Week 16 Prompt Response.

            Reading mediums have changed drastically since I was a child. The most common format while I was growing was paperback and hardcover novels, but, with eBooks on the rise, I rarely use these formats. It is much more convenient for me to use my iPad or my Nook for reading because of how much more compactable it is. It is not very practical for me to have print or hardcover copies of novels that I want to read when I can just store them digitally on the cloud or with Barnes and Noble because I have their membership. I still have a bookcase that is overflowing with novels that I have been meaning to read, but I find it much more practical to use my tablet or Nook when I am traveling. I no longer yearn for the moments where I would balance a book and a flashlight under my blanket when it was far past my bedtime. I now have the convenience of the digital medium to serve my reading needs and desires, especially when I have limited space when I am traveling.

            I’m not exactly sure what will happen to traditional publishing because, despite the popularity of eBooks, the print medium is just as popular in this digital age. This medium is used just as much as it has before eBooks became popular, and I’m not sure what medium would be able to change this. Print books have been ageless, and I know that I prefer reading a softcover novel when I am looking to relax after a long day at work. I think I would like to see reading become more interactive as we progress with technology, and it would be cool if we could have the technology to produce a 3-D medium. I am very visual when it comes to reading so it would be interesting if this 3-D medium could be holograms that tell the story. That might take away the imagination for setting and characters though, so I’m not sure how popular this medium would be. I know I wouldn’t want this medium if it negatively impacted traditional publishing because I would still prefer print books to any other medium because that was what I read while I was growing up.

Week 15 Prompt Response

There are a variety of ways that a library can market their fiction collection to their patrons. Here are three effective ways that we can promote specific fiction:

1.     Book displays are an excellent way to market specific genres within a fiction collection, and these could be placed throughout the library for patrons that are browsing for titles to read. A popular novel could be the focus, and the book display would include similar, potentially lesser-known titles that a patron could enjoy as much as they enjoyed the popular title.

2.     A blog could be another good way to market a library’s collection because the librarians could post helpful read-a-like titles, and popular authors within a specific genre, such as history or fantasy. These blogs could provide their readers with PDF handouts with titles and authors for different genres that patrons enjoy.

3.     Another helpful way to promote the library’s collection would be to start a book club that focuses on a different title each month. This would help readers branch out of their comfort zone to be able to read lesser-known titles that the library has in their collection. Doing this monthly book club gives the patrons time to read the book, and to also help the librarian to prepare discussion questions to guide the conversation about the book.

Week 14 Prompt Response

            I’m not sure I would feel comfortable with separating GBLTQ and African American fiction from the regular collection because of the segregation it promotes within the collection. I would uncomfortable with limiting impressive works by dedicated authors that strived to put their best selves into the work they created by segregating them within the library’s collection. Just as we should encourage graphic novel readers, we should also encourage those who enjoy these genres, instead of segregating them unfairly. It undermines the library’s mission to be an inclusive community of readers and learners.

            I feel as though, when we do limit books to one specific genre, we alienate the readers that may be looking for the said title that may fit into more than one category or genre. It is at the patron’s expense when they must continually search for a novel they want to read when it has a variety of categorizations and potential genres. GBLTQ and African American fiction can involve romance, suspense, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy, and these works should not be separated because they address the controversy of another race or sexuality. It limits the patrons, and they could, rightly so, feel frustrated and alienated as a result.

            Patrons are the focus of any library, and their reading interests should be met without judgment or with separation within the collection. This applies to African American and GBLTQ fiction because they may represent potential controversy. Controversy occurs within the library with regards to banned books, the freedom of speech, and the right to creative expression. These works should not be separated within the library’s collection because patrons may feel hesitant to browse these sections as they may feel judged for their desire to read these books. Just as one might feel judged for preferring graphic novels or YA books, one preferring GBLTQ or African American fiction may feel the same pressure. This is what we should strive to prevent in our mission as library professionals that seek to create a welcoming environment for all patrons.

            We should be prepared to encourage and support those seeking African American and GBLTQ fiction as we would support and encourage those seeking for YA books or graphic novels. They have an important place in the library’s collection, and limiting these impressive works by separation may discourage the patrons that are seeking to read them. Though I am unsure of what strategy I would use to prevent this, I know this discouragement is not something I would want to occur in whatever library I begin my career in. I would strive to find a convenient and easy way to catalog the library’s collection for the benefit of the patrons that come to the library.