Exploring engagement with non-fiction collections: Sociological perspectives.

Chapman, Sherry

Exploring engagement with non-fiction collections: Sociological perspectives. (2018). Collection and Curation, 37(2), 43-49. Retrieved from https://sjsu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=TN_emerald_s10.1108/CC-08-2017-0034&context=PC&vid=01CALS_SJO&search_scope=EVERYTHING&tab=everything&lang=en_US

Summary:

This paper finds that development of non-fiction collections from a sociological perspective is necessary to empower individuals and groups to resist power structures and social inequality.

Evaluation:

This paper is thought provoking when considering developing non-fiction collections in libraries and their value to readers. It also points out the “readers often appropriate non-fiction texts for purposes unintended by the authors.” The sociological perspective advocates for support for these materials in spite of dwindling budgets.

Advocating and Integrating: LGBTQ lit in school libraries up to par?

Hughes-Hassell, S., Overberg, E., & Harris, S. (2013). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ)-Themed Literature for Teens: Are School Libraries Providing Adequate Collections?. School Library Research, 161-18.

In their study of 125 high schools throughout the southeastern United States, Hassel, Overberg and Harris came to a few important, and perhaps surprising conclusions regarding materials for and by LGBTQ community members.

#1     While it is probably no surprise that the high schools studied were generally undercollecting LGBTQ-themed materials, many libraries failed to properly tag or catalog their LGBTQ themed titles so they were nearly impossible to find through the catalog.

#2      LGBTQ Biographies were found to be especially lacking in high school collections.  While identifying with fictional characters can be self-affirming, reading about individuals who have braved and survived a homophobic world can be incredibly empowering to queer students.  Let's step it up!

#3      School libraries are called to uphold curriculum and support state standards.  As it stands, nearly all states have adopted comprehensive reproductive health curriculum that includes LGBTQ health-related issues, yet most of the high schools in the study had none or very few materials related to LGBTQ health issues.  For this reason alone school libraries have a responsibility to provide health and sexuality information.  Reproductive health, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation are topics that fall within any high school health course.  We can do better and we are obliged to.

J. Hasselberger
Spring 2016

Forbidden Genres: You be the judge

      

Intner, S. s. (2016). Forbidden Genres. Technicalities, 36(1), 14-16.

It is common for librarians today to save their precious library budgets for other materials rather than invest in the cheap thrills of romance novels, series mysteries and even sometimes comic books even if they are popular among patrons.  Is there a hard and fast rule about what is considered "trash literature", scorned by staff as inappropriate for school library settings?  Furthermore, can a case be made for these sorts of books in the hands of teens to promote pleasure reading and for that matter, reading at all outside of academics?  This article looks at the history of science fiction, a genre in the 1940s and 1950s written off as "trash literature" but is now considered one of the fastest growing genres within YA literature.  This article is a fun read, but also provokes a deeper look at what we consider less valuable literature of today - it is not the genre itself, but the quality of the writing that warrants examination and what should be the guidelines for student "pleasure reading"? You be the judge.



J. Hasselberger
Spring 2016

Book Trends and the Future

O'Brien, Sarah

Kellogg, Carolyn. (2016) Six Book Trends for 2016: Look Into The Future. Los Angeles Times.

Although this article is not directly about libraries and their collections, I think it is important to implement the trends this writer suggests. It was reported that 571 million print books were sold in 2015, while ebooks sales stayed at 25% this past year. We all worry that print is dead, luckily this statistic proves otherwise. With print books coming back, Harper Lee’s much anticipated second book “Go Set A Watchman”, David McCullough’s book about the Wright Brothers and Jeff Kinney’s Diary of Wimpy Kid Series, along with the spike in coloring book sales, print books are on the way back, which means libraries are getting busy. With magazines going by the wayside and bookstores closing left and right, libraries are full of titles and material just waiting to be discovered. With box office success like Star Wars, Harry Potter and highly anticipated television shows like Game of Thrones, the fantasy doesn’t stop after two hours. Publishers and Marketers want to keep fans in the loop, buy Game of Thrones action figures and games, visit theme parks (have you been to Harry Potter World yet?) and stock up on every book ever written about Star Wars because it’s out there. It’s not just about the movie experience anymore, we live in world where we can further explore the worlds that authors create.  And although journalism is taking new shapes, we know that with the success of podcasts like Serial, the Netflix original docu-series, Making a Murder and the fantastic reporter and sensational nonfiction writer, Jon Krakauer, it’s clear that deeply reported nonfiction stories have a ready audience.  The last point that is brought up in this article is a call to diversity in books. Toni Morrison was the last American award the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, as our country becomes more multicultural, it’s important that we have something for everyone.

Again, this article is not really discussing these trends in the library setting but I think it’s important that these trends can be used as connections to make library collections stronger, programs/events bigger and better and make the library experience as a whole an important part of our weekly routines. This article can serve as an excellent guide as we think about collection development and programming for the future. With the release of the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, many libraries are adopting a whole festival celebrating the world and characters George Lucas created. The same can be said with diversity in literature. This is something that we have been struggling with for years, as a Children’s Librarian I am constantly looking to publishers that focus on diverse stories and searching for authors of different ethnicities. In fact, I came across this blogger and author from London, Ann Morgan and her quest to read books from all over the world. Looking to the future of libraries, all these points and trends that the author brings up are very relevant to sustaining successful libraries.