Indiana University LIS-S524 (Spring 2024) Class

  3 Ideas to Promote Your Fiction Collection My favorite way to get the word out on fiction books at the library is of course the display. There are so many different ways you can put together a display. You can get your craft skills on and really get creative. Here are a few of my favorite ones I found online.    The second idea that I like is posting on social media. As E Books are becoming more and more popular, less people are coming into the library to see your displays. You can make creative posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, on new releases, holiday books, popular reads, etc.  Here is an example: Third, you can create book talk videos. You can post on the library website, social media, and You Tube. I think it would be fun to have like a podcast video with two librarians discussing the lasts new read. 

  When I worked as a SummerLInk programmer at my local library, part of my job was shelving books. This particular library had a separate section for everything. There was an African American section of books, a Spanish language section, graphic novel section, and a LGBTQ section. I didn’t hear any complaints about the separate sections when I briefly worked there. I am going to take a pro stance on this topic.   3 Reasons Why Separate Sections Are a Good Thing 1.          As a shelver, I found that having books separated by category saved time reshelving the books. I would put the different categories in bundles on my cart and I breezed through the library reshelving. The library also felt more organized having different categories separate. When I helped pull books for holds, I knew exactly where to go to find what I needed. In my opinion, I feel this type of shelving is easier on the staff.  2.      ...

  Title: Concrete Rose Author: Angie Thomas Genre: Diverse/Young Adult Publication Date: Jan 2021 Pages: 368 Geographical Setting: Garden Heights (Urban Setting) Time Period: 1990’s   Plot Summary Maverick is a teenager who needs to support his family. His father, a gang leader, is in prison while Maverick mother’s is trying to hold the family together financially. Maverick finds out he can make easy cash by selling drugs. He joins his father’s gang and starts bringing in the dough. As life is unexpected, Maverick finds out he is a father. The mother abandons their son at his doorstep. Maverick must make some tough choices to keep his family together.    Subject Settings Gangs Drugs Teenage Pregnancy High School   Appeal Pacing: Fast paced, holds the readers interest.  Tone: Serious Characterization: In the voice of Maverick.  Language: English 3 Term Description Community Family  Growth   Similar Books   The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas ...

  I am familiar with the embarrassment some adults feel about reading young adult books. My husband loves YA books. Recently we were on vacation and stopped in at a local bookstore. He went straight to the young adult section and began browsing. The store employee asked if he needed help finding anything and he stated that he was just browsing for books for our son. I asked him why he told her that, and he said he is embarrassed to admit he reads young adult books. Growing up he had a reading disability and struggled in school. His brother used to make fun of him for reading lower lexile level books. He still carries that stigma with him. When I introduced him to audio books, it was life changing. He has his earbuds in all the time listening to his favorite Sarah Maas books over and over again. He doesn’t struggle to read the books, and he feels that his choices are private.  As librarians, how can we make adults feel comfortable reading young adult books? In the public librar...

  Title: A Court of Silver Flames Author: Sarah Maas Genre: Young Adult Publishing Date: September 2022 Time Period: 1600’s Geographical Setting: Prythian Faeririe Lands Pages: 784   Plot Summary Nesta must go on a journey to find magical objects to save her sister. Along the way she finds love and passion. Cassian is her enemy put the anger turns to a fiery love affair.  Come along for the ride as Nesta battles good and evil.     Subject Headings Magic Family  Fairies Romance   Appeal Pacing: Starts slow. Picks up in the middle. Tone: Passionate. Nesta cares deeply for her family.  Characterization: In the voice of Nesta.  Language: English   3 Term Subscription Passionate Sexy Adventurous    Similar Books Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros  Violent was looking forward to having a quiet life as a librarian. The General has decided that she must join the academy of dragon riders. Now, she is just trying to survive and...

  Title: Hand to Mouth, Living in Bootstrap America Author: Linda Tirado   Where is the book on the narrative continuum?                    Highly Narrative (Reads Like it is Fiction) X            A Mix (Combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose.)                   Highly Fact Based   What is the subject of the book?                   The author Linda Tirado narrates her journey on living paycheck to paycheck in the United States. She also uses humor to demonstrate how people in poverty survive.   What type of book is it?                ...

