"This is the great new frontier of reader's advisory, and it's a
wonderful chance to explorer links, start conversations, and embark on
an even more interesting phasee of life at the reference or reader's
services desks." ~ Joyce Saricks
"Some 55% of adult internet users have looked for how-to, DIY or
repair information online and roughly 1 in 20 interenet users -- about
7 million people -- search for help on a typical day." ~ Pew Internet
Project
"Religion publishing at its core is about self-help." ~ Jonathan
Merkh
"We want results and we want them now." ~ Carl Weschcke
"The old 'leave it to the experts" meantality is long gone." ~
Stephen Mettee
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is for the body."
Non-fiction or informational books are supposed to be true. This
means that they are based upon reasonably complete documented evidence.
It also means that the story being told is told objectively without
bias. However, non-fiction may not be true or entirely true for several
reasons:
Many, including some librarians, believe that informational content is inherently superior to fiction. The notion that non-fiction is useful and helps with better results at work or at home is persuasive.
Like fiction, informational content tells a story so the usual appeal elements such as pacing, setting, and use of language apply.
Topics certainly have emotional appeal:
Sexism can also be an element since some see fiction reading as "girly" while non-fiction is "manly." Since males under use most public libraries, a strong collection on welding [just kidding] is a way to build a more diverse audience. What topics would a guy friendly collection include?
Ease of reading or viewing and simple, straight-forward language are often characteristic of popular non-fiction. The more complex the language, the lower the appeal. Use of technical language without definitions in popular language is also a negative. Teachery, prescriptive tones are a negative. DIY [do-it-yourself] content in particular needs to be clear and encouraging without being simplistic.
Setting is also an important appeal element. Many are fascinated by a particular place or time, especially since each has its own appealing atmosphere.
Non-fiction is often about interesting people doing interesting things. Insights into why people did what they did, why they succeeded or failed have substantial appeal and may even become a role model.Informational content is often easier to start and stop or to read in smaller chunks. Oftenl, only part of the book needs to be read. Step-by-step instructions and highly visible organization make it easy to know what is important and to find your way. Many non-fiction works are well-illustrated and the illustrations, especially larger ones in color, add considerable appeal, especially for the armchair user.
Novelty, new ideas, techniques and technologies appeal to many.
Insider knowledge, this is how the pro's do it, is also a powerful
appeal element.
Reader's advisory work began with non-fiction designed to provide
and educational and cultural experience. Implementing non-fiction
advisory services is a return to the roots, but with a much broader
sense of what non-fiction or informational might usefully include.
Since advisory service for non-fiction has been neglected, we need to decide where this service should be housed. Reference might be a logical choice since reference librarians work with informational, non-fiction content. However, reference librarians are typically oriented toward finding particular bits of information rather than content that provides a certain experience. Advisory librarians, if available, are strong on advisory technique but typically have limited knowledge and interest in non-fiction. In general, it is better to expand the boundries of advisory than those of the reference department. The traditional and typical advisory tools work just as well for non-fiction as fiction. The major challenge is that the best lists and genre introductions are much more limited here than with genre fiction. Visit Amazon as note the relationships they provide between titles.
Monitor circulation statistics so that you know which non-fiction
topics are popular when. Watch for non-fiction in the news as part of
your current awareness program. When you browse publisher websites,
note and acquire reader guides for new non-fiction titles. Develop a
list of public libaries that do an especially good job with non-fiction
and frequently visit their websites. Add varied
non-fiction to your own personal reading and thoughtful browsing.
Discover if a collegue might be interested in becoming a non-fiction
specialist for one or more of the popular genres. This colleague need
not be a professional. Consider which non-fiction genres are closely
related to fictional ones, such as true crime and mysteries. Walk the
floor and speak with patrons about their interests and needs. Create a
system for patrons picks for non-fiction as well as fiction.
Historically, advisory work was aimed at reading. The purpose was
relatively simple: to turn every person into a reader and to turn
readers into "purposeful readers. A common saying was: "catch people
where they are, and move them to where they ought to be." Thus,
advisory work was prescriptive and oriented toward needs or what is
good for a person in terms of personal development or growth.
In the beginning, non-fiction occupied center stage. More recently, emphasis has substantially shifted to fiction to the extent that most contemporary RA excludes non-fiction entirely. At least in theory, non-fiction advice should be part of the reference department's daily work. In fact, very few reference departments provide such advice.
