Kids These Days: And Their Adults

The Scene: A Library The Players: 

A Library Director, An Adult Services Librarian 

 LD: What sort of book clubs have you got in mind for the adult section? 

ASL: We have one already going, and we're working on getting a Graphic Novel one started. 

LD: Of you have taken over the YA section too? 

ASL: No, adults read YA and Graphic novels too. We have several folks on staff that really like them, and they are excited to do this. 

LD: Oh, I didn't know people did that! 

First, it had to be embarrassing (though I am afraid in this case the ignorance was so that they wouldn't even know to be) for a library director to admit they didn't know something about readership. It would be even more embarrassing to admit they didn't know something so basic as "YA and Graphic Novels aren't just for kids." Again, I think the entire issue went right over their heads, but that's another issue. 

But why is that? Why is it that we "adults" want kids to read what we say they "should" read, but "adults" cannot read what YAs readers read? Most of the LDs ignorance was just that, they didn't keep up with the trends or understand much of what was going on in the reading world, BUT this is a long-standing issue. I was taught early in my library career not to ever be that surprised by what people read. You can be, but in an intrigued way, nothing else. Judgment should be the furthest thing from your mind. Just as we should not really judge the Janette Oke reader, should we be judging the YA reader? I think not though it's all too easy. And, just so you understand I am not not bias, I am just as guilty in a lot of respects. I can roll my eyes with the best of them when particular authors come across the desk.

So let's dissect this judgement of adults reading YA and Graphic Novels just a bit. As I have already said, tons of people want YA and Graphic Novel readers to be reading the classics or at the very least, more adult books. Even if they ARE adults. I argue against that, especially if you have a reluctant YA reader who may only want to read Harry Potter. Is the flip side is just as negative in their mind? You've got an adult that wants to read YA and graphic novels. Isn't that just as bad? Apparently in lots of cases, YES! And probably for the same reasons I have already stated. That "back in my day" mentality, or worse "that's just fluffy trash." 

 Well, take a look at the Graphic Novels coming on in recent years. Heavy hitters "adults" would want YA readers to be reading are there. Former Representative John Lewis to say the very least, plus recent titles about the Kent State shootings, Octavia Butler and a host of other deep subjects are going to be found between the bindings of a graphic novel these days. It's not just Batman and Superman anymore. So the chops are there, so to speak. Just about every "classic" book has been illustrated to the graphic novel form and plenty of cult classics as well. YA books are tackling far more than any predictable standard from the big name authors. So frankly that argument is in my book moot. 

 Personally, I do not read that much YA, and not many Graphic Novels because miss to much, but I will defend your right to read them to my death. People who are in the know, and are paying attention have seen the vast improvements in both YA and Graphic Novels in the past years. People who haven't are woefully ignorant in the ignorance which is a real shame. We as librarians cannot let ourselves fall into that trap. As book pushers, we need to at least familiarize ourselves with all that's out there. More importantly, we need to see that people read different things and cannot be putting down those that read things differently. Just because we don't get, doesn't mean someone else doesn't.