Week 13 Prompt Response

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?

It is our job to help adults find library materials that appeal to them. Bookmarks, with Young Adult, New Adult, and Graphic Novel titles that adults might like, could be effective readers' advisory. If the adult is hesitant to ask for a YA book, they might be more comfortable referring to the bookmark and retrieving the item themselves. Digital formats are another option to highlight in-house and online. 

I had not heard of the New Adult, or Upper YA genres. Some of my coworkers regularly choose YA fiction for their personal reading. Working in a library may make me more comfortable with reading books across different age groups. I have also helped many adults look for children's titles that they want to read again - some make it a goal to read an old favorite each year.

I am accustomed to suggesting YA books to parents looking for "appropriate content" for their middle school and high school children, but not YA books or graphic novels for adults to read. The distinction between YA and Upper YA/New Adult is helpful. Knowing that New Adult books have protagonists who are 18 - 26 years old, and often have "steamy" content can prevent awkward readers' advisory moments (Brookeover; Cataldi).  

Our library shelves the Harry Potter series in both the children's and teen departments. The Harry Potter movies are in the children's DVD section and the adult audiovisual collection. Graphic novel collections are found in our children's, teen, and adult departments. 

There seems to be a trend to make it easier for adults to find YA and graphic novels.  Over the last few years I have seen titles marketed as having appeal for adults and teens. The Goodreads website highlights categories such as "Hottest Adult & Young Adult Romance Books," "Best YA/New Adult Contemporary Romance," and more.  

I came across an article in the December 1, 2017 issue of The Atlantic, entitled 

"Why So Many Adults Love Young-Adult Literature: Over half of today’s YA readers are over the age of 18" by Caroline Kitchener.

Kitchener stated that 55% of YA readers are adults, and listed 5 reasons adults read YA. Reason five referred to the Harry Potter series and how the publisher marketed them to adults:

In the United Kingdom, the Harry Potter books were published with two different covers: 

one for adults, one for kids. That way, Zimmerman said, adults would feel less self-conscious 

about their reading choices. When it comes to adults reading YA books, Masthead member

Bill aptly noted, “Having a wand and an owl helps.” (Kitchener)

References

Brookeover, S. (2014). What’s new about New Adult? Horn Book Magazine, 90(1), 41-45. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

Cataldi, Erin. (2015). Betwixt and between: New Adult fiction. The Library Journal. Retrieved from https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=betwixt-and-between-new-adult-fiction-collection-development-september-1-2015

Goodreads. (2019). Goodreads. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/. Accessed 4/5/2019

Kitchener, C. (2017). Why so many adults love young adult literature: Over half of today’s YA readers are over the age of 18. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/12/why-so-many-adults-are-love-young-adult-literature/547334/