People do in fact read nonfiction for pleasure July 31, 2007

We learned in class tonight that many users read nonfiction for pleasure and do so not to meet specified needs or research.  As librarians we must be careful not to interpret nonfiction questions as not necessarily reference questions, but perhaps as readers’ advisory questions.  Typically, advisers approach nonfiction almost exclusively according to subject. 

As pointed out in class, there are three segments of nonfiction: (lecture, July 31, 2007, LIS 775)

1.  Nonfiction: any piece of prose writing in which the content is not imagined by the author

2.  Narrative nonfiction:  uses literary devices of fiction writing to take NF into the realm of storytelling

3.  Faction:  a new literary genre consisting of fictional narrative based on real events and/or characters, depicted without disguise. 

Some characteristics of narrative nonfictionare that they are based on fact, about real people, about real social events.  Typically, the authors immerse themselves in their research, from their exact surroundings (colour of wallpaper).  These are stories, and a significant portion of them are chalk full of elements of storytelling.  The characteristics of the story and the ability of the author to story-tell builds the text to the climax.  This genre is very significant in readers’ advisory, which is a genre which I had previously not considered as a viable option for many readers.  E.g. Memoir – someone remembering their life or the life of another. 

Nonfiction does have genres, and it does have appeal factors!

Bill Bryson In a Sunburned Country  “You see, Australia is an interesting place.  It truly is.  And that really is all I’m saying.”  Is it a travel book?  A history book?  A humorous book?  Well, the class was torn.  This particular book holds multiple genres, and is a great example of a material which crosses over multiple genres.  The genre can be the appeal for many readers. 

Alpert(2006) compiled a list of genres, including:  true adventure, true crime, science, technology, inventions, biography, memoirs, self-help, inspirational, travel, environmental writing, history, animal, sports, humour, popular culture, medicine, true medical accounts, travelogue etc..  (Lecture, July 31, 2007 LIS 775)

David Carr examined over 300 notable nonfiction titles from 2002-3 and found these to be the prevalent genres:

-  Biography, History (18%), Memoir (15%), Contemporary issues (10%), Travel (7%), Politics and government (6%), Science (6%), Essays and reflections (6%). 

I’m surprised, as were many of my classmates, that self-help and true-crime didn’t have a place in Carr’s list.  Though this list represents a range, it doesn’t reflect all reading tastes. 

Saricks (2005) — Nonfiction appeal factors:  pacing, characterization, story line or plot, frame or setting (AND … evidence/detail – presence of additional matter, tone, education). 

Cookbooks are as exciting to my professor as they are to me!  I too am interested in owing and thumbing through many different cookbooks, from ones with illustrations, to old ones, ones with photographs, menu suggestions, political agendas, exercise programs, etc. 

Physical format can be an appeal factor too (cookbook with a spiral binding).

Recommended Reading:

Sarah Cords.  The Real Story:  A Guide to Nonfiction Reading Interest.  Libraries Unlimited, 2006.

Neal Wyatt.  The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Nonfiction.  ALA, 2007

Robert Burgin, ed.  Nonfiction Readers’ Advisory. 

Review Sources:

Professional arenas:  Booklists, library journal, publisher’s weekly

Newspaper sections:  New york times book review

Popular Arenas:  Amazon.ca

Online Resources:

1.  Non-fictionConnection.com (subscription required)

2.  Book Bytes:  http://marylaine.com/bookbyte/real1.html

3. CODES RA Committee:  http://www.ala.org/ala.rusa/rusaourassoc/rusasections/codes/codessection/codescomm/codesreadadv/readersadvisory.htm

4.  Nonfiction that reads like fiction:  http://www.waterborolibrary.org

Awards Dealing with Nonfiction and narrative nonfiction:

Charles Taylor Literary Non-fiction prize

Governor General’s Award for NF

American Booksellers Association Award

Audie Award for Nonfiction Audiobook

Aventis Prize for Science Books

Lionel Gelber Prize

Lukas Prize Project

National Book Critics Circle

Pulitzer Prize Nonfiction

Samuel Johnson Prize

Reading Non-Fiction: July 31st, 2007 July 31, 2007

As librarians, we are well aware of how libraries treat non-fiction materials, and that is in a way that is very different from fiction materials. In reading an article by Dr. Catherine Ross, Reading Nonfiction for Pleasure: What Motivates Readers? in Nonfiction Readers’ Advisory ed. by Robert Burgin, I began looking at nonfiction in a whole new light. Dr. Catherine Ross found that many readers read both fiction and nonfiction for pleasure, and of course, some said that they never read nonfiction. Reading to inform oneself is a compelling feature of reading, fiction often offers escapism, and nonfiction offers information. Ross’s second finding was taht an interest in a particular subject can trump the distinction between fiction and nonfiction. A great readers’ advisor would help pair popular fictional genres with nonfiction genres that offer the same appeal, or answer questions or offer details about the information included in the fictional material. Ross uncovered that people are seeking “truth” in their lives (108) and aren’t interested in the fact that someone else has contrived the misinformation in fiction.

As librarians we should also recognize that sometimes nonfiction materials appeal to those people who don’t have long stretches of time to devote to fiction materials or novels, and are interested in leisure reading in short stints. Some complaints I have heard from the non-readers in class is that it takes them too long to read a book. Nonfiction materials may just be the solution, and offer readers a book which can be opened to almost any page, and set back down to be reopened (not necessarily on the same page). Nonfiction also doesn’t require the element of imagination to be used while reading. Fiction, on the other hand, requires that one enter the reading world and get to know the setting and characters.

