Reader Development in Practice: Bringing Literature to Readers

Citation

Stricevic, I. (2009), "Reader Development in Practice: Bringing Literature to Readers", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 65 No. 6, pp. 1023-1026. https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410910998997

The book examines a chain of those participating in bringing books to readers, from author and publisher to professionals who work on reading promotion and reader development. It brings a lot of ideas for reading promotion and partnership options, so that information practitioners, particularly librarians, get an insight about their role in that chain. On 224 pages, in five sections and 13 chapters 15 experts talk about relation of literature and reader from various perspectives. The book starts with the author's point of view and ends with the personal perspective from a reader. Sections are equipped with editors' introduction to the particular topic which is then described and explained by providing a lot of concrete examples applicable in various contexts. This book can be taken as a guide for all information professionals and students who deal with the process of reader development. As each chapter contains bibliography, it also stimulates professionals on further reading and deeper examination of the presented topics.

In the first section Ann Cleeves describes how writing process develops from the idea about a story to the final product, a book in reader's hands. She writes about a link between author, publisher, librarians and readers and gives an insight into a close relationship between all those who work in reader development. During the editorial process an author must be also a reader, says Cleeves and stresses the need of authors to be more directly engaged with their readers. Although librarians used to enable that, she argues, they were often undervalued by publishers. The situation has changed in the past few years and libraries get closer to their major role – to enable authors a direct contact with their readers. And they do it in many ways. The second section deals with those ways bringing a lot of ideas how literature can be made accessible to all. It starts with the text by Jane Mathieson, the regional co‐ordinator of the “Time to read” project. Mathieson gives the history of the project and talks about the benefits of partnership in reader development. Libraries, together with their partners and individuals participated in reader development schemes and delivered a lot of projects based on sharing, providing training, spreading innovative ways of delivering reading‐related services and succeeded in fundraising activities which could not have been possible without a good co‐ordination and engagement of many partners within a community. Those projects had an impact on bringing literature to readers but also had a considerable impact on all partners who benefited from participation in the network which has succeeded in putting together many particular initiatives. Very often the basic principle of delivering reader development services to all stays on a declarative level because in practice service delivery and facility provision for disabled people are not achieved. That is why Linda Corrigan, a librarian and freelance consultant, writes about a role of libraries in social inclusion. She considers the ways of addressing the needs of all people and advocates for those who face physical or cultural exclusion, especially visually impaired people and their access to literature in a way they need it. It is illustrated by some examples of good practice in order to show how librarians can make their services accessible to all. Some librarians even today think that reader development is an optional service provided by library. It is then undervalued and not treated as equal as other services. The next author Anne Sherman, currently appointed as regional reader development officer, talks about a changes in librarians' perception of reader development service which has changed from seeing it as an extra work to an integral part of public library services. She tackles possibly controversial issues arising from Ranganathan's second law of library science which says that every book has its reader and discuss it on the example of erotic literature. The question is should it be made available through the library catalogue only or promoted at all/in any way. This is taken just as an example to draw the reader‐centered approach in libraries' offer. She also gives an overview of some reader development projects and activities in Cheshire. Librarians and readers' views on literature do not necessarily match and that is why the voices of readers are important to librarians. In the next chapter Jane Davis, who started “Get into reading” project in 2001, talks about the meaning of reading groups for readers and their possible impact on readers' perception, not only of literature but also of themselves. She offers a challenge to librarians by asking them if setting up a small friendly reading group in library could be their new role as centers of social inclusion. Her talks with the readers presented in the fifth chapter of this book show what readers benefit from participating in reading groups and reading not just any book, but so called great literature including world greatest‐ever writers.

