Week 5 Prompt

Different publications review different types of books and they allow different types of conversations. For example, Booklist will not publish negative reviews, while, as you have all seen, Kirkus has no problems with it. Ebook only books, which are increasingly popular especially in the romance genre, see little to no reviews in professional publications unless they have a big name author, and then still it's usually only RT Reviews (formally Romantic Times) or other genre heavy publications. How does this affect collection development?

Answer:

            I read reviews to help me know what is available, what the book is about, and whether or not someone else thinks its worth the time and effort.  I am glad to read negative reviews as long as the reviewer explains why the book is not worth the read.  I applaud the desire of the editors of Booklist to only publish positive reviews.  However, disagreeing by silence and omission is not really helpful to anyone.  Thankfully, others will publish the positive, negative, and indifferent.   

            I am not surprised that at this time eBooks do not receive professional reviews unless an author with name recognition writes them. Three reasons.  First, eBooks are generally accompanied by the release of a traditional book. When one goes to Amazon or elsewhere, one has the choice of purchasing either electronic or paper. Second, EBooks that are only published electronically or independently published do not have the recognition to bring people through the electronic door. Why pay for a book people will not necessarily read.  Libraries need readers and users to justify their expenses. Third, while EBook purchases and use are on the rise (Overdrive reported a 30% increase of use in 2014), the traditional book is still what people are reading. 

            Reviews are a significant decision making resource for those who develop a library’s collection.  If the buyer does not know the book exists or does not have sufficient information to make a decision, the book does not end up in the collection. 

            What is helpful is when patrons make requests for paper and EBooks and explain why they want it.  It is also helpful to have software that keeps track of searches for books that are not in the catalogue. Patron’s requests and searches can be one way to learn about books and their desirability without the use of reviews.

 I have posted two more documents in the week five folder. One is two reviews of an ebook only romantic suspense novel, one from a blog and one from amazon. Look over the reviews - do you feel they are both reliable? How likely would you be to buy this book for your library? Is this ebook even romantic suspense?

Answer:  From the reviews, I detected no suspense, only romance.  I doubt it falls under the category of romantic suspense.  I would purchase the book and make it available in the Christmas Fiction section if it was free.  I would not spend money on it.  The reviewers clearly enjoyed different parts of the book but they did not convince me that they thought the whole book was worth the effort.  The impression they give is that it is a great book to read if it’s the last book available AND one is in the mood for a syrupy, badly written, shallow story.

            The way in which a review is written does affect the reader’s response.  I am put off by the poor grammar, poor punctuation, and lack of clarity that I found in the two reviews.  The way the reviews are written in addition to the reviewers conclusions lead me to think that the writing in the book itself is probably not any good either.        

The other document contains some reviews of Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt, an incredibly popular memoir. These reviews are all from professional publications, feel free to find more on your own I just nabbed a few from the Book Review Digest database for you. How do these reviews make you feel about the possibility of adding Angela's Ashes to your collection?

Answer:

            I feel confident about trusting these reviews. The writing is better. The analysis is more thorough. One cannot take the reviewer out of the review, but there is much less concern about how this book impacts “me” and whether I am “bored” and “reading on New Year’s Eve.” Or not.  The review describes the impact and appeal of the book in terms that apply to many readers.

            Laying the reviews next to each other made me appreciate the latitude for length that Kirkus gives its reviewers. The second paragraph gives room for short quotes and a more detailed description of the book. The other reviews are briefer.

            This batch of reviews also shows that not all reviewers remember the details in the same way.  Library Journal noted that four of Frank’s siblings died.  While Booklist and School Library Journal noted that three of the siblings died. 

             

Do you think it's fair that one type of book is reviewed to death and other types of books get little to no coverage? How does this affect a library's collection?  

Answer: No, it is not fair that not all books, authors, or genres are equally covered.  However, the amount of coverage is connected to the numbers of readers.  General books get more press and attention than academic books because the audience is a different size and scale.  The library’s collection will reflect what people are most likely to read.  Every book a reader is the general rule.  If a book does not have a reader, then why keep it around? 

And how do you feel about review sources that won't print negative content? Do you think that's appropriate?

Answer: I think that refusing to print a negative review is a disservice to those who want and need to know about the book. 

If you buy for your library, how often do you use reviews to make your decisions? If not, how do you feel about reviews for personal reading, and what are some of your favorite review sources?

Answer: I don’t buy for a library, however, that is an aspect of library work I would like to try when I start working in a library.  I find reviews to be very helpful in knowing whether to invest the time and money into a book for my own personal use.  For now I find the reviews in Goodreads, NY Times book review, Weekly Standard, and Books and Culture to be essential.