Week 6 Writing Prompt Integrated Advisory Re: Promoting Romance

Promoting Romance with Integrated Advisory

Romance Fiction is immensely popular, making up the largest share of consumer book purchases (Saricks 132).  Therefore, a library patron is very likely to request advice on locating print and nonprint materials in the Romance genre.  Providing effective integrated advisory services, opens all aspects of the library's collection to the patron (Dunneback, xi).  A library program inviting patrons to view popular television shows that reveal a strong book connection, effectively bridges the popular show with similar print materials, "Watching a show so inextricably entwined with books can also facilitate the transition from TV viewer to reader," (Lau).  In her article, "Getting Lost: Books, Television, and Integrated Advisory," Lau uses the ABC drama series Lost to connect viewers with read alikes by focusing on thematic parallels, noting book references in the show and of famous writers and thinkers mentioned in the show, drawing viewers to print materials, "In their efforts to gain insight into the labyrinth of Lost, fans read the books that appear onscreen or are referenced on the show, based on the assumption that the books complemented or interacted with the show’s plot or themes."  Book clubs, blogs and online sites offer fans a forum to discuss the books read as a result of the popular show, further engaging viewers with all inclusive library materials.  

Romance readers expect either a "happily ever after" or a "happy for now" ending, (Dunneback 184).  Because this ending is highly important to Romance readers, a subtle display dividing Romance print materials by either their "happily ever after" or "happy for now" endings and cross referencing those titles with audiobooks and videos that share the same ending style, may assist users in experiencing their favored Romance ending in an alternative format.  

Interactive displays provide patrons with readily available advisory services.  Romance fans value strong characters, "Characters play an important role in romance stories as readers frequently identify and empathize with the lead characters.  Readers often have strong opinions on the types of characters they will or will not read..." (Dunneback 199).  A lift the flap prominently located bulletin board display provides an interactive way for patrons to find their preferred character traits in all Romance medium options.  Similarly, a display highlighting the grabbing first lines of Romance books, e-books, audiobooks and movies is another interactive, easy to use tool to entice  patrons to explore Romance formats they may have not yet experienced.  The Magpie teen librarian created the below pictured display to attract teens to good reads. 

Works cited

Dunneback, Katie and Mary Wilkes Towner. "Everything Romance." Libraries Unlimited. 2010, p. xi-xvi.

Dunneback, Katie and Mary Wilkes Towner. "Introduction:  Integrated Advisory." Libraries Unlimited, 2010, p. 183-225.

Lau, Andrea. "Getting Lost:  Books, Television, and Integrated Advisory." Public Libraries Online, 30 April 2013,http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/getting-lost-books-television-and-integrated-advisory/.  Accessed 12 February 2018. 

Magpie Librarian. "Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover...But What About It's First Line?  A Teen Library Display," https://magpielibrarian.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-but-what-about-the-first-line-a-teen-library-display/. Accessed 12 February 2018.

Saricks, Joyce. The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction, American Library Association, 2009.

Gentle Read Annotation The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise

The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise  by Julia Stuart

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Author:   Stuart, Julia

Title:      The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise

Genre:  Gentle read

Publication:        2010

No. of Pages:     304

Geographical Setting:     London, England

Time Period:      Present-day 

Subject Headings: Tower of London, Zoo Keeper, Eccentrics

Appeal:  leisure pace, eccentric characters and whimsical storyline.

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Plot Summary

A witty account of the vibrant characters residing within The Tower of London, The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise paints a vivid picture of the heartaches and oddities of The Tower of London residents.  Stuart takes the reader on a comfortable journey through the hearts and minds of Balthazar Jones, a Beefeater, aka Yeoman Warder of The Tower of London, and his wife Hebe Jones, an employee of the London Underground Lost Property Office.  While Hebe and her coworker and close friend, Valerie Jennings effortlessly work to connect lost things to their absentminded owners (an ash-filled urn, 157 pairs of false teeth, a Russian typewriter, 16 jars of preserved ginger, a long black magician’s box and a false eye, among other unusual items), the two women discover love, cope with loss, and provide the reader with entertaining tales of their daily work.

