Week 16 Prompt

Both of our readings this week talk about the culture of reading and the future of the book. So I have two questions for you as readers, pulling on your own experiences and all of the readings we have done over the semester: First, how have reading and books changed since you were a child, for you specifically? Second, talk a little about what you see in the future for reading, books, or publishing - say 20 years from now. Will we read more or less, will our reading become more interactive? What will happen to traditional publishing? This is  a very free-form question, feel free to wildly extrapolate or calmly state facts, as suits your mood!

Back in my day we had to walk twenty miles uphill both ways.  This isn’t really true, but I feel really old when I think about all the advances in technology over the years.  As a child, I didn’t grow up with e-readers and smartphones with reading apps.  If I wanted a new book my mom would drive me to the library or we would buy one at the grocery store.  I remember getting books each month from mail order book clubs.  The books were always in a series, so my mom would subscribe until I received each volume.

When the first generation of Nook and Kindle were released while I was an undergrad, I was very stubborn and I refused to give in to holding a tablet instead of feeling the physical weight of a book.  As technology advancers, I expect these devices to make reading more interactive.  In the future, I think we will continue to see brick and mortar books stores fail because eBooks will continue to grow.  As this happens, publishing companies will be forced to change how they market and they will utilize online strategies.   I think self-published books will continue to rise and flood the market since companies like Amazon make it easy for people to sell their work.  Publishers may be forced to drop the prices of books to compete with cheap self-published books.   As a result, readers will have to be more selective of their reading material since self-published books often contain many mistakes. 

Week 15 Prompt

There are many ways to market a library’s fiction collection.  Here are three ways to market a library’s fiction books:

1.       Create a reading challenge – Promote a genre through a reading challenge program and then reward those who met the challenge.  Reading challenges are fun and it’s a way to introduce people to new books they may not have read otherwise.  The reading challenge is also a way to have all different ages and ability levels participate in the same challenge. 

2.      Social media/web page – Update social media pages often with information with whatever is being promoted to entice users.

3.      A read-a-like display – I found this idea on Pinterest and I love this idea!  Using popular, well known books, the library can display lesser known read-a-likes to get users to try something new.  Each shelf could focus on a different popular book with lesser known titles.

Week 14 Prompt

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.

I would not create a separate section in a library collection to devote to LGBTQ or African American literature.  I do think librarians should catalog items that are LGBTQ or African American Fiction with keywords so borrows can identify them easily.  My reasons for not wanting to separate African American Literature and LGBTQ literature are the following:

1.      The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) upholds the principles of intellectual freedom and uninhibited access to information, asserting that libraries should “acquire, preserve and make available the widest variety of materials, reflecting the plurality and diversity of society” and should not discriminate on the grounds of age or for any other reason (IFLA, 1999).

2.      Some people are very private and I would not want to take the chance of exposing their private lives.  If I kept this section separate people wanting literature from this area may not feel comfortable being caught in that section. 

3.      Keeping these items from general circulation creates a stigma. 

While trying to decide how to respond to this question, I did find an interesting news report about an Oklahoma library that was criticized for how they handled a situation.  It can be found at this link: http://newsok.com/article/5522007 . 

 

Week 13 Prompt: Young Adult

                Maybe I’m a weirdo, but I love young adult literature!  It’s so fun!  I like being caught up in the teenage angst.  I think it’s fun to feel young again and being reminded of those times I struggled with difficult situations and getting to re-experience milestones through a character’s perspective.  I think libraries should be spending money on young adult novels and promoting them to both teens and adults.  Like the romance genre, young adult has a bad rap.  I realize young adult is kind of a new genre and it hasn’t been around as long many of the others, but that doesn’t make those works lesser.  Young adult novels like The Book Thief, Go Ask Alice, and Thirteen Reasons Why should never be referred to as a lesser work because of their genre.  They are not simplified kid versions of adult books. 

Young adult novels appeal to young people because the themes and issues that arise in the story are what they are experiencing, so it’s relatable.  Being a teenager is hard!  Providing books about these issues are helpful and even more importantly it gets teens interested in reading.  I’m not going to stop reading young adult novels.  Instead, I will continue to suggest them.  I think as librarians we should promote young adult literature to young and old alike.  We can promote this genre during reference interviews and creating attractive displays that appear inviting to adults.  