However, there has been some growth in advisory services for non-print and non-book formats. However, here the question is whether such advice should be provided in the Sights and Sounds department or at the Advisory Desk.
The full-service retail model is based on interaction between the sales staff and the customer. Following that interaction, the sales person selects appropriate merchandise and shows it. The goal is to match customer wants/needs with the right product. The self-service model eliminates the cost of sales people, leaving finding and selecting to the customer. In the early days, RA was a full-service product. That made it too expensive and it was not continued. Factors involved in selecting the appropriate model include:
For self-service to be successful, such alternatives to full-service as exhibits/displays, guides and best lists, and clear intellectual and physical access must be provided. Does full-service make sense for the contemporary public library?
The key question in advisory service is what the patron has enjoyed in the past? The second key question is why did you enjoy that work. This leads into discussion of them, accessibility, pace, preferences, and the like. Common variables considered that apply to both fiction and non-fiction include:
Based on dialog with the patron, we suggest two or three items
that appear to be a good match. We do not prescribe, we suggest.
In
working with non-fiction, we need to be much more careful in the manner
of suggestion since we do not know that the items that seem appropriate
are good, true, and entirely appropriate.
Does this mean that we can't suggest non-fiction items? How would
we phrase our suggestion?
The genre is difficult to define since virtually any reading,
viewing, or listening may be an act of self-improvement or self-help.
The content is normally popular, easily accessible, and requiring
little or no previous knowledge. It is also somewhat to quite
simplified and contains specific steps which can be taken, without
professional hellp, to solve a real problem related to physical or
mental well-being or happiness. Content is normally read from cover to
cover so these are not really reference works. Religious publishers are
placed much more emphasis on religious approaches to self-help so there
needs to be some coordination with the popular religious content.
There is a universal audience for this content. All of us have
problems that we would like to overcome so that we can be happier.
Self-help reminds people that they have options. With increased media
attention, we are more aware of problems and solutions than in the
past. People seek quick, easy, and relatively painless remedies. Often,
there is a sense of urgency to the information need. A book is
certainly less expensive than a visit to a wellness professional and
considerably more advice is available. In 1734, Ben Franklin published Every Man His Own Doctor and Every Man His Own Lawyer in 1736.
While self-help appeals to all, from children to older adults, men
and women, women are more likely to use the content. Adults in their
30s, 40s, and 50s are most likely to use this collection. There are
fewer self-help users in the South than the East and the West. The
genre has somewhat more appeal for the educated. Men are more
interested in motivational works. Women are more interested in
relationships.
While there are many opportunities for self-improvement, major
categories include:
Some librarians dismiss the genre as a fad or sham and refuse to
take it seriously.
Many books contain substantial work book sections likely to be
written in by users. Others are high risk candidates for theft.
Affirmation or meditation books designed to be used on a daily basis
are popular and difficult to return.
Authority is a continuing problem. Unlike academic books, the author
is often not a subject expert, but a professional author. It is
difficult to establish if the content is reliable and true although
reviewers help. Many of the subjects treated, such as diet or nutrition
and mental health lack authority because of the confused state of the
subject itself. Much content is popularization distantly based on some
scholarly or clinical work. How popular and simplified can the
intellectual content be before it is filled with error. It may be
difficult to verify the author's credentials. Particulary for more
specialized areas, publishers and their reputation may be unknown.
Many self-help books are an outgrowth of teaching, workshops, and
counseling session. The requested content may be a self-promotion tool
or part of an elaborate set of items only available from the
author.
Some self-help content is notably ephemeral with a short self-life.
Diet books are often a good example. Still, demand may be intense for a
short period of time. Periodicals may be a better source of information
on some of these topics but they cannot usually be taken home and they
lack the same amount of content.
Many self-help books really do not have enough distinctive intellectual content to warrant a book length treatment -- they are puffed out with liberal white space and large print. Success invites imation in the form of spin-offs and sequels as well as derivative works by others.
Some self-help content may threaten health or well-being by
encouraging behavior that can lead to harm. For example, some diets are
not good for you. Throwing away your glasses and substituting
affirmations may not work. Some health books discourage needed medical
help. Do-it-yourself is usually not as effective as professional
intervention. Access to easy solution content may discourage seeking
professional help. Some content may encourage adoption of inappropriate
values or models. Some self-improvement books are simplistic,
materialistic and manipulative. For example, content that suggests that
illness is your fault and that you should be able to heal yourself in
seven steps. Diets based on a proprietary product which is costly and
not clinically tested. Some content may contribute to the development
of non-problem problems, convincing people who really don't have a
problem that they do. The current enthusiasm for self-diagnosis seems
to promote the belief that being unhappy and failure to be free from
anxiety are abnormal states.
