Friday, March 09, 2007
If you're a public library, why NOT "give 'em what they want?"
A middle-aged gentleman came in last night and asked the person at the circ desk whether we have a graphic novel collection. They sent the guy to me, and I showed him our collection. Right now it's mostly manga and superhero stuff, and he said he was more interested in realistic graphic novelists, like Chris Ware. He'd already read the only Chris Ware book we had. But we got into a conversation and I told him that if he likes realistic non-superhero graphic novels, he might like Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Ex Machina (also by the prolific Brian K. Vaughan).
Even though we don't own those titles, I wrote the names down for him. As he left, he said something like "Wow, I'm surprised you know about graphic novels and have a collection. So many libraries don't." And I replied: "Well, that's their problem." It made me sad, though. Graphic novels are like any genre of literature: some are good, some are bad. If librarians are basing their decision to not collect graphic novels on an assumption that graphic novels are not "real" books and they are "trashy," then I really feel sorry for their library patrons. I believe it's our job as librarians to not impose our beliefs on our patrons. Even if you think graphic novels are worthless and trashy, I'm pretty sure that a large part of your library patrons do not. Why don't you serve them, along with all the people who read "trashy" fiction like Danielle Steel? Why impose your value judgment at all?
And: you don't have to be familiar with a genre in order to build a collection or give good service to library patrons. Even if you yourself don't read in a particular genre, I bet you have colleagues who do. Find out who you can use as a resource in your library (or your consortium, or your regional library cooperative). Our circ person didn't read graphic novels himself, but he knew that I did, so he sent the person to me. And the person left happy, even though he left without a book in his hand. ¶ posted by Mary Martin @ 11:17 AM
Even though we don't own those titles, I wrote the names down for him. As he left, he said something like "Wow, I'm surprised you know about graphic novels and have a collection. So many libraries don't." And I replied: "Well, that's their problem." It made me sad, though. Graphic novels are like any genre of literature: some are good, some are bad. If librarians are basing their decision to not collect graphic novels on an assumption that graphic novels are not "real" books and they are "trashy," then I really feel sorry for their library patrons. I believe it's our job as librarians to not impose our beliefs on our patrons. Even if you think graphic novels are worthless and trashy, I'm pretty sure that a large part of your library patrons do not. Why don't you serve them, along with all the people who read "trashy" fiction like Danielle Steel? Why impose your value judgment at all?
And: you don't have to be familiar with a genre in order to build a collection or give good service to library patrons. Even if you yourself don't read in a particular genre, I bet you have colleagues who do. Find out who you can use as a resource in your library (or your consortium, or your regional library cooperative). Our circ person didn't read graphic novels himself, but he knew that I did, so he sent the person to me. And the person left happy, even though he left without a book in his hand. ¶ posted by Mary Martin @ 11:17 AM
