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Week 15 Prompt Response

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Here are some of (what I think are) the great ways we market our fiction collection at my library: Weekly featured new books posts on social media Each week, we highlight a selection of six new books on our Facebook and Instagram pages. These books vary in genre, but it allows our following to get an idea of the new books available. It also shows that we have the new hot read, you don't need to go out and buy it! In relation to this, we have a dedicated new books section right by the entrance (whereas the rest of our adult collection is upstairs), so patrons have easy access to the new books, including those we featured on social media.       2. Book chat programs At least once a quarter, we host a book chat program centered around a theme, such as beach reads or books to give as Christmas gifts. Accompanied by snacks and activities, these book chats include our librarians speed-running through the synopses of 10-20 books in our collection that relate to the book chat theme, and pr
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Week 14 Prompt Response

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While it is absolutely the responsibility of libraries and librarians to uplift diverse stories and hold space for disenfranchised voices, I don't think separating these books into their own sections would necessarily accomplish this goal. In a PBS article from 2015, Nikesh Shukla, creator of a test that determines how diverse a film is, said "I realized that white people think that people of color only have ethnic experiences and not universal experiences" (Santhanam and Crigger, para. 6). He goes on to lament the otherness that Hollywood perpetuates and the desire for BIPOC stories to just be seen as normal. If diverse books were to be separated, this just continues these patterns of othering and may prevent certain groups (mainly white people) from reading these books because they're worried they aren't "for them." And while the books are largely for the people they are written about, cisgender white people can definitely find value in reading diverse
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Week 13 Prompt Response

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First and foremost, there's a reader for every book, and a book for every reader! No one should ever be saying that someone is "too old" to read a certain book or that certain books aren't meant for certain people. It may not be something that you want to read, but it's not your place to yuck someone's yum!  Now that we have that out of the way, young adult/new adult and graphic novels can be great entry points to reading, or to reinvigorating an adult's love of reading. With accessible, fast-paced stories that still have big things to say these "genres" can truly be for everyone, and shouldn't be forgotten in the adult readers' advisory landscape. I, for one, rediscovered my love of reading after years of scholarly burnout through Sarah J. Maas's infamous NA modern classic, A Court of Thorns and Roses. I can also see graphic novels being a wonderful way for adults who loved comics as a child or love certain TV shows, movies and video
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Nonfiction Annotation: How to be a Renaissance Woman by Jill Burke

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"It takes hard work to have a socially acceptable body and, as many feminist writers have pointed out, this work is - and was - harder and more exacting for women than for men." Author:  Jill Burke Title:  How to be a Renaissance Woman Genre:  Non-Fiction, History Publication Date:  January 2, 2024 Number of Pages:  336 Geographical Setting: Europe Time Period:  Renaissance Series:  n/a Plot Summary: Historian Jill Burke takes readers back in time to the Renaissance and details what it was to be a woman at the time, in its beauty, frustrations and creativity that are so often lost in history. From businesswomen of the beauty industry in the streets of Renaissance Italy to the palaces and villas of the nobility, no stone is unturned to present a full picture of how to be a Renaissance woman.  Burke begins with an overview of the world at the time and the powers (or lack thereof) that women possessed. She then evaluates different beauty trends, some rooted in racism such as whi
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Week 12 Prompt Response

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1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum? o   Highly narrative (reads like fiction) ✔    A mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fast-paced prose) o   Highly fact based (has few or no narrative moments) 2. What is the subject of the book?   The author's life, largely revolving around his Italian heritage and love of food. 3. What type of book is it?  A celebrity memoir 4.    Articulate appeal What is the pacing of the book?  While it reads quickly, Tucci never rushes and guide readers through his story and favorite meals and recipes at a medium pace. Describe the characters of the book. The main characters of the book are Tucci himself, of course, as well as his evolving family throughout his life. Tucci brings real life to his family, especially his mother and Italian-immigrant grandmother in the early parts of the book. Tucci occasionally (self-effacingly) name drops hi
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Prompt Response Week 11

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I am a huge cheerleader for ebooks (and audiobooks, but to a lesser extent). I got my first Nook for my 14th birthday, and it changed my whole world. No longer did I have to fight with my mom about how many books I was allowed to take on any given car ride or family vacation. There wasn't a limit to how many books could fit in my purse, backpack or suitcase, all I could read could fit in the device slimmer than even one book! It wasn't available, or I wasn't aware at least, of ebook lending through my library back then, but once that came on the market and the barrier of money was removed, then I was truly unstoppable. Dunneback and Trott (2011) note that, even then, readers could "achieve an immersive experience similar to reading a print book" (p. 327) depending on the device they chose, accessories and settings they utilized. However, they say "The impact of digitization of books and stories on appeal factors is most prominently felt with pacing...the lac
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Fantasy Annotation: Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco

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  “Darkness was never as appealing as the light to most, but that didn’t mean it was any less integral to life. Too much sunshine withered the soul. Balance was the key.” Author:  Kerri Maniscalco Title:  Throne of the Fallen Genre:  Fantasy Publication Date:  October 3, 2023 Number of Pages:  564 Geographical Setting: London-like city, various magical realms Time Period: Regency-like fantasy time Series: Princes of Sin #1 Plot Summary:  In Waverly Green, the gossip of the ton can make or break you. Miss Camilla Antonius endeavors to avoid the scrutiny of the public eye, but as a woman artist and business owner, it's a challenge to remain off the gossip column pages. Her father recently passed and her mother long run off, Camilla refuses the idea of marriage, but in Waverly Green this only makes her more of an intrigue. Adjacent to Waverly Green lies realms of fae, demons, vampires and seven Princes of Sin. Envy is swept into a wicked fae game leaving his court at stake unless he c
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