Some self-help books encourage people to spend time on problems of
little real importance.
Well-established professions may be slow to recognize new ways of
doing things. That's an opportunity for innovative solutions as well as
quacks. Some professionals, for example those in medicine and
nuitrition, may be highly critical of self-help content in the public
library.
Accessibility is a key ingredient in a successful work. The content
needs to be free from jargon and written in ordinary language. Content
needs to be well organized with a reasonable amount of white space and
logical content flow. Appropriate, easily read and understood charts
and tables increase accessibility as do good summaries at the end of
sections and chapters.
These works should be practical with specific, understandable steps
to be applied and with particular results in view. Avoid content that
promises solutions of substantial problems with little time or effort.
Binding should be sturdy. Avoid spiral bindings since pages are
easily removed or torn out. Works with exercises to be filled out by
the reader are problematic.
Users come from different backgrounds with different needs and
wants, so diverse content is essential.
Audio and video formats are increasingly popular. They tend to be
more expensive and require more care. Make it easy for users to find
relevant books, periodicals, CDs, and DVDs on the same topic.
Insure that your users have easy access to physical and mental
health resources in your community, including clinics, crisis
intervention cents, suicide hot lines, and the like with good, current
contact information.
The notion that non-fiction is true or evidence-based is problematic
here since much of this content is based upon hope, belief, and
tradition. It would be best if there was a separate category for these
materials -- a third way. Since community members feel very strongly
about their beliefs, this is a controversial area. Censorship
initiatives are a very real possibility. To many, placing such content
in the library is some kind of endorsement of legitimacy. Be careful.
Popular spiritual or religious material is often very similar to the
secular self-help content. In fact, this topic could be placed under
that heading. As religious publishers and churches have broadened their
interests, more and more content is available on a wide variety of
self-help topics. Some have called this trend "generic spirituality."
The focus on health and wealth is decidedly materialistic although God
provides the right decisions. "Personal renewal" is a popular phrase
for the religious self-help genre. "Spiritual recovery" is another as
in the Complete Divorce Recovery
Handbook. Some self-help books do include spiritual exercises
and meditations that make them different. Still, the topics indicate
the substantially increased scope of the genre, i.e. The Thoughtful Christian's Guide to
Investing, Victory Over Debt,
and Insomnia: God's Night School.
Christian books deal with more painful issues today than in the
past. For example, Torn Asunder:
Recovering From Extramarital Affairs or God is Green: Ecology for Christians
or How to Rescue the Earth Without
Worshipping Nature.
Some titles are clearly based upon the values and beliefs of a
particular religious group and these create more problems for the
selectors. The more generic titles are often selecting using the usual
self-help criteria. However, titles that support particular religious
beliefs may not be appropriate for the library.
Religious publishing has grown substantially in the past few years.
The products have found a substantial place in the large chain
bookstores where more religious books are sold than in Christian book
stores. Thomas Nelson, in Nashville, is the largest. There is general
agreement that there is an intense and growing spiritual hunger, often
ill-defined and de-institutionalized.
More recent content has focused on a male audience and problems that
men face at work, and at home. Content increasingly uses contemporary
graphics and design to be more user-friendly and become more
accessible. Physical health has received more attention along
with mental health. Personal spirituality is a popular topic. Popular
religious content is more popular in the South than in other regions.
Traditionally, this genre was popular with white, middle-class
housewives, but that has changed and the audience is much broader
today. Since about 75 percent of all retail bookstores have a religion
section, it seems reasonable that the public library should also.
Standard, serious books on religion are not as popular as the
self-help category, but continue to be issued in goodly numbers. Most
material remains devoted to the Christian and Jewish faiths, but
interest in other major religions is growing. Interest in Eastern
religions, Buddhism for example, has resulted in much more accessible
content.
Some religious content is polemical or notably critical of other
religions. Some popular religious material is not of good quality even
though it may be popular. Traditional library users are not as likely
to be fundamentalist or evangelical and are less likely to be
interested in inspirational or other popular religious content.
Historically, religion and religious materials have been controversial
and created problems for the library.