Young Adult

 

 

The Wrath & the Dawn

By Renee Ahdieh

 

Synopsis

            Based on One Thousand and One Nights and The Arabian Nights, this tale is an exciting story of love, conflict, murder, and mystery.  The Caliph of Khorasan has been cursed for his sins.  “One hundred lives for the one hundred lives for the one you took.  “One life to one dawn.  Should you fail but a single morn, I shall take from you your dreams.  I shall take from you your city.  And I shall take from you these lives, a thousand fold” (Ahdieh, 2015, p.80).  Each night Caliph Khalid takes a new virgin bride and each time the girl does not live past the next morning.  Shahrzad is a rebellious, headstrong, young woman who watched her best friend marry the murderous caliph.  She plots revenge for her best friend.  As part of her plan,  Shahrzad marries Caliph Khalid.  To everyone’s amazement, she survives the first night.  The longer she stays in the palace the more she realizes there is more going on than just a murderous prince.  Her clever plan is to stay alive and get revenge, but her plans change as she realizes she is falling in love with the boy prince who killed her best friend. 

 

Elements of Young Adult

Tone/Mood

        The story is a mystery with a bit of romance and magical elements.  Readers will easily fall in love with Shahrzad and become understanding of Khalid as the plot unfolds.  

 

Characterization

        The characters seem real, are well developed, and likeable.  The characters often speak in English with bits of Arabic mixed into their conversations. 

 

Pacing

The story moves at a quick pace with romance and magical elements.  It has many cliff hangers and ends abruptly.  You’ll want to read the sequel to see how the story ends.

 

Read-A-Likes

·         The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath & the Dawn book 2), Renee Ahdieh

·         A Court of Thorns & Roses, Sarah J. Maas

·         The Star-Touched Queen, Roshani Chokshi

·         An Ember in the Ashes, Sabaa Tahir

·         Three Dark Crowns, Kendare Blake

·         Red Queen, Victoria Aveyard

·         The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles book 1), Mary E. Pearson

Readers' Advisory Matrix

The Readers’ Advisory Matrix for When God Doesn’t Fix it, by Laura Story

1.     Where is the book on the narrative continuum? Highly narrative (reads like fiction)

2.     What is the subject of the book?  Learning to rely on Jesus in order to live through situations that might not ever change or get better

3.     What type of book is it? Christian book about Christian life and suffering.

4.     Articulate appeal:

a.     What is the pacing of the book?  The reader is immediately pulled into the story from the first sentence.  Laura begins the book with a life changing phone call from Martin.

b.    Describe the characters of the book.  Laura is a full time music minister and her husband Martin who is a full time college student and campus director of college ministry.  Both characters are young and just beginning their careers when Laura and Martin decide to move to Atlanta for Laura’s new job. 

c.      How does the story feel?  Laura’s fairy tale life is no longer possible.  Through Martin’s medical issues Laura finds humor in their sad situation and is able to learn to lean on others for help. 

d.    What is the intent of the author?  The author examines heroes of the Bible and is able to show that God is able to use them despite their flaws. 

e.      What is the focus of the story? Laura’s husband, Martin is diagnosed with a brain tumor.  He loses his short term memory.  Laura and Martin’s lives are changed forever. 

f.      Does the language matter?  The writer uses a conversational tone mixed with humor to draw the reader into the story. 

g.     Is the setting important and well described?  Yes, the setting is in Atlanta Georgia and the characters are often at the church or around church goers.

h.    Are there details and, if so, of what?  Details are provided about Biblical characters.  The author provides quotes from scriptures to back up her points. 

i.       Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials?  Are they useful and clear? No charts or graphic materials are present.  They are not needed. 

j.       Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience Throughout the novel, the author learns to rely on God and the Bible. 

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

1.      Learning/Experience

2.      Tone

3.      Detail 

Western

Alone Yet Not Alone

By, Tracy Leininger Craven

Synopsis

Two German sisters are taken captive near their log cabin home after the Allegheny warriors storm through Buffalo valley.  The sisters make a promise to one another that they would not separate from each other.  Days after being kidnapped, the promise is broken and the girls are taken to two different places.  Barbara is taken into the wilderness with hope that she will be reunited with her sister.  Barbra is adopted into the Allegheny Indian Tribe with plans to escape and is eventually is successful.  This is the story of two Christian sisters who must rely on their love and strength of God to survive.  Ten years later, the girls are reunited with their family.  It is based on the true story of Barbara and Regina Leininger. 

Elements of Westerns

Tone/Mood - Offers a wide range mood and tone, sometimes within the same novel

The book is conservative and Christian.  It has a very simple tone and often keeps the reader hopeful that the sisters will be reunited.  This optimistic tone is entwined with many suspenseful moments as Barbara tries to find a way escape.

Characterization – The hero is similar to the medieval knight-errant as a champion of justice

The story focuses on Barbara who is trying to find a way to escape with three other young people who were also kidnapped.  The Indians are cruel and do not believe in God.  Barbara tries to proselytize the Allegheny Indians but is unsuccessful in her attempts.  The point of view is from Barbara so the descriptions of the Indians are very biased and unflattering. 

