I feel like sending children off to college, getting Awful Library Books' new site up and running, as well as a million other library tasks marked off my to do list would be a wise use of time today. Frankly there are piles of books and stuff to get rid of or pack away. Can't say I am anxious to jump off and do anything this minute. I think I will sit out on the back porch with a pop and a magazine and daydream the "labor" away. I am sure that it will be there tomorrow.
Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone!
Mary
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteI'm a recent discoverer of Awful Library Books and an even more recent discoverer of what librarians are doing when they weed. And I have a question.
Background: My parents, who were white, in addition to having four biological children, adopted two children who are not of their race. They both have children with partners of different races, and one of my bio siblings has married someone who is not of our race as well.
My background makes me look at library collections with slightly different eyes. And I wonder, in a small library such as yours -- and especially in the young adult category -- when you find a fiction book that may not have the greatest circulation but that addresses social issues well, what do you do? This hypothetical book is well-written, appealing, etc. In other words, the reason to weed it is circulation, but the reasons to not weed it are about its potential for creating a teachable moment.
What distresses me is when I see such books all lumped in one area of shelving, or only displayed during Black History Month or Pride Week or something. How do you cope?
Not everything with low circulation is an automatic weed. You make a great case for keeping an item. The next step is "selling" to a potential user. This is the best time for one on one "selling".
ReplyDeleteI am concerned if the hypothetical book is only talked about during Black History Month or shelved in an area not easily found by users....particularly teens.
I also work in a small library and space is always a consideration. I am lucky to work with staff that will consider reorganizing space in order to give all titles a chance. I feel your pain! Good luck!