Many denominational publishers have a specific religious agenda that
may make their works unsuitable for a public library. Many librarians
feel discomfort in selecting religious content. Many popular titles are
fear-driven:
"fear of what the educational system is doing to your children, fear of what the Antichrist is going to do in a couple of years, fear ow what the 12 steps are going to do to the rest of the Church."
Satan-Proof Your Home and Days of Planet Earth are good examples.
This phrase, with many negative associations, has largely gone away. It has been replaced by a variety of phrases with "body-mind-spirit" being popular. Regardless of the label, the content is still controversial in many communities. Here is a summary of what might be included:
The dizzying variety of wisdom sources and spiritual approaches: the inner child, global consciousness, myths, folklore, sacred arts, witchcraft, ancient traditions, new paradigms, the wisdom of the psyche, of the East, of Native Americans, of indigenous people, Angels, miracles, healing, recover, the Goodess, harmonic convergences."Still, the content continues to appeal to quite a few adults and the library is a low risk opportunity to learn and consider.
Consumer health or wellness is enormously popular and occupies territory that includes a considerable amount of self-help as well as a considerable amount of how to do it.
The best way to begin is to create contact information for local, state, and national agencies that provide objective, current health information. This should include both government agencies and non-profit organizations.Both traditional and alternative health care content can be
controversial. Recent news stories have created some distrust of
traditional medicines. .Alternatives include:
As you might imagine, alternative health care remains controversial
in many communities and the traditional medical establishment has
little use for it. Still, a 204 federal government survey found that
36% of U.S. adults use some form of alternative medicine.
Library of Congress prefers Medicine, popular. Consumer health
includes a wide variety of topics and formats designed to help ordinary
people understand and make appropriate decisions about their health.
Health is more than the absence of disease; it is positive well-being.
Topics typically focus on:
A list of more specific topics might include such topics as:
Demand for health information has increased dramatically. "In 2000,
the average patient visit to a physician lasted a scant 18 minutes" so
securing health information is often quite limited. At the same time,
we are
more aware of problems and our life style has created conditions that
encourage illness. The average adult faces some sort of medical problem
on a fairly regular basis. That problem may be related to stress,
disease, or accident. The demand for medicines to solve physical and
mental problems has increased dramatically. Most adults do have health
information needs. Access to health professionals often does not
provide the information needed in an understandable format. While the
Internet has become the major source of consumer health information for
many, the library still has an important role. Many adults cannot
afford to see a physician, are fearful that the result will not solve
their problem, or hope for an easier and cheaper solution. Some studies
have found that the part of the office visit spent with the physician
is often only five to ten minutes.
Too, there is increased interest and demand for information on
self-care and prevention. At the same time, consumer rights has become
more visible and more popular. Women's rights is also an issue since
some women believe that women are not taken seriously by male
physicians. The 1971 publication of Our
Bodies, Ourselves was a milestone for women's health and
self-care. Since many health problems are the result of bad life style
choices, people realize that they can control their health to some
degree.
News media stimulate fear about disease and the environmental causes
of it. Bird flu from southeast Asia is a good current example. People
are often more disease conscious than health conscious and seek
information about their disease, syndrome, ailment, aches, and pains.
The risks associated with surgery, drugs, hospitals, X-rays, tests
and the like are much more visible than before and prompt people to
learn more before they say yes to a particular procedure.
Irresponsible advertising gives many unrealistic expectations about
health and fitness, especially with the belief that there is a quick
and relatively painless treatment for whatever might ail you.
An aging population encounters more health-related problems.
Access information is concerned with the availability and
quality of various health care providers, hospitals, and institutions,
and the comparative cost of alternative modes of financing health care.
Disease information is about the signs, symptoms,
diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of a diseases, ailments, conditions,
and syndromes. The information seeker or his advocate/family
member/companion may be disorganized, uncertain, and confused. The
patient's normal problem-solving abilities may be impaired.
Coping information focuses on chronic diseases and
disabling conditions with specific detailed treatment methods, drugs,
pain control, home care, and daily management.
Medical ethics information includes the conflicting
issues and dilemmas involved with such issues as genetic testing, stem
cell research, experimental drugs,, extraordinary means of prolonging
life, and the like.
Authoritative information is evidence based, usually on
substantial trials as well as day-to-day experience by medical
professionals. Such information comes from government agencies,
scholarly research in universities, the medical establishment,
non-profit organizations, and for-profit firms. Not all such
information is in fact authoritative since various organizations and
firms may have their own agenda. Still, this information is more likely
to be objective.
