Fiction_L Archives Romance collection where? Dates: 11/16/99,2:37 PM  through  11/19/99,11:00 AM  (7 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2009-current     2007-2008     1996-2006    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to November 1999 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Jane Jorgenson" <jajorgen@scls.lib.wi.us>
REC'D: 11/16/99, 2:37 PM

I'm going to diverge a bit here and ask a question about where collections
are located in your library. Currently our branch has its hardcover
romance cataloged as fiction, and thus interfiled with the fiction. We've
always had separate mystery, sci-fi, and western sections, but not a
separate romance section (other then a few paperback spinners). We're now
planning to pull the romance out of the fiction and I would like some
feedback from you. Where are your romance books? Has anyone recently
pulled them out of fiction (or put them back in, for that matter)? What
has worked? What didn't?

If you have any statistics, I'd be very interested.

Replies can come directly to me, if you'd like.

Thank you,

Jane Jorgenson
jajorgen@scls.lib.wi.us
Madison Public Library - Pinney Branch
Madison, WI

FROM: "Viccy Kemp" <VKemp@ci.carrollton.tx.us>
REC'D: 11/16/99, 4:02 PM

Next year, our library is moving from 15,000 square feet to 45,000 square
feet. I plan on pulling the romance out as a separate genre. I will locate
all the genres together: science fiction, mystery, western and romance, near
the fiction shelves but designated as separate categories. I am hoping this
will help our patrons identify these popular titles. I have no figures on
the success of this, but it seems logical to me, since we do go to the
trouble to pull out the other genres.
Keep us posted!
Viccy Kemp
The opinions are my own; the library wouldn't want 'em!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jane Jorgenson [SMTP:jajorgen@scls.lib.wi.us]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 1999 2:38 PM
> To: fiction_l@maillist.nslsilus.org
> Subject: Romance collection where?
>
> I'm going to diverge a bit here and ask a question about where collections
> are located in your library. Currently our branch has its hardcover
> romance cataloged as fiction, and thus interfiled with the fiction. We've
> always had separate mystery, sci-fi, and western sections, but not a
> separate romance section (other then a few paperback spinners). We're now
> planning to pull the romance out of the fiction and I would like some
> feedback from you. Where are your romance books? Has anyone recently
> pulled them out of fiction (or put them back in, for that matter)? What
> has worked? What didn't?
>
> If you have any statistics, I'd be very interested.
>
> Replies can come directly to me, if you'd like.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Jane Jorgenson
> jajorgen@scls.lib.wi.us
> Madison Public Library - Pinney Branch
> Madison, WI

FROM: "Gray" <agray@suffolk.lib.ny.us>
REC'D: 11/16/99, 4:45 PM

Hi, All,

Our romance paperbacks have always been separated from the other
fiction books. We separate into a number of romance categories: single
title, series, regency, time travel, futuristic, and short story
collections. I know it sounds complicated, but the patrons seem to really
like it because many of them read within one genre of romance only. So,
while harder for us to process, it makes it easier for them to browse.
As for statistics, the romance paperbacks circulate far more than any
other non-new book item type!!! They not only circulate more than the
other fiction genres, but they beat many non-fiction categories as well.
Patrons seem very happy with our collection & we continue to buy
a large number of new paperback releases each month. I have also noticed
that a pretty good number of them circulate on intralibrary loan, too.

Good luck with your project!

Allison Gray
Assistant Director
South Country Library

FROM: "Lynda Whitton-Henley" <lyndafwh@intcomm.net>
REC'D: 11/16/99, 11:59 PM

At my branch I pulled out all the westerns and put them at the beginning of
all the fiction that lines two walls. It has been very popular for those
readers, 1 for convenience, the other for NOT having to walk as far and try to
spot the Western Lable. I went through and added labels and freshen up dim
ones. I am in the process of doing that for Sci-Fi, & Mystery. Will be
labeling Fantasy and in Children's our Accelerated Readers.

There are two journal articles that I have that discusses the pros & cons of
separating out these genres. This would make my lib. completely different
from the others, and that is not encouraged. I feel the public would love it,
at least those I talk to respond positively to using genre grouping.

Without adding the section type to our catalog record, I can see us having to
look 2-3 places for some authors books, general fiction, romance or
suspencee/mystery. Sandra Brown fits into all three.

