Thursday, July 7, 2016

Week 9 Assignment 3

Wow!  What an amazing experience!  This training has been a wonderful resource in providing information on readers' advisory services.  I have actually been doing this for years, even before I became a librarian, scouring the catalog for titles that would be of interest to friends and family members.  For some reason, as a new librarian, I found this process to be a litle intimidating, especially having to suggest titles to customers in genres that I may not have been familiar with.  Thankfully, Be More Bookish has helped me to relax, realize that I know more than I think I do, and enter into the whole process with more of an open mind, knowing that there is no one perfect book, but a rnage of possibilities.  It is good to keep in mind the ultimate goal of connecting our customers to material that they find useful and enjoyable.  There is such a range of resources available to research and provide information in genres with which I am less familiar.

I have especially enjoyed using GoodReads.  A coworker turned me on to this shortly before Be More Bookish started.  This has been an excellent way to keep track of what I have read and what I want to read. I have recommended this to several customers who want to do the same.  The suggested titles and suggested authors read-a-likes is also very useful.

And EarlyWord is my new favorite thing!  I have signed up to receive their newsletter and now check the new releases section regularly so I know what customers will be asking for.  And as a lover of thrillers, I have discovered several new titles and have enjoyed sharing them with customers and staff.

The hardest part for me was the kind of hazy, undefined nature of posting my thoughts on a blog.  I am more comfortable with the academic type of learning that requires answering specific questions or writing an essay with an objective in mind.  At times it has been difficult to crystallize my thoughts and present them in a coherent way.  While challenging, I have also learned a great deal from the process.

Many thanks to all of your for being a part of this!  And many thanks to Patrick Fromm for presiding over it all!  Best wishes to all of you as you continue your readers' advisory journeys.

Week 9: Assignment 2

Book trailers were a foreign concept to me before this assignment.  The only thing close to this that I have seen was an appearance by James Patterson on the local morning news touting his new BookShots series.  After reading these articles and looking at some book trailers on YouTube, I still find this an unusual way to advertise for reading material.  A movie trailer typically features scenes from the movie, highlights the actors that are box-office draws, and hopefully gives the viewer a clue of what the movie is about.  Since part of the joy of reading involves using one's imagination to envision the characters and setting, it seems to me that a visual trailer would provide too much information, taking away part of that process from the reader.  A professionally produced trailer that highlights a well-known author would be more enjoyable, especially if he/she talks about the motivation behind the story, or how it ties in to their personal experiences.

For younger, less experienced readers, or for those who are more graphically oriented, book trailers may be a way to sift through many options, and pinpoint something that may be of interest.  It may be worth mentioning to a customer who is not sure of what he/she likes to read and wants to find new material.

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Week 8

Biography: The Wright Brothers, by David McCullough

As a frequent traveler to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I have visited the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kitty Hawk, NC and have seen replicas of their plane there and at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  This book tells the rest of the story, starting with their extensive research and experimentation in Dayton, Ohio and continuing on after their successful flights in Kitty Hawk to commercialize their success in Europe. This title would be appealing to frequent visitors to the Outer Banks, who may be interested in learning more of the history of the area.  It would also be of interest to those who love science, especially the history of scientific discovery.  The book delves into the personal stories of the Wright family, and explores the close relationship between Wilbur and Orville, and how it contributed to their discoveries and achievements.

History: Dead Wake, by Erik Larson (940s)

Set at the outset of the Great War, and before the United States had entered, Dead Wake provides a wonderful and detailed account of the sinking of the steamship Lusitania, en route from New York to Liverpool.  The book takes a detailed look at the the captain, staff, and passengers of the ship, providing rich back stories on their lives and how they came to be aboard the Lusitania.  Meanwhile, a German U-Boat captain at large in the North Atlantic was determined to wreak havoc on British shipping, and was willing to target civilians from neutral ships in order to do so. President Woodrow Wilson, first heartbroken by the death of his wife Ellen, then distracted by the courtship of his second wife, Edith.  Even though one knows the ultimate fate of the Lusitania, the compelling story moves from ship, to U-Boat, to Washington DC to weave together the threads of history. This would be a wonderful choice for anyone who loves history, and enjoys character-driven fiction.