Anecdotal information such as the illness memoir is based
on personal experience
rather than a sample. It comes from those who have lived with the
problem and often from those who were able to overcome their problem in
some important respect. This information appears in books and articles
in print, on the web, in personal encounters, support groups. Often,
this is the information that is most understandable and helpful for the
patient. Selection can be problematic.
About twice as many women as men seek health information. Men
traditionally are more likely to ignore medical problems, fail to see
physicians, and the like. It is also likely that women are the health
information providers for their families. The majority of health
content is checked out by a women. About one-third of these are of
child-bearing age. Information sought:
Authors and their authority or knowledge vary widely. For example,
authors may be heath care professionals, medical journalists,
professional writers, personal narrators, or crusaders. A common
combination is a medical professional to lend authority and a writer to
create the content into a usable package. It is sometimes difficult to
know the degree to which the medical professional is fully engaged in
the content, especially if the research and writing is done by another.
At the same time, respected health professionals may disagree on cause
and treatment.
The health information explosion creates a variety of problems.
There is simply. an overwhelming amount of information and it is
difficult to know which is valid and reliable. One study found that 70
percent of the health information on TV was inaccurate or misleading.
Much of this information stimulates either fear or a belief in easy
remedies. Much popular health information is incomplete and simplistic.
Information on price, performance, and comparisons of the quality of
medical providers is difficult to find and understand.
Increasingly, professional information is available to consumers.
For example, content from the National Library of Medicine is available
to anyone with web access. However, much of this information is not
understandable to the lay person and then will need help in
interpreting it. This is not an appropriate role for the public library
although we can suggest helpful sources.
Because of rapid change, currency is essential in providing health
information. The web is the best source for current information and the
library should have a well-monitored collection of high quality web
links [Mayo Clinic ....].
Both a solid reference collection and a circulating one are needed.
Relations with the medical profession can be difficult. Many
physicians believe that the public lacks the education and the
understanding to properly handle full disclosure of information about
their situation or condition. Other are concerned about self-healing
initiatives that will negatively impact health and proper care. Too
much health information can inspire self-diagnosis and unwarranted fear
and anxiety. Developing a consumer health collection in cooperation
with a local hospital library is the best way to handle these problems.
However, that may reduce your ability to provide alternative health
content.
Problem patrons may be a problem with excessive demands for
information and interpretation. Too, they may wish to have you listen
to descriptions of their problems, symptoms, and treatments.
Medical information provision is full of ethical problems. For
example, how much health information should be given over the phone or
via the web where it is difficult to qualify statements. To what degree
would be attempt to shield people from negative or frightening
information? It is difficult not be sympathetic with or identify with
users who have difficult health problems. Are we encouraging people to
treat themselves and avoid needed medical treatment? There is always
fear of controversy or "practicing medicine without a license." We lack
medical training and cannot give advice, counseling, opinion,
interpretation, or diagnosis. Privacy is another concern, especially
since patrons may share information that they wish to keep secret.
Some health content is high risk for mutilation and theft,
especially those that deal with sexual behavior and drug abuse. How do
we balance the patron's need for privacy with the librarian's need to
secure materials by placing them behind the desk.
Criteria are fairly typical:
Like self-improvement, how-to-do-it could include much of the
content of the library and there is some overlap with self-help,
especially in the business, finance, and wellness categories. Here the
focus in on material that helps people to improve the quality of their
life through an activity that involves physical objects. Typically,
this genre deals with fixing, improving, collecting, doing, and going.
Content should be easy to follow, use language understandable by the
lay person, provide a glossary for technical terms, and have clear
high-contrast illustrations that are logically arranged, clearly linked
to the related text, and show exactly how-to-do-it.
Some users have an acute need for content that will help them with
a serious and immediate problem, i.e. a dead car or a plumbing problem.
Some people need content to help with a growing problem that can be
solved at a convenient time, such as a new floor in the bath r. Both
audiences need content with step-by-step answers to specific problems.
Much content is arrange in a question and answer format with the
answers in a by the number format that makes it very easy to know
exactly what to do and how to do it.
Analysis of Internet site use reveals that males are more likely to
seek DIY information than females. Younger users are more likely to
seek this information than older ones. Those with higher levels of
education look for instructional or repair information in greater
numbers. Thus, this genre appeals to a segment that often under uses the
public library.
