WHILE YOU'RE WAITING FOR
YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR'S NEXT
BOOK . . . TRY THESE!
Heartless by Diana Palmer
Burn by Linda Howard
Relentless by Dean Koontz
I Can See You by Karen Rose
Medusa by Clive Cussler
Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton
Intervention by Robin Cook
Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris
Hardball by Sara Paretsky
For some of you, this list may seem alright. But it struck me as odd and I will tell you why. If it wasn't for this class, I would not have the slightest idea as to who a few of these authors are. Is it typical to put a list together such as this and assume the patrons will know? Or is the library hoping patrons will ask a librarian? If that is the case, don't they know that some people simply won't ask because they don't wish to look stupid? I know we, as librarians, would never treat them as such, but they wouldn't know that. So if you would let me know your thoughts, I would appreciate it.
It seems to me that the point of a list like this would be to introduce the patron to new authors. Therefore, it's good that the patrons haven't heard of those authors.
ReplyDeleteWhat's odd to me is that there's no mention as to what author they're waiting for the next book from. Wouldn't the author determine the list of read-alikes?
I think a little more information certainly wouldn't hurt. At least a genre heading, a one-liner synopsis, or an "if you like X, then you might like Y" kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteAt least they're trying...
This list is a mix of genres and there are no annotations. So of course I'm not happy with it. It's kind of like throwing up bestsellers and seeing which ones stick to the page.
ReplyDeleteAlso, why couldn't the sign simply direct the reader to his or loving and knowledgeable librarian - where a book specifically suited to his/her reading interests could be found?
I agree. It just didn't seem professional or helpful. I just can't figure out how anyone at the library could think it would be.
ReplyDelete