Considering my local library, I would not separate these two areas. At least, not right now.
First off, it can be really hard to classify to break these books out from their current sections. For instance, you may have a book currently shelved in a mystery section, but it also qualifies as African-American fiction. I think that at a certain point separating into such specific genres creates more headaches for the patrons trying to locate books. A patron may come into the library looking for a book that I know is a mystery and not be able to find it. We all know people don't ask for help as often as they should and this patron may just leave without finding what they were looking for.
Secondly, I tend to prefer more broad sections of genres. My library currently has Fiction, Mystery, Biography, a small Western section, and a small Romance section. I like having these broad categories because I feel that it encourages a wider range of reading. For me as the librarian to begin breaking books out into such specific categories, would mean labeling the books. This could have the unintended consequence of turning people off from some titles just because it falls into a certain category. Patron: "Oh my friend, highly recommends Book A." Me: "Yes, it's on the bestseller list. Very popular. You can find it in our GLBTQ section." Patron: "Ohhh. Never mind. I find something else." Sad, but true. It's not that I have an issue with a patron not liking a book. It's that I have an issue with someone deciding they don't like a book based on classification, when they may have read and enjoyed it had it been placed in a broader category like Fiction or Mystery.
Lastly, there is the issue of privacy. My community is not very diverse and the demand for these particular genres are not as high as others. To create these sections would instantly segregate certain groups of people in our community. I'm not sure that is an issue I would want to take on as a librarian. I don't like labeling books, but I definitely don't want to be a part of labeling people. Unfortunately, I see that happening by separating these genres out.
Now, I do believe there is a time to separate out new sections. If the demand is high enough and it makes sense for your community, then I have no issue with it. It is just that, at my library, I don't see the need for these sections at this time.
I definitely think that broad fiction categories make for happier patrons. So many books cross over different genres that what is clearly a mystery to one reader could also clearly be science fiction or another. With fewer genre sections to search, readers are far more likely to track down what they are looking for than if they were trying to browse through multiple genre areas. I also think that broader sections do help protect patron privacy since more authors and more subjects are interspersed, so that more sensitive material isn't immediately recognizable.
ReplyDeleteI like how you phrased the privacy issue. I didn't put it so eloquently, but I think labeling these ultra-specific genres is like labeling people. I don't choose books based on being a SWF, but I do understand that there is more of a chance that the main character may fit that category. I want the patrons to identify with the characters, so creating a list of books to fit their needs seems to be the best solution.
ReplyDeleteI like the dialogue that you had. It made the point that if the book was in the young adult section that they may have been fine with it. The issue of privacy is also very important. I also like what you said about labeling people and we also need to sensitive to those who are coming out and haven't come out yet. I like your personal touch on this topic.
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