Week 13: Prompt Response

   (image: photo from my undergraduate graduation, a time when I was a freshly minted "beginner adult")

 The belief that young adult and new adult novels are not "legitimate" forms of fiction is an idea that is classist at it's core and one that can prevent people from reading at all. Many of my classmates stopped being interested in reading when their peers, parents, or even their teachers criticized their choice of reading material. As librarians it is our duty to help every book find its reader, make everyone feel welcome in the library, and encourage literacy at all stages (we have many other duties too, but these three are probably why many of us got into the profession). As librarians there are many ways that we can work to make sure that we are supporting YA and graphic novel titles and readers and that includes:

• Promoting these books by including them in displays, books lists, book clubs, and social media posts. 
• Selecting these titles as a choice for system-wide literary events, like a "One Book" event or author talk.
• Reading (or at least familiarizing) oneself with popular titles and author in these genres so that you can promote them to people who have not read in this genre before.

    Everyone has internal book bias, but as librarians we need to double check that bias everyday when we speak to patrons at work. I didn't read many graphic novels until I worked in the library, but I've since discovered that they can often be a quick "palette cleanser" for me between longer non-fiction titles. Now that I have more insight into the genre, I like to promote graphic novels in every book display because it may help a reluctant reader of any age get back into reading and honing their literacy skills. Double checking bias about new adult and ya fiction is also important because a patron could perceive our disinterest in the subject matter as disinterest in anyone who fits the new adult age range and their unique stories. I still identify with much of the subject matter in these types of stories and I think I would have found immense comfort in them if I had been reading them sooner, when I was fresh out of college, living on my own, and navigating my first "big girl" job. Also, the language in these books might be a big appeal factor to some as it might not be as dense and challenging as the language in a "classic" novel. Practicing reading is often seen as embarrassing and shameful as an adult, but we can help end that stigma by promoting these titles.

    And for those that don't like the new adult fiction? Well, they don't have to read something they don't like and we can help find them something that better suits their needs and interest without putting others down!