I have a dilemma as a librarian; I know that I can't buy only books that I enjoy and that I want to read and that I want the students to read, but it's so hard. I love YA fantasy and paranormal stories and I would love to fill my (yes, my) library with those books. My dilemma is that not everyone wants to read what I want to read and I acknowledge that my book buying needs to incorporate all members of the school population. The reason that I titled this post "The Sarah Dessen Dilemma" is that I really do not enjoy reading her books. There are a number of student suggestions sitting in my box requesting her books, so I know I have to buy some to put on the shelves, but I just don't want to!!!
Walking the line between choosing books that will circulate widely (and many students seem to love the paranormal/fantasy books) and books that may appeal to different readers. I really do want to serve the entire school population, but it's so hard. My eyes just don't go to those types of books. When I'm at Chapters, I love browsing the teen section, and I can easily spend hundreds of dollars, but if I don't go with a list that includes books like the ones by Sarah Dessen, I won't pick any of them.
How do other librarians deal with this? The library that I'm in has a collection that very much reflects the attitudes and beliefs of the librarian who worked here for over a decade, and I don't want to continue that. I think my first step is that I do acknowledge that I have reading preferences and that I cannot allow my preferences to to dictate what I buy, but there has to be more that I can do. I've noticed that I don't have that problem with Manga. I'm not interested in Manga at all, but I'm happy to buy them for the students. Perhaps my advantage with Manga is the amazing store we have here in Toronto - The Beguiling. I can email the library services department at the Beguiling and they will be happy to select manga and graphic novels that are suitable for my student population. Maybe I need to have a contemporary YA novel advisor.
I know how you feel. I'm not into Dessen and lots of other authors/genres, but I try to order a variety and when possible I always get student requests. One of my annoying series is the Warriors by Erin Hunter. I have a group of students that love them all and darn it, if she doesn't write several a year and have multiple series going on. Another area I try to pay attention to is my tendency to order lots for my older students because I find the upper elementary/tween books so immature. I've started following a few elementary librarians so that I can stay aware of the best books without reading them all myself. But...being a librarian is the best job ever! Hope you are enjoying it:)
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