A Proposal to My Supervisor
I would like to ask your permission to
do a gentle reads display. I think the most effective way to promote
gentle reads would be to strongly emphasize their particular qualities:
gentle, satisfying, well-being, feel-good, cheerful, comforting,
simpler times, hopeful, peaceful, soothing, upbeat, old-fashioned,
touching, etc. I would make the display catchy by juxtaposing the
qualities of gentle reads with how crazy this world can be sometimes. I will get
patrons' attention with a sign that says something like, "Is this world
too crazy for you sometimes? Is there just too much violence and "noise"?" I will include with this a picture showing someone really stressed out. Then, to strongly contrast with that sign I'd have this one: If you'd like to
get away from that for awhile try one of these gentle reads and there would be another picture of the same person but in this one, they are reading and completely relaxed. Here is a possible heading: "When life is
not so nice... just read a nice story." I would have the words I listed above (the qualities of gentle reads) all
around the display between items. I would include passive
programming by asking for any other suggestions of books that patrons have read that they consider gentle reads. The form will also ask them to say why they consider that title a gentle read. This will help me see how patrons perceive this genre.
I would use integrated advisory by
including nonfiction books on feeling good topics (like relaxation), audio-books of gentle read titles and feel-good
movies.
During your description I was picturing beaches and front porches, those relax me so including these things might help your display.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of connecting gentle reads to relaxation and emphasizing escapism in a turbulent world. I commonly hear from readers of "cozy fiction", as we call it at our library, that they want to be assured that a book has a happy ending, that the current world is bad enough.
ReplyDeleteIt's notable that you are asking for user feedback on what they consider a gentle read. Susan Mallery and Robin Carr are really popular with our cozy readers. Interestingly, some of their contemporary romances contain brief but frank depictions of sex that I would not consider "gentle". The readers considered the books "cozy" because any sexual activity is between two characters that have gotten to know one another well and didn't seem gratuitous or out of place.
Love your idea for a gentle read display! I think often gentle reads don't get the recognition they deserve. They're so relaxing and simple to breeze through in just a few hours. It's a genre I want to explore and you make me want to read them more!
ReplyDeleteI think that's a great idea to introduce the genre to new people. full points!
ReplyDelete