Section 3 deals with the work of imagination. In the three following chapters authors write about the impact of the works of imagination and a possible ways of accessing them, from the reading in a new technological environment and a new genre of futuristic fiction for youth to the reflections on making poetry accessible to all. Calum Kerr, an expert in creative writing and author of short stories, poems and articles, considers new possibilities for readers and reading which occur in the age of computers. Internet offers new ways of reading because short sections of text linked by hypertext to other related sections enable to the reader to navigate text and control his/her own reading paths. He explains the meaning of the term “hypertext” by using his hypertext rewriting of “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” and examines technical and literary issues in order to explain how people read or write a hypertext and how that enables reader to choose his/her own reading directions. Kay Sambell, the researcher of children's literature and the author of the chapter about futuristic fiction as a genre for young readers, gives an insight into reasons why teenagers read this popular genre and how it is perceived by adults. She explores some dilemmas of authors when writing such materials full of tensions and fears for the future. Sambell finds that futuristic literature has emerged from 60‐ties. Since 90‐ties many authors experiment with new themes and innovative literary forms being aware of impact which new technologies have on the everyday life of youth. The last chapter dealing with the works of imagination, written by Mike Garry, a poet, librarian and publisher, offers a different approach in comparing to other authors in this book. He uses a diary form to illustrate ways of bringing literature, more precisely poetry, to readers. He describes how he does it in many different ways, such as through live performance, workshops, publishing and school visits. From his short diary, describing just one month in 2007, one can discover a variety of actions taken to meet readers and deliver talks, workshops and training.

Section 4, talking about future directions, brings four chapters differing in topics and range. The first chapter written by Claire Warwick, an expert in electronic communication and publishing, highlights issues related to e‐book over the past decade, its development, uses and readers. The growing availability of e‐books demands from professionals to consider their inclusion in reader development because it could be an exciting way of delivering literature to readers. There are also many dilemmas, mostly related to emotional values, ranging from those weather screen can really replace paper to those weather enjoyment in book as an object can be replaced by unemotional experience of using e‐books. By citing Vandendorpe, Warwick concludes that it is too early for e‐books to become as central to literary culture as the printed volumes, but also stresses that this will happen in a way that cannot be yet predicted. Following the expressed dilemmas that occur in relation to e‐books and the future of paper volumes, three authors, Bob Glass, Ann Barlow and Andrew Glass, experienced in librarianship, education, bookselling, reading groups and web, offer a number of possible scenarios about the future of traditional book. They highlight some historical points when literary texts started to be converted into electronic format and also discuss a number of issues such as sales of e‐formats, effects of format changes on traditional book communities, position of publishers, effects on bookshops, retailers, public libraries and readers. They conclude that traditional print is still in much demand and use, and that new trends could be seen as still another way to allowing more people to access books and to bring more literature to readers. There is no doubt that in information age the independent booksellers search for new strategies for survival. Some of them are offered by Mike Mizrahi, a key figure in academic bookselling in Manchester. New activities are needed to engage the book‐buying public, from those offering customers a variety of ways how to purchase books, to the consistent care for profiled selection, promotion on displays and in direct contacts with the audience. Discussion about the future directions requires a sustainable care for future professionals. Susan Hornby, university teacher and researcher, stresses the role of academic and practitioner in education of undergraduate and postgraduate students. She proposes implementation of a special unit “Literature and its Readers” in the university curriculum. Such unit was designed as an elective one at the Manchester Metropolitan University. It included a range of contents, such as imaginative literature, the needs of readers of all ages, the organizations providing access and support, the book industry, etc. Hornby describes the unit in details, presents used teaching methods and gives a report about the responses from students, external examiners and practitioners.

The last Section of this book contains only one chapter, and that one is written by a reader. The book started with the author's point of view and ends with the reader's because there is no sense of writing, publishing, promoting and selling books if there is no reader. Francine Sagar, the reader but also very experienced person in organizing book groups, writes about a meaningful participation in small reading groups. From her experience in looking for the best group, finding people and participating in the group of readers who meet in their homes, it is obvious that personal engagement matters and that reading is an effort but before that, it is a great enjoyment.

There are many books and materials about reader development, but this one is not just one more book. It is specific because all presented texts differ in contents, scope, range and style. Although each of them deals with just a part of the chain “from book to reader and back”, the authors have succeeded to explain and highlight essential issues of reader development from various aspects, and have also offered a challenge to think about future of book production and promotion.