Morose brings depth to the story as Hebe grieves the loss of their young son, Milo, three years ago and Balthazar claims, only to himself, his responsibility in his son’s untimely death, creating seemingly unrepairable distance in their relationship.  Even their reliable 180 year old tortoise cannot offer reassurance.

With the arrival of the Queen’s animals to The Tower, Balthazar’s appointment of caring for the menagerie, and the residents’ pure dislike of tourists, Stuart provides a light-hearted and comical story.

Characteristics of the Gentle Reader Genre

·         Cheerful and hopeful with a reassuring sense of well-being (Saricks 94):  Stuart sprinkles humor throughout both the heartwarming and despairing moments, “After blowing her a kiss from the door, which confused the Yoman Gaoler who happened to be in his eye-line…” (100).

·         Colorful, down- home language (Saricks 96):  Stuart adds quirkiness to the many despairing moments throughout the story with repeated outlandish descriptions of ordinary items, “solitary teapot for one” (56), “keep the lovebirds separate, they hate each other” (64),  the Reverends’ “holy long fingers” (24).

·         Ordinary characters in ordinary situations (Saricks 96, 97):  Even though young Milo’s death weighs on the hearts of Hebe and Balthazar, his death is “only part of the natural events…and fit(s) within the boundaries of this genre” (Saricks 97). 

Hebe Jones adds a quirky element to the London Underground Lost Property Office, as she is routinely found within the magician’s box, her oasis (Stuart 39).  Valerie Jennings relieves job-related boredom and frustration by trying on various lost customs and accessories such as a Viking helmet, and the front end of a pantomime horse (Stuart, 134).

·         Book focuses on the relationships among characters (Saricks 97):  Stuart offers an essential map of The Tower of London as well as a Cast of Characters in the first pages of her book.  The many vibrant characters engage in dramatic relationships including:  Reverend Septimus, the Chaplain to the Tower, is attracted to the barmaid, Ruby Dore, and is a writer of erotic fiction; the Ravenmaster engages in extramarital affairs and will do anything to protect his beloved ravens; Arthur Catnip, the London Underground ticket inspector “of limited height” who coons over Valerie Jennings, finding her in a different costume upon each arrival. 

Similar Authors and Works

Quicksand by Steve Toltz (2015):  Liam, a struggling writer, enlists in the police academy for research for a book and finds himself failing as a cop.  He looks to Aldo, his best friend and a magnet for disaster, as inspiration for his writing.  While trying to sort out Aldo’s countless misfortunes, Toltz uses wit and humor to sift through the layers of friendship and faith.  The quirkiness of Quicksand characters and devotion to friendship thorough are similar to the character development in The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand: A Novel  by Helen Simonson (2010):  Like the eccentric characters in The Tower, The Zoo and the Tortoise, Major Pettigrew’s unforgettable sarcastic personality adds light humor to the comfortable paced novel.  In an English countryside, the retired Major meets Mrs. Ali, the village Pakistani shopkeeper.  The two bond over their loss of spouses and love of literature in a community were Mrs. Ali will always be a foreigner and Major Pettigrew, an honorable local. 

The Milk Lady of Bangalore:  An Unexpected Adventure by Shoba Narayan (2018):  In the same way that The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise gives readers an inside view of the challenges, comics and adventures inside The Tower of London, The Milk Lady of Bangalore offers readers a taste of Indian culture through the eyes of two unlikely friends; a big city writer from Manhattan, Narayan and the south Indiana village milk lady. 

Works Cited

Saricks, Joyce. The Readers’ Advisory      Guide to Genre Fiction, American Library Association,     2009.

Stuart, Julia. The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise: A Novel, Double Day, 2010.