Though
this week's group of "genres" all seem very different, they all have
in common the fact that many people don't feel that they are legitimate
literary choices and libraries shouldn't be spending money on them or promoting
them to adults. Obviously, graphic novels are becoming more acceptable, but I
still had to fight to get my progressive library in a liberal college town to
purchase a book club kit containing graphic novels. The common belief is that
adults still don't or shouldn't read that stuff. How can we as librarians, work
to ensure that we are able to serve adults who enjoy YA literature or graphic
novels? Or should we?
I believe that it is important for all librarians to
understand that we need to feature diverse formats and genres within the
library. Audiobooks, large print, and ebooks are relatively new “formats” (in
comparison to normal print) that allow readers of all ages to enjoy books on
the go and/or after our eyesight declines. For people who want more artistic
flair with their reading, graphic novels are perfect. With regards to genre, for
those who enjoy the “bildungsroman” classics like The Catcher in the Rye, To
Kill a Mockingbird, or The Outsiders,
young adult literature will fulfill their needs.
As librarians, we need to understand the literary merit
of graphic novels. Watchmen tells a
story that couldn’t be told in any other way (as the movie adaptation did not
come close to the emotional depth that the original work reaches). Blankets is heartfelt autobiographical
portrait of romance found and lost. Persepolis
explores a world completely foreign to most Americans. Readers can make the
leap from genre fiction to graphic novels, and vice versa. Science fiction,
fantasy, horror, and biography readers can find the same genre easily
represented in graphic novel format. Knowing this, graphic novels readers’
advisory should be a little simpler. Recommending a graphic novel to a
housewife wanting a romance novel would be a little like shooting yourself in
the foot…a disaster.
That housewife would be more inclined to read a young
adult novel, a genre where young romance and personal coming-of-age problems
are the norm rather than the exception. The young adult genre has become a genre
with “crossover appeal” for adults and teens, probably due to the proliferation
of ereaders. Young adult books are usually wonderfully written without the need
for a dictionary and thesaurus to read.
Finally, just as graphic novels and young adult
literature are not for some adults, “literary fiction” is not for some as well.
Just because someone does not enjoy or understand science fiction, there is no
discussion as to whether the public library should offer the genre’s numerous
high-quality books to its patrons. The same should apply to young adult and
graphic novels. We purchase books that patrons want to read and we do not judge
a reader for their own personal choices.
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