Adventure: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (Biography)

Disaster/Survival: In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick (History)

Sports: I Feel Like Going On by Ray Lewis (Biography)

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Week 7: Assignment 4

I reviewed the Harper Teen and Teens@Random websites.  Dystopian novels seems to still be quite popular, as well as tried and true authors like James Dashner and John Green.

Week 7: Assignment 3

TeenReads

TeenReads is a product of The Book Report Network, which provides book reviews, author profiles, and information on new releases via several websites in an effort to provide up-to-date information on finding enjoyable reading material.  The TeenReads site is graphically appealing and presents information by category in a way that makes it very accessible.  One of my favorite sections, "Books to Add to Your Guy-brary" presents a bookshelf full of books that would be appealing to young male readers.  There are also sections on "New in Paperback," "Cool and New," and reviews on new releases.

Forever Young Adult

Forever Young Adult bills itself as " A site for YA readers who are a little less Y and a bit more A."  The website offers reviews, book lists, and events such as the Summer Showdown, which encourages reading and participation in reading events.  From the short amount of time I spent reviewing it, it seems to offer quite a bit of good information on titles of interest to lovers of this genre.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Week 7: Assignment 2

New Adult: Needless Marketing-Speak Or Valued Subgenre?

This article explores the need to categorize literature geared for the 18 to 24-year-old crowd.  Frankly, I have always found the term "young adult" confusing, as it seems to be targeted at teens, including 14 to 18-year-olds. BCPL's use of the call number "Teen" seems to be more appropriate.That being said, since we work in a public library, many of these distinctions may seem arbitrary and unnecessary.  But to many of our customers, especially those who may not be avid readers, this may be a useful way of identifying material that would be of interest.  Most of us can relate to the characters in our favorite books, especially if they are in the same stage of life as we are, or are facing some of the same struggles that we do. I would welcome any distinction that provides additional information, whether younger "teen" or "new adult."


A Not-So-Young Audience for Young Adult Books

I have always tried to read whatever my children were reading for school.  It gives me a chance to connect with them on an intellectual level and learn more about what they like to read.  As they have gotten older, that has included more from the Young Adult genre.  I probably would not have read the Hunger Games trilogy or the Divergent series if not for their interest.  And I have discovered that I enjoy reading Young Adult fiction!  Not exclusively, but certainly there is a place for it in my reading adventures.  Whatever gets you to think, feel, or learn is acceptable reading material.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Week 6: Assignment 1

Way back in Week One, I chose Tor as my genre resource as I am unfamiliar with the science fiction/ fantasy genre and figured it would be a good learning experience.  Part of this whole training process is to get us to expand our horizons, right?

I must admit that spending time looking at this website has been a little like waking up in an alternate universe.  Strange, unfamiliar, confusing.  Many of the titles, authors, and series that are discussed on the website were completely foreign.

I am probably most familiar with popular science fiction, having enjoyed all of the Star Trek and Star Wars series.   The children's Tripods series by John Christopher is outstanding.  One of my favorite authors, John Sandford, recently crossed genres and wrote a science fiction book with author and photographer Ctein.  It was wonderful - blending political intrigue with interesting characters.  I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much.

As far as Fantasy - who doesn't love Harry Potter?  On the other hand, I have tried in vain for years to motivate myself to read my 50th anniversary copy of The Hobbit.  The creepy trolls and other creatures just can't hold my attention. Other than that I really haven't read much in the way of fantasy.

I have subscribed to the Tor newsletter in hopes that I can spend more time in the future becoming more familiar with some of these genres authors, and be apprised of upcoming titles of interest.