It is also important to realize that “some readers feel they ’should’ read nonfiction to increase their knowledge” (110).

“Readers distinguish between two types of reading: reading for pleasure and reading to take something away” (111).

“The stance taken by the reader is not determined by the text” (112)

“Readers read nonfiction to follow up on their interests in and engagement with the world” (113).

“For some readers, a passion for a single topic is the impetus for reading” (114)

“Sometimes readers don’t want to do something they just want to read about it” (114)

“Part of the joy of reading is serendipitous discovery” (115)

“Readers read biographies in areas related to their interests or their own lives.” (116)

“Story is a key element in the appeal of many nonfiction books.” (118)

Implications for the Readers’ Advisory Transaction:

- Nonfiction represents a substantial share of the pleasure reading of avid readers.

1. Do the ra interview

2. Set up displays which aren’t going to overwhelm your reader – and about something they might know about (e.g. survival stories, successful people, etc.)

3. Start thinking about nonfiction books in terms of appeal factors (plot or storyline). Use reviews

4. Become aware of the nonfiction genres in the same way you know about fiction genres

5. Be aware of the nonfiction counterparts of popular genres of fiction (e.g. war, old west, true crime, horror/occult, westerns, etc.).

Black Hole: Charles Burns July 31, 2007

I read a graphic novel called Black Hole by Charles Burns for class this evening. Burns was both author and illustrator of Black Hole. Black Hole is about a group of Seattle teenagers of the 1970’s are suddenly faced with a devastating, disfiguring and incurable plague that spreads only through sexual contact. This book includes a great deal of sexuality, pot smoking and drug use, and lots of partying. The sexually transmitted disease causes strange mutations which are irreversible, for example, one guy grows a miniature mouth on his neck, a girl’s skin molts, and someone else grows a tail. Some can hide their mutations, but others are forced to live in the woods with homeless and homicidal people. This story follows Keith and Chris as they get the “bug”, and their perspective as high-school students while they watch the other students contract the disease.

The black and white illustrations work together with the text to evoke an eerily surreal tone. I found that Black Hole is a serious work of artistic and literary merit, I would absolutely place this book in the adult collection, rather than the YA collection.

The story is non-linear and has a suspense-building storyline with full-frontal nudity, sex, disturbing imagery and swearing. The main premise of the story is that sex equates a life worse than death. The reader is left with the feeling that the “bug” is HIV and even a metaphor for sex, as something that taints the kids who do it and separates them from those who don’t partake in it.

Addendum: This book was purchased for the library where I work by a company in Toronto, who advises libraries and schools on their collections of graphic novels. It was almost immediately pulled from the collection, on the recommendation of a patron. It will be added to the adult collection or sold in the library book-sale, a decision which will be made by the librarian.

Graphic Novels Now July 31, 2007

Graphic Novels Now, Francisca Goldsmith

Less than two decades have passed since the popular notion was that graphic novels were simply comics, which had no place in the library. This was because “comics” were not considered to be “real” books, and because nobody with any “intellectual sense reads them anyways” (Goldsmith, 1). Well, it turns out that graphic novels are huge in public and school libraries throughout Canada, particularly amongst young adults. Goldsmith points out that many of today’s audience for graphic novels have specific traits including being “sophisticated consumers of image-based communications, including film, television, and, more recently, computers” (Goldsmith, 2).
“Graphic novel publishers, sellers, and reviewers struggle with the need to be aware of the wide variety of readers interested in their products, readers who — due to differences in age, ability and personal taste – may have few topics of interest in common. Thus, the notion that the graphic novel is a format, rather than a genre, is important. People who read, or potentially read GN may share little else intellectually or experientially, just like people who read magazines or watch movies.” (Goldsmith, 7)

It is interesting to consider that there is no term, to date, to replace the misnomer “graphic novel” when referring to nonfiction. In the library where I work, the fiction and nonfiction graphic novels are grouped together with manga, under the sign “Graphic Novels”. For now, then, graphic novel may be applied to works that are either factual or fictive.

One just has to open a graphic novel to see that it indeed includes pictures, but the images are different from comics as they must be integrated with the text so that together the narrative is richer than either the text or illustrations provide alone. Above all, a graphic novel tells a story through text and illustrations that work together.  I enjoyed reading a graphic novel, and would definitely revisit this genre. 

The environment for indirect RA July 11, 2007

June 5th, 2007:  Promotion and indirect RA – Book clubs and social reading

As discussed in class, passive readers’ advisory, non-mediated readers’ advisory and indirect readers’ advisory services are all ways to promote reading.  Librarians are responsible for creating and manipulating the environment to perform adequate readers’ advisory services for readers (not such an easy feat).  As librarian’s we must consider what draws us to a bookstore in the first place?  Is it the signage, themes, space, the display of book covers, or the social aspect?   Bookstores are very different from public libraries,  but in some ways can they be similar as well?

See the article by McKechnie, “Grand latte, no sprinkles”, environment in the public library.. .

Librarians can also provide indirect readers’ advisory by arranging the collection into  segregated genre collections, by offering the public and making use of RA tools (such as bookmarks/booklists), offering book oriented periodicals, and providing book displays.

As we learned in class, we must also incorporate some merchandising to promote RA in the library and to widen reader’s knowledge about books and related topics.  Something as simple as offering a patron the “return cart” … where the reader approaches the cart with no idea if anyone has read the books in front of them, but knowing only that someone has taken them out.  The item is considered “safe” and has been vetted.