what I was reading. Since then, it’s my generally preferred method of reading and I read more now than I did before using an ereader. I don’t feel as if appeal factors change as much with ebooks, at least in terms of the novel’s content. Other aspects, like font or length can be mitigated if using ebooks. If someone prefers a particular font, or size they can read a larger variety of books electronically as they would have control over those aspects.

I will say that I learned about Amazon’s Kindle in Motion format this past week, and it does affect the appeal factors. I’m currently reading Hell’s Princess by Harold Schechter (one of Amazon’s First Reads this month, it’s about Belle Gunness, a female serial killer active in La Porte, Indiana from 1902 to 1908), and it’s my first experience with the format. Amazon released the format in 2016 and for those unfamiliar, Kindle in Motion more or less allows for the addition of photos, illustrations and small animations throughout the book.

an example of one of the illustrations

In the case of Hell’s Princess, there’s a lot of newspaper clippings and photos, and the background ‘pages’ are yellowed. There have also been a few illustrations and animations, which is an interesting experience. For those who might be bored by nonfiction I could see it as being a way to keep the reader drawn in, as the format impacts the pacing and style of the book. I know I’m certainly reading this book faster than I normally would if it was just blocks of text on my paperwhite and it feels more interactive. I’m going to have to keep an eye out for a novel that utilizes the format, to see if it’s equally appealing.






--
Saricks, J. (2015). At Leisure with Joyce Saricks: Listening for the Appeal of Audiobooks. Booklist, 111(19/20), 131. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.