Frame/Setting – Landscape dominates and is often is a character itselft

The American frontier and its vast openness is an important aspect of this novel.  Throughout the novel, the landscape is an obstacle that Barbara must overcome to escape.  She is unfamiliar with the landscape and the trails. 

Pacing – May be breakneck that features action packed stories

          The first chapter of the novel is very brief and provides background information.  By the second chapter the girls are taken captive and Barbara’s story begins.  Once Barbara settles into the Indian camp the story’s pace slows and then picks back up during the escape. 

Read-A-Likes

·         I am Regina, Sally M. Keehn

·         Slave of the Sioux: The fanny Kelly Captivity Narrative, 1864, Fanny Kelly

·         Lottie Moon: Giving her all for China, Janet Benge

·         To Have and To Hold: A Tale of Providence and Perseverance in Jamestown, Mary Johnston

·         Thick as Thieves, Susan K. Marlow

·         Where the Trail Ends, Melanie Dobson

·        Left by the Indians: Story of My Life, Ethan E. Harris

Week 11 Prompt: E-books and Audiobooks

E-books and audiobooks are appealing because a user can access books from anywhere they can connect to the Internet.  Some e-books are available for free through a local libraries, but not all newly released books can be accessed (at least that has been my experience) and many e-books are never published.  Many people enjoy the atmosphere at the library and the services they offer.  Ebooks and audiobooks do take away library users.  Instead free up space in the library so it can be used for other materials or activities that will attract patrons.

I don’t think a person’s knowledge of a genre is dependent upon being able to physically hold a book.  Knowledge about a genre would come from the reader’s experience of reading and following along with the plot and their ability to reason.  I think some genres like romance are growing in popularity because there is some anonymity with Ebooks and audiobooks.   

            According to the Dunneback and Trott article, “with audiobooks, as long as the patron had a device that played the physical format, it didn’t matter what the device was because the device itself contributed minimally to the reading experience.  With e-book readers, this is not the case” (2011, p. 327).  The author goes on to explain users with different scenarios and how it could affect the reader.  I think for most people the device being used to listen to an audiobook or read e-books will not take away from the reading experience, but enhance it.  Many struggling readers or users who have vision problems have many tools on the e-reader available to make their reading experience more enjoyable. 

            As a teacher, I love having audiobooks and e-readers available for my students.  My struggling readers can listen to audiobooks and read popular age appropriate books that their peers are reading.  Students with disabilities can also enhance the text to help with comprehension.  I don’t think e-books and audiobooks are tools that negatively affect the library and its users.  

Book Club

            I participate in a book club every spring at the school where I work.  This is my third year participating in the book club during our morning staff meeting in the teacher’s lounge.  We sit around a large rectangular table so we are facing one another.  The books selected are Christian books related to teaching or group Bible studies.

The book club occurs three days a week.  On Tuesdays, a video is shown to support the book.  On Wednesdays the book club discusses the assigned reading.  Thursday is set aside to preview the next reading assignment.  All the teachers participate so they can use this time as professional development since it is a private Christian school.  This year we are reading Answers Academy Biblical Apologetics for Real Life, by Ken Ham and Jason Lisle. 

The atmosphere of the book club is somewhat serious since the book club is led by the school principal and the school’s history teacher when she is unavailable.  When the principal is not present the atmosphere changes drastically.  People are more willing to participate and have side conversations.  It is much more enjoyable when the principal is not present since people seem to relax and be themselves.  Occasionally, the principal will bring a breakfast pastry or snack to share.

During the discussion time the leaders use a set of questions that accompany the book.  The questions are open ended and are thought provoking.  Typically, as people engage in the discussion more questions get raised as the discussion progresses.  When the principal is present she will ask a question from the leader’s guide and wait for a response.  There is always awkward silence after she asks a question and waits on a response.  People are afraid to speak up and often look down at their laps until one of the braver teachers speak up.  This does not occur when the principal is not present.

There are three teachers who tend to steal the spotlight.  The history teacher is a part time pastor when he is not teaching, so he is more knowledgeable than most people.  He will often answer questions that the principal is unable to or provide.  The other two teachers are ladies who often are very opinionated.  I often chose not participate because I do not feel comfortable. 

In my opinion, the book club would be more successful if the principal would step back and allow a teacher to lead.  The principal also selects books that participants are not interested in reading.  Selecting a handful of books and allowing the group to vote on one would allow participants to take more ownership and they would engage in conversation more often.  It is also very hard to disagree with your boss during discussion time.  

