Prompt #7

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. 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?

To prevent censorship, intentional or not, as librarian we should never exclude patrons from pursuing their reading. Adult patrons are free to read young adult or graphic novels. I personally enjoy both of those genres myself, and I don’t let the genre labels deter me. Turning the situation around, librarians should not exclude promoting these new “genres” to adults. As the younger generations grow up, they do not lose interest in the novels they enjoyed in their youth. They are sharing these novels with their peers and friends. Librarians should keep this in mind, and take the Library Bill of Rights to heart. The ALA Bill of Rights states, “Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.” They also state, “Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.”

Displays that hold graphic novels or young adult novels that sit between the youth and adult sections can help address the issue. Both groups would be able to see the displays, but they would not feel like they are age assigned. The most important factor is getting patrons books they will enjoy reading. We must also make sure that patrons never feel uncomfortable bringing books they love to librarians to check out, or bringing them up as examples for a reader’s advisory interview. Ensuring that everyone on staff understands that they need to respect patrons’ choices and not be judgmental. Many adults do like reading graphic novels and young adult books, and they should never feel like they are in the wrong for enjoying these popular genres.