Up for Discussion-Nonfiction: The Real Stuff

It used to be that librarians would complain about students coming in and routinely wiping out entire sections of books on particular report topics; now, the complaint is that kids are relying too much on the Internet and not enough on print resources. Given the changes in how kids gather information, it is time to rethink how and what we buy for teen collections. What is the value of a nonfiction collection in the electronic age? I maintain that it can be vitally important, particularly when used as a vehicle to reach reluctant readers, to bring nonusers into the tent, to transform young adult fiction areas into true teen collections, and to introduce new library users and new English speakers to reading. Nonfiction—for information or recreation—not for formal education, needs a place at the teen table now more than ever.

In discussing her research, Dr. Teri S. Lesesne from Sam Houston State University states, "In my seven year study of at-risk teens, one of the observations I have been able to verify year after year is that nonfiction matters to these less-than-enthusiastic readers. Even though some of them read nonfiction regularly, they do not see themselves as readers because nonfiction is not as valued in the English classroom."

Reviewing years and years of reading interest survey research, there is a clear and unmistakable preference for nonfiction among male readers. This is true from surveys of fourth graders to those of high school students and to those in between.

Yet, despite these documented patterns, fiction rules in young adult collections. For example, the 2000 Young Adult Library Services Association's (YALSA) Best Books for Young Adults list was almost 3:1 in favor of fiction and only one nonfiction title cracked its top 10 list. The various "best of the best" lists have been top-heavy with fiction as well. In the 2000 Quick Picks for reluctant readers, fiction was in the majority for the list overall. However, the top 10 was weighed toward nonfiction. In most public libraries, fiction dominates the young adult area. Many libraries do not carry any nonfiction whatsoever; some have only "browsing" collections of uncataloged titles. Having a well-stocked, YA nonfiction section is definitely the exception, rather than the rule.

Nonfiction normally gets more shelf space in school libraries, but it is not the type we are concerned with in this discussion. We are more interested in books about Kid Rock and WWF's "The Rock" than about Plymouth Rock. We are focusing on books that, in the words of Amy Long from the Harford County (MD) Public Library, "emphasize to our teen patrons that reading nonfiction can be a pleasurable experience; that it is not just dry, stale textbooks and a running list of facts."

That is not to say that there is not a place or a need for curriculum-related materials. Of course, homework is still the main reason that lots and lots of teens use libraries. They read that nonfiction because they need it. What should they do about lifework? Where do they find out what they need to learn about their changing bodies, changing lives, and ever-changing pop culture? They read this type of nonfiction because they want it. Popular YA nonfiction fulfills real needs in the lives of kids, just as important as the homework books. Nonfiction books "keep me grounded," says high school senior Laurel Twombley, "Reading nonfiction gives me a realistic look at what is going on in the world around me." From a book about a teen cancer survivor (tough) to a quickie biography of the Backstreet Boys (fluff), nonfiction can be the real stuff that excites teens about books, about learning, and about libraries. What's so wrong about that?

Public library circulation is down; many school libraries report the same. Why? Rather than checking out three books on a subject, teens are gathering their information off the Internet and/or from the various electronic resources we have made available. If that is the case, then perhaps libraries should divert some of their funding to meeting those other needs. Nonfiction reading, from the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" franchise (Health Communications) to quickie rock-star biographies, helps kids grow by connecting them with their peers and with the world around them. Nonfiction has always done that, but in these "modern times," with the changing nature of young adult lives and of library landscapes, these types of books can be useful for several reasons:

• One of the fears about kids and computers is that, despite the ability to chat, Internet use can be an antisocial, solitary behavior. Popular nonfiction, however, increases social activity. Books of jokes, oversized sports books, and sex books cry out for passing around and reading aloud. Nonfiction reading leads to informal discussion and debate.
• If kids are depending on the Internet for facts, there is real reason for concern. If they get a fact wrong for a research paper, it is not the end of the world. However, if they get a fact wrong from a health Web site, it might lead to the end of a life (or the start of a new one). If we are looking to balance our collections, we need tobalance the misinformationavailable on the Web with accurate, accessible books on topics such sex, personal health, etc.
• One of the clear results of a recent smartgirl.com survey was that teens would read more if they had more time. Nonfiction is custom fit for tighter schedules: for reading on buses, before bed, between classes, or even during TV commericials.
• Nonfiction's appeal to the reluctant reader is obvious, but a growing market in every school and public library is the teen who is new to reading English. Nonfiction for new teen readers serves the same function as easy-readers to children: big margins, simple text, and good illustrations.
• Teenscreate popular culture, which has been true since the 1950s, but is even more pervasive in the 21st century. With studies showing more teenagers in the United States than ever before, in the next few years, this phenomenon will only increase. Nonfiction paperbacks about music, TV, movies, and sports respond to the very culture kids are creating. Erin Helmrich from the Royal Oak (MI) Public Library says, "my collection of teen's popular interests is one of the strengths of the collection and I know the teens appreciate it."
• If one of the missions of YA services is to keep kids reading, to help them become lifelong learners and cross that bridge to adult reading, then books that speak to their passions will help with that task. With more demands on their time, teens will need a real solid reason to come to libraries. Finding books that speak to subjects they are passionate about is a real draw.
• What is pulling more teens into school and public libraries is the Internet. There is in the profession a lot of underground frustration concerning how tomove these new customers from computers to the collection. Nonfiction is the answer to that. A kid who visits the WWF Web site WILL check out the Rock's book or one of Daniel Cohen's paperbacks about wrestling. They might even check out those drab Chelsea House "Pro Wrestling Legends" titles, but they just are NOT going to go from computer users to readers ofWrestling Sturbridge. Not just because it's fiction (after all, if these kids were fiction readers, they wouldn't be new customers) but because they didn't see it on TV. Kids are already in the tent, the computers are what got them there, but nonfiction books about the very topics they are looking up can keep them there. Tracey Firestone from Suffolk (NY) Cooperative Library System notes, "They are looking for information on subjects they may not want to ask someone about face-to-face or about activities that are not available to them in their everyday world." We can put them face-to-face with books, not bytes, by increasing popular nonfiction collections.

Of course the next challenge is to put the books where kids can find them. In large libraries, teen areas must have nonfiction. School libraries should consider separate areas to highlight these titles from among the stacks and stacks of term-paper fodder. As Jamie Burnett, a high school junior who uses the Carmal Clay (IN) Public Library, notes, "I think it's a good idea to have the high interest nonfiction in the teen sections because it is a lot easier to find. I know that I won't browse the nonfiction in the adult section just because it's so big (unless it's for a project or something), but in the teen section all I have to do is walk by and I usually see something that pertains to me or my interests."

Does it create another special section of shelves to learn? Does it make more work for the technical services people or the acquisitions department? Does it mean ordering another label or making a note in the catalog? Does it mean reference staff must look in three places for a book rather than two? Yes.

Does any of that really matter? Yes, of course it does. But let's weigh those legitimate staff concerns against the benefits: more circulation, more access, and more teens developing themselves through our collections.

For adults and children we collect nonfiction, we shelve it in those areas, and we buy stuff that has value other than for homework. Yet, young adults are not accorded the same respect or responsiveness. That's what it is all about—responsiveness. Perhaps eighth grader Sarah Hughes, also from the Carmal Clay