Special Topics: Conducting a Successful Reference Interview

Reference work is considered “both an art and a science requiring both responsiveness to the individual user and a structure within which to work” (Cassell & Hiremath, 2013, p. 15). It is a way for the library user to seek and understand information, and the library staff member to understand the user’s question so they may seek and find an answer (The Reference Interview).  A reference interview can be conducted in a variety of ways which may include: in-person, chat, instant messaging, email, SMS/text, and telephone.  For my paper, I focused on the in-person reference service and how a successful in-person reference interview should be conducted. 

In 2009, Reference and Adult Services (RUSA) created a set of behavioral guidelines for reference and information services (Guidelines for Behavioral Performance, 2008).  It is important to note that these guidelines were written to serve adult patrons.  The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) had created their own set of guidelines for teens.  The purpose of these guidelines to help librarians conduct reference interviews.  There are five main areas that RUSA identifies in order to conduct a positive reference interview.  These areas include: visibility/approachability, interest, listening/inquiring, searching, and follow-up (Guidelines for Behavioral Performance, 2008).  Each of the five areas include general guidelines.  These guidelines emphasize the need for good communication skills, no matter the form in which they are asked. 

The reference interview is composed of six parts.  These parts include: establishing rapport with the user, negotiating the question, searching and sharing what was found, locating information and evaluating it, following up, and closing the interview.  Of these parts of the reference interview.  The RUSA guidelines should be integrated into these parts of the reference interview for it to be successful.

References

Cassell, K. A., & Hiremath, U. (2013). Reference and information services: an introduction (3^rd

ed.). London: Facet Publishing.

The Reference Interview. (n.d.). Retrieved March 06, 2017, from

http://www.library.illinois.edu/training/resources/graduate_assistants/trainingmanual_fall2012/refinterview.html

Ross, C. S., Nilsen, K., & Dewdney, P. (2009). Conducting the reference interview: a how-to-do

it manual for librarians. London: Neal-Schuman Pub.

"Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers.

(2008). Retrieved March 06, 20017 from http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesbehavioral 

Week 7 Prompt

Talk about a time when a book or author that made headlines affected you personally or your work.

            Four years ago, I was in my third year of teaching middle school language arts in a rural school in Oklahoma.  Here is a little background information, so you can understand the awkwardness and gravity of the situation I found myself.  Oklahoma is considered to be in the Bible Belt.  The Bible Belt is filled with very conservative evangelical Protestants.  As a language arts teacher I think book talks or book reports are important for students to give each month.  During this time, Fifty Shades of Grey was splattered all over the media.  I had read the book when it first became an Amazon #1 best seller before the media made it a big sensation.

I had an eighth grade girl bring the book to school to read for silent reading and I am assuming to eventually present to the class during her book talk.  Now, I love when kids read and my only limitation had ever been that the book had to fit the student’s reading ability.  The young lady who brought the book was very intelligent and was considered gifted and talented, obviously I couldn’t say the reading level was too difficult.  I was not sure how to deal with the situation because I had never been placed in this type of predicament, so I went to my principal hoping to get his advice.  His response was a laugh and he gave me his well wishes.  After a day of worrying about how to handle the situation, I decided to speak privately with the student.  I decided to tell her she was allowed to read the book, but it was not a school appropriate book for a book talk and that she was not to share or discuss the book with any of her peers and the book was to stay in her locker when she was not reading it.  The next day, the student returned and told me she thought the book was too adult for her.  I felt a huge relief!

Science Fiction Annotation

The Traveler

By, John Twelve Hawks

Synopsis

This is a unique book written by an anonymous author with the pseudonym, John Twelve Hawks.  According to John Twelve Hawk’s biography, he lives off the grid and communicates via satellite phone because it is untraceable.  Mya is trained to avoid to attention and being caught on London’s surveillance cameras and to avoid the secret shadow organization that has tracked and killed people around the world.  Maya meets Gabriel who is on the run from the shadow agency because he is the only person who is willing to stand against them. Much like the author, the book is about a family trying to live off the grid in London. 

 

Elements of Science Fiction

Tone/Mood – The tone plays on the genre’s appeal to the intellect

The novel is a dystopian science fiction novel that focuses on big brother trying to control society.  It appeals to the reader’s intellect by bringing our current day government into question.

 

Characterization – Generally the issues, story, and frame are emphasized more than the characters.