I would be interested in comments on this subject if you will compile them. I
will try to have the articles home tomorrow and give you the sources.

I just may settle for adding additional labels, like Romance, Historical
Fiction, etc.

Lynda
lyndafwh@intcomm.net

Jane Jorgenson wrote:

> I'm going to diverge a bit here and ask a question about where collections
> are located in your library. Currently our branch has its hardcover
> romance cataloged as fiction, and thus interfiled with the fiction. We've
> always had separate mystery, sci-fi, and western sections, but not a
> separate romance section (other then a few paperback spinners). We're now
> planning to pull the romance out of the fiction and I would like some
> feedback from you. Where are your romance books? Has anyone recently
> pulled them out of fiction (or put them back in, for that matter)? What
> has worked? What didn't?
>
> If you have any statistics, I'd be very interested.
>
> Replies can come directly to me, if you'd like.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Jane Jorgenson
> jajorgen@scls.lib.wi.us
> Madison Public Library - Pinney Branch
> Madison, WI

FROM: "Jeanne Etling" <jetling@ccs.nsls.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 11/17/99, 11:13 AM

We have separated out Mystery and Science Fiction, though our Fantasy
remains within the fiction collection. I have stickers for Historical
Fiction, Westerns and Fantasy that are used within the Fiction collection
and I will be getting Short Story stickers as well. Stickers are great if
used with moderation. My last library had a science fiction sticker on
each book in their science fiction collection and a mystery sticker on
each book in their mystery collection. Why?

My major problem with pulling out romance (and we do have romance
paperback racks) is where to place romantic suspense or romantic mystery.
Even pulling out mysteries is somewhat hit and miss. I have Andrew
Greeley's books in Fiction or in Mystery since he writes different styles.
Same with Rita Mae Brown. We do our best in placing them where we do. We
are also fortunate to have one of the best Tech Service Depts around.
Very willing to work with us when we decide to move things and they bring
items to our attention when they notice an item is being placed in another
collection by neighboring libraries.

I feel that displays and bibliographies are a good way to point your
patrons to the books they want.

Hope this helps,

Jeanne Etling
Dundee (IL) Township Public Library District

FROM: "Kathy Loucks" <KLOUCKS@cml.lib.oh.us>
REC'D: 11/17/99, 1:53 PM

We separate out genres in our collection, and are lucky in that our catalog allows us a "local information" field in which to enter a notation when items are shelved in a genre section. Still, for the sake of browsers, I try not to separate an author's work among genres if I can "cheat" most of their work into a single area where it fits the most comfortaby--for example, I put all of Sandra Brown in the romance section. We actually have our romance hardbacks in with general fiction, and only the romance paperbacks shelved separately, and I certainly notice that the romance readers make a beeline for the separate paperback section first to browse.

FROM: "Ridgefield Library Fiction Room" <rdgnovel@biblio.org>
REC'D: 11/19/99, 11:00 AM

We do not have a separate section for romance (only Mysteries and
SF/Fantasy, and don't get me started on how hard those decisions can be
sometimes....). Hardcover and paperback romances are all shelved in with
regular fiction. However, I do tend to "clump" romances, i.e. buy or scoop
out of donations to add to the collection mostly titles by only certain
romance authors rather than scattershot (this is dictated by popular demand
more than anything else). The object is to create enough of a mass by one
author on the shelf that the browser will notice them (we don't use labels
within the fiction collection). I devote a fair amount of time to making
available booklists of authors in particularly popular subgenres to aid the
romance reader.

All the other paperback romances go in with the miscellaneous uncatalogued
paperbacks, which I try to keep stocked with plenty of new looking titles of
all kinds. Avid romance readers have learned to look here for extra
offerings, and circ. is quite good on these items. At this point all genres
are interfiled by author on these shelves, but I am considering breaking
these out into genres for easier browsing. Anyhow, if a romance author
becomes suddenly popular or wins a RITA award or whatever and I have
accumulated at least a couple of paperbacks, I will catalog these and add
them to regular shelves. This is by no means a perfect system, but our
space really won't accomodate any more break-outs then it already has AND I
don't want to ghettoize authors who write across genres.

Mary Rindfleisch
Adult Services/Reader's Advisory Librarian
Ridgefield Library
Ridgefield, CT
rdgnovel@biblio.org

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