  Title: Evicted Poverty and Profit in the American City Author: Matthew Desmond Genre: Non-Fiction Publishing Date: March 2016 Time Period: 2014-2015 Geographical Setting: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Pages: 415   Plot Summary Desmond embarks on a year journey of understanding poverty in the United States. His research is done in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He becomes close with several families and documents their struggles to keep a roof over their head. Every American citizen should read this book. Desmond opens our eyes to the unseen horrors many families face every day.   Subject Headings Milwaukee, Wisconsin Poverty Eviction Landlord Welfare Section 8   Appeal Pacing: Normal Tone: Depressing. You are reading about the worst times in people’s lives. Characterization: Narrated by the author. We meet several different families. Language: English   3 Term Description Poverty Sad Desperation   Simi...

  Week 11 Prompt When E books were introduced years ago, I made a vow that I would never use an electronic device to read a book. A book should be something you hold in your hands and turn the pages. Smelling a book whether it be brand new or old and yellowed is something I enjoy. How could I get that fabulous smell from a Kindle? Then, a couple of years ago, I noticed when I went to read small paperback books, the print was getting smaller and smaller to my eyes. I felt the strain in my eyeballs. It appears that I was getting older and my eyes were getting worse. It was always a several weeks wait at the library to get a large print copy of popular books. So, on a black Friday special, I did what I vowed never to do, I bought a Kindle. A whole new world opened up to me. I could make the font as big as I wanted! I could read in bed with the lamp off without disturbing my husband. I didn’t have to drive to the library anymore. I could download the books from the libraries Overdrive....

  Historical Fiction Author: Nancy Horan Title: The House of Lincoln: A Novel Genre: Historical Fiction Publication Date: June 2023 Time Period: 1858-1861 Geographical Setting: Springfield, Illinois Pages: 352   Plot Summary We follow the story of Ana, a live in servant to Abraham Lincoln. Through Ana eyes, we see the events leading up to Lincoln’s run to the Presidency. This is an intimate rendering of what Lincoln’s family life was like living in Springfield.   Subject Headings President Lincoln Mary Todd Lincoln Slavery Springfield, Illinois Civil War   Appeal Pacing: Slow. The story drags without much to hold reader’s interest. Tone: Depressing. Characters can be hateful such as the slave catchers. Characterization: Story is narrated by Ana. Language: Modern English   3 Term Description Historical Changes Racism Eyewitness Account of Slavery Similar Books The President’s Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood The ...

  My neighbor Jolene hosts a monthly book club meeting for the ladies in our neighborhood. When I told her I needed to find a book club for this assignment she invited me to her Thursday night meeting. This month’s pick is Killing Floor by Lee Child. The book was first published in 1997. I asked her why she chose an old book from the late nineties. Jolene explained that the group loved mysteries. Also, this book series was made into a tv show on Prime +. The group likes to read tv series books, then watch the show and compare. Luckily, I read this book a long time ago, so I was already prepared for the meeting.                 A total of seven ladies showed up, myself included. Jolene had a lovely spread of crackers, cheese, vegetables, dips, and cookies for everyone to enjoy. Everyone got their plates and sat down. Jolene began the meeting by asking if everyone had finished the book. Everyone nodded in a...

  Do Celebrity Book Clubs Help or Hurt the Public Library?                 How popular are celebrity book club books in the public library? Jessica Hilburn a librarian in rural Pennsylvania had the same burning question. She has a small purchase budget for new materials. She has struggled between demand driven acquisition or more intellectual quality material. Should she spend her meager budget on celebrity book club books? She decided the best way to make this difficult decision is to survey her fellow librarians. She created a survey that focused on whether the librarian’s main acquisition for fiction were celebrity book club books. Twenty-four librarians responded and the answer was surprising. Only half paid any attention to popular culture and celebrity book clubs. The other half that did focus on celebrities, Reese Witherspoon was the clear winner in popularity. Jenna Bush was second and poor Oprah w...

  Gentle Reads   Author: Jenny Colgan Title: The Bookshop on the Corner Genre: Gentle Reads Publication Date: 2016 Time Period: Present Day Geographical Setting: Scotland Pages: 364   Plot Summary Nina wants to start over. She decides to buy a van and turn it into a book mobile named The Little Shop of Happily Ever After. Following along with Nina as she searches for happiness in her life. Will she find it with her new landlord Lennox?   Subject Headings Book Mobile Lamb Farm Librarian   Appeal: Pacing: Normal pacing. Tone: Gentle. No violence, bad words, or high drama. Characterization: The story is narrated by Nina. Language: English 3 Terms Description: Romance Starting-Over Self-Confidence    Similar Books: Monsieur Perdu has a floating bookstore. He uses his psychic intuition to pick the right books for his customers. The books he chooses for them help heal their broken hearts. Will Perdu ever be ...