Maya is a twenty six year old who has abandoned her father’s dangerous way of life and instead chooses a normal life until she meets a group called the Travelers.  A Traveler is a small group of prophets who are able to influence the future.  Maya’s father makes her aware of a group of ruthless mercenaries who have hunted Travelers for many generations. The focus of the story is on Maya’s ability to guard Gabriel against a group of people who are determined to control the world.  In order for Gabriel to save the world from this tyrannical group, Maya must leave behind safety to ensure Gabriel stays off the grid. 

Frame/Setting – Consistently evocative and visual.

From the back alleys of Prague to the busy heart of Los Angeles to the dry deserts of Arizona, Maya and the Travelers explore a parallel world that exists alongside our own.

 

Pacing – Determined by the amount of action.

The Traveler is an unsettling story filled with suspenseful action and adventure as the characters try to evade the group of secret mercenaries. 

 

Read-A-Likes

·         The Dark River: Book Two of the Fourth Realm, John Twelve Hawks

·         The Golden city: Book Three of the Fourth Realm, John Twelve Hawks

·         Infoquake (Jump 225, #1), David Louis Edelman

·         Tank Girl: The Gifting, Alan C. Martin

·         Idlewild (Idlewild, #1), Nick Sagan

·         Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present, Cory Doctorow

·         The Graveyard Game (The Company, #4), Kage Baker

Week 6 Prompt

A fun, innovative method to promote the genre of romance would be the blind date night with a book with a spin.  I would use this method during the month of February to promote the romance genre for singles.  Using mysterious romance novels and movies wrapped in colored paper, I would write clues on the outside to entice readers.  I would really play this up for singles who do not have a Valentine for Valentine’s Day.  The display title would read “Single on Valentine’s Day? Have fun With a Fictional Character.”  On the display table I would also have bookmarks of romance authors, movies, titles, lists of award winning romance titles on display.  Since romance readers and authors are often not taken seriously, I would also want to work on “developing and encouraging, positive attitude among staff toward romance fiction and romance readers” (Adkins, Esser, & Valequez, 2013). 

Adkins, D., Esser, L. R., & Valesquez, D. (2013, May 10). Promoting Romance Novels in American

Public Libraries. Retrieved February 17, 2017, from http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/05/promoting-romance-novels-in-american-public-libraries/

[Blind Date with a Book Display]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/166914729918078791/

Romance Annotation

                          

                    
 
Delivery Girl: A Contemporary Sports Romantic Comedy

by Lily Kate

 

Synopsis

            “I need one order of a smiley face pie,” my dad shouts (Kate 109).  Andi Peretti is the delivery girl at her dad’s pizza joint, Peretti’s Pizza.  Andi assumes she is delivering the pizza to some guy for his girlfriend as a romantic gesture.  As she approaches the door to knock, she discovers she is actually delivering the pizza to a nearly nude Ryan Pierce, a hockey star extraordinaire for the Minnesota Stars.  In an attempt to escape embarrassment, Andi accidently hits Ryan’s beautiful, black Ferrari.  As the story progresses, Andi continues to deliver pizza to Ryan until they become friends with benefits.  Ryan needs a date to his brother’s wedding, so he asks Andi to accompany his as his fake girlfriend.  The longer they pretend, the longer they both struggle with the reality of Ryan leaving for his new team.

Elements of Romance

Tone/Mood

            Delivery Girl a romantic sports comedy that pulls the reader into the story immediately.  The story appeals to the reader’s emotions through Andi’s embarrassment of hearing an intimate couple to Ryan answering the door in a towel.  Andi misunderstands the situation and assume Ryan was with a woman in his living room, when it was actually his brother with his fiancé.  Ryan was taking a shower and heard the doorbell. 

 

Characterization

            Ryan is a new talented hockey player who is trying to get picked up by a better team on the East Coast.  Andi lives with her dad and is a struggling comedian in her time off from her dad’s pizza joint. 

Frame/Setting

            The story is set in Los Angeles, California.  Ryan lives in his brother’s mansion in Los Feliz, an expensive neighborhood on the outskirts of Los Angeles.  Much of the story is spent at the mansion and the seedy neighborhood where the pizza joint is located. 

Pacing

The story is told fairly quickly with comedy throughout.  The story can easily be read in a single setting or the reader can easily put the book down and start right back off and still be interested. 

 

Read-a-likes

·         Big Shot, by Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde

·         Anything You Can Do, by R.S. Grey

·         Get Lucky: A Stand Alone Romantic Comedy, by Lila Monroe

·         Hail Mary, by Nicola Rendell

·         Embody, by S.E. Hall

·         Back Check: An Aces Hockey Novel, by Kelly Jamieson

·         Pumped: A Sports Romance, by Harper James

·         The Code, by R.J. Scott

·         Lucas: A Cold Fury Hockey Novel, by Sawyer Bennett