Week 13 Prompt Response

I believe that as librarians we should promote and encourage patrons to read what they enjoy! It is not our job to judge the reading choices of others. I believe that the first step in doing so is recognizing YA, NA, and graphic novels as legitimate literary choices. It may not be your particular favorite genre or style of writing but that's okay! It's important to be able to recommend books to patrons even if it's something you wouldn't read or enjoy. 

I believe there is nothing wrong with adults who enjoy YA or NA literature. When I was an undergrad student, I took a class that was dedicated to Young Adult literature. It is the class I remember (and enjoyed) the most during my time at Ball State. We read ten different types of YA books and analyzed them together as a class. We did not look down on these books because they are intended for a younger audience but instead looked at why young adults might enjoy and connect with these books. At the time, I wasn't that far removed from the age group of young adults, but my opinions haven't changed; adults can enjoy YA and there is no shame in that! For this week's annotation, I chose YA. I have been having such a fun time reading my book choice! I may not relate to the characters anymore but it has reminded me of the books I used to read and love in high school. 

When I was starting to read for fun again a few years ago, I had no idea where to start. A friend of mine recommended the graphic novel Umma's Table by Yeon-Sik Hong. It is one of the books that helped me fall in love with reading again. I love graphic novels because the illustrations add an extra layer of depth to the overall story. I've always been a visual learner so it makes sense that graphic novels help me connect more to a story. I also appreciate the diversity of graphic novels. I have found some really incredible graphic novels that respectfully address difficult topics. One of my favorites is The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado (highly recommend but please do check TW's). I understand the common misconception that graphic novels are not for adults because they contain pictures but it's quite the opposite! There are so many graphic novels that are created specifically for adult audiences. It's getting over the stigma of graphic novels not being for adults that is the tricky part. So how do we work past that in a library? 

I think creating book displays for graphic novels, YA, and NA is a perfect place to start! This not only introduces the genre to new readers but also signals to current readers that there is nothing shameful in reading these books. It also takes away the anxiety of browsing the Young Adult section (it may feel awkward to be in a space intended for younger library users). For displaying graphic novels, I would choose ones that are intended for adults and make sure that it's conveyed that these books are intended for an older audience. I think this could really introduce adult readers to a whole new way of reading that they never considered before!