Some users don't have an immediate problem, but they do want to
improve the quality of their life. For example, they may want a more
contemporary look for their living room or a European trip. This
content is sometimes called "lifestyle" and is aimed at the upscale
individual. Gardening, entertaining, and interior design are popular
topics.
Finally, some users will never actually do it, but simply enjoy
dreaming and planning -- the arm chair traveler or the arm chair
modeler. Typically, they prefer content with substantial, almost
artistic, color illustrations in a large format. Album type books, for
example, are popular. Content is often multi-topic so that a cook book
might include history, recipes, and local culture. Travel, for example,
has a substantial armchair audience and these need to be considered
when collections are developed.
The increased cost of housing and repair creates a demand for more
DIY content. There is something essentially American about being able
to fix almost anything yourself.
At the same time, many find time to be at a premium so quick and
easy is popular. We see this in the no care garden or the 30 minute
dinner or 10-minute cuisine.
In a world filled with stress and anxiety, many enjoy the
satisfaction of working with things where a quality product can be
created and you can take pride in it. Difficult can be popular too as
people become very serious about their to it yourself work so that it
becomes a keen hobby and not just a task.
Many are increasingly concerned about a more healthy life-style and
environment and that is reflected in content on a variety of subject
with a focus on being energy frugal and environmentally safe.
In a world which places a price tag on virtually everything, many
are interested in the value of objects of all types, either as
collectors, hobbyists, or investors.
Many are disappointed in the qualify of manufactured goods or
services and believe that they can do it much better as well as cheaper.
Most crafts, hobbies and DIY activity incorporate new technologies
while the older ones also remain popular. Books and periodicals are
especially good at showing people how to best use new technology to do
it better and/or cheaper. This means that some DIY content will become
obsolete after a while, i.e. the Windows 3.1 books.
Here too there are an almost infinite number of categories. Here are
some more popular ones:
The old saying that "one picture is worth a thousand words" is
certainly true here. The quantity, utility, and quality of the
illustrations may be the most important part of the book. Clear, easily
understood step-by- illustrations are essential. Drawings are often
better than photographs because they can simplify and focus on the
essentials. Illustration may be a problem when images are not directly
linked to text and to a particular activity. For example, some
gardening books are albums for the armchair gardener and only "idea"
books for the real gardener.
As the cable DIY programs have become increasingly successful, DVDs
of certain series and programs are now available. At the same time,
publishers are also issuing their own digital content based on their
books and periodicals. A video can clearly show exactly how to do
something, especially with slow motion and stop frame action. The print
and AV DIY collections need to be well linked so that users will be
certain to check both collections [if they are not integrated].
Non-fiction videos are typically not reviewed outside the specialist
periodicals and are sparse there. Some videos come with complementary
content that must be kept together. Jobs that would take several days
or even weeks to complete may look deceptively quick and easy on a 40
minute video. Videos are not easily transportable to the site where the
activity will take place.
Authority is less of a problem since authors are usually people who
know their subject very well. Content authored by or on behalf of a
manufacturer or vendor may encourage use of certain products, but
otherwise the advice should be good. Some "packaged" items
prepared for well-known manufacturers or vendors may have indifferent
intellectual content. Others are very good. Objectivity may be an
issue. For example, a cookbook prepared for General Mills or Pillsbury
may have a bias toward certain products. Authors of some works,
especially of travel books, may accept gifts from those likely to
benefit from favorable mention in the text. For example, the travel
book author may receive free room and board or air fare. The home
repair author may recive free tools or materials. It's usually
difficult to tell if harmful bias is included, but it should be a
concern.
Just as with scholarly or literary writing, there are standard works
which have stood the test of time, are periodically revised, and need
to be in any collection. These backlist titles need to kept in good
shape. For example, the Better Homes
and Gardens Cookbook was first published in 1930 and has been
regularly revised since then.
Some repairs involve exposure to dangerous substances or could cause
bodily harm if safety precautions are not followed. Increasingly, DIY
content contains strong precautionary language and reviewers usually
note when it is not there. On the negative side, rather like side
effects with some medications, too much precautionary language may
discourage all but the most adventerous or experienced. While public
libraries are not likely to have any liability if harm results from
following directions in our content, we should be aware of this issue.
Experienced authors may make complicated and difficult activities
seem so easy that people will try them when they should not. While
virtually everyone can pain an interior well, not every one can wire
new light fixtures in the family room.
Regional differences need to be considered. For example, gardening
in South Carolina near the ocean is different from gardening in East
Tennessee near the mountains. Building codes vary from state to state
and even from city to city. A beautifully illustrated British gardening
book may have little utility in the U.S. The Southern Living books are
good examples of content clearly focused on a particular region.
Some DIY content will need to be available in different languages,
with Spanish being the major one. Car repair manuals are important.
Many of the better how to do it books are published by smaller,
specialty publishers and are not reviewed in the general reviewing
sources. For example, books on model railroading are much more likely
to be reviewed in Model Railroader
than Library Journal. Some
books are rarely reviewed. For example, local church cook books are
often excellent and the public library should collect as many as
possible [often also a source of information of local history and
culture].
Currency is sometimes most important when activities involve new
technology. At the same time, traditional ways of doing things are
still useful and sometimes popular. How to do it basics have a long
life. Life style "idea" books may have a short one. Price guides for
collectables are popular, but date very quickly. Travel books heavy on
particulars date quickly. Those that focus on history, culture, and
include many illustrations tend to have a long life. The series travel
books are often requested, but there are so many titles that frequent
replacement of the major guides is not feasible. Few libraries could
afford to purchase 100 new Fromer guides each year. Automobile repair
guides are needed for each model and each model year so digital
collections are the best way to go. Although quite a challenge,
try to respond to trends rather than fads. Note that trends peak on
both coasts long before the peak in middle America.
Beware of sexual stereotypes. While men are more likely to engage in some DIY activity, an increasing number of women are also interested in wood working and construction. Most model builders are men, but women are also involved. Ideally, DIY content would be free of stereotypical thinking.
Finally, there is a glut of content. There are too many new books,
new CDs, and new DVDs. When one item is popular, similar ones soon pop
up. The Dummies Books are a good example. Now several publishers have
introduced and expanded similar series. The travel book genre is a
classic example with new publishers entering the market and existing
ones creating new series and adding to established ones.
There are new "names" and older ones associated with authority,
innovation, and popularity. It is your job to know what those names
are. For example, Julia Child is an old name. Many of the new names are
associated with cooking programs on network or cable TV.
We live in a global village and the web makes that much more
visible. A library may need an Ethiopian cook book when a few years ago
only Chinese and Mexican cooking was of interest. Exotic fruits and
vegetables are increasingly available in local markets. Immigrants,
although not yet heavy library users, are interested in content about
their home culture. Japanese gardening practice has gained popularity.
Travelers with time and money are increasingly interested in adventure
travel away from the beaten path.
While certainly true of all topics, interest in DIY has become
increasingly specialized and that places a burden on the library.
Instead of books on vegetable gardening, we have the books on particular
plants and particular methods of growing. There are dozens of books on
building a deck or building book shelves. Consider all of the computer
books devoted to PhotoShop or even particular activities in that
application. Travel books that used to cover a region now cover a
country or even a region within a country.
Content may combine gardening and bird watching or gardening and
entertaining. Travel books may appeal to those interested in gardens,
railroads, camping, bicycling.
Many DIY or how to do it items are useful for reference work or are
in such demand that they are restricted to library use. This creates a
problem for those who need to have the material at the site where the
work is to be done. In expensive photo duplication is helpful, but some
items are difficult to copy, especially from large format books and
where color is used in diagrams. Ideally, there would be both a
reference and a circulating copy. Some consideration needs to be given
to what sort of DIY content should be part of the reference collection.
Many libraries are eliminating VF content because so much of that
material is now available on the web. The public library website should
contain a strong collection of links to the better DIY sites and that
collection needs to be well maintained.
Much of the most recent and most interesting material appears in
periodicals. The advertisements and reviews are important for keeping
up with new products and new technology. With a large number of
specialist periodicals, it is difficult for the librarian to make
decisions and the cost of a comprehensive periodical collection is
substantial. New periodicals, often on specialized topics, appear
regularly. The library should have at least one leading periodical for
each major DIY area. If in doubt, periodicals are a better buy than
books because of their currency and changing content. They also bring
users into the library since only back issues may circulate.
There are many opportunities for programs using community resources.
For example, one public library begin a series of gardening programs
with a plant exchange -- bring one, take one. A Master Gardener
provided tips and instruction. There should be logical partners for
each non-fiction theme or topic.
Current events create opportunities to link problems with library
collections and services. Knox County Public Library has had recent
programs on:
