1. Librarians are seeing this acceptance with requests for more material “like Fifty Shades.” Kristi Chadwick, director of the Emily Williston Memorial Library in Easthampton, MA, has noticed an increase in holds for erotic materials. “I don’t think we have seen our copies of E.L. James’s or Sylvia Day’s titles on our shelf more than once since we acquired them last year!” As erotic fiction is classified within general fiction, specific circulation statistics are not available, but Robin Bradford, collection development librarian with the Indianapolis-­Marion County Public Library, says that public service librarians at her system have reported high patron demand, and she receives a large number of patron-generated purchase requests. If your library doesn’t already collect erotic literature, where should you start? How do you mine your collection for titles you may already have? How do you help patrons navigate the world of erotic literature and assist them in finding something they want to read? Erotica: Full-Frontal Shelving | Genre Spotlight

    Librarians are seeing this acceptance with requests for more material “like Fifty Shades.” Kristi Chadwick, director of the Emily Williston Memorial Library in Easthampton, MA, has noticed an increase in holds for erotic materials. “I don’t think we have seen our copies of E.L. James’s or Sylvia Day’s titles on our shelf more than once since we acquired them last year!”

    As erotic fiction is classified within general fiction, specific circulation statistics are not available, but Robin Bradford, collection development librarian with the Indianapolis-­Marion County Public Library, says that public service librarians at her system have reported high patron demand, and she receives a large number of patron-generated purchase requests.

    If your library doesn’t already collect erotic literature, where should you start? How do you mine your collection for titles you may already have? How do you help patrons navigate the world of erotic literature and assist them in finding something they want to read?

    Erotica: Full-Frontal Shelving | Genre Spotlight

  2. Library Journal’s February 15 issue mailed yesterday and the office is abuzz with anticipation. It’s a great issue and a (clearly) striking cover, illustrated by John Jay Cabuay. Keep an eye out for Katie Dunneback’s fantastic feature article on erotica as well as (my personal favorite) LJ Reviews’ Editors’ Spring Picks.

    Library Journal’s February 15 issue mailed yesterday and the office is abuzz with anticipation. It’s a great issue and a (clearly) striking cover, illustrated by John Jay Cabuay. Keep an eye out for Katie Dunneback’s fantastic feature article on erotica as well as (my personal favorite) LJ Reviews’ Editors’ Spring Picks.

  3. thelifeguardlibrarian: This 50 Shades of Grey thing is perfectly fun to sit back and watch. But it’s an interesting library discussion. The book isn’t only being challenged or removed—it isn’t being made available in the first place. Librarians and library leaders are choosing not to include the book in the collection. If the library purchased the book, like they did in Flordia, they’re now going back and pulling it after reading reviews (though not before reading the book itself). Discuss?

    thelifeguardlibrarian:

    This 50 Shades of Grey thing is perfectly fun to sit back and watch.

    But it’s an interesting library discussion. The book isn’t only being challenged or removed—it isn’t being made available in the first place. Librarians and library leaders are choosing not to include the book in the collection. If the library purchased the book, like they did in Flordia, they’re now going back and pulling it after reading reviews (though not before reading the book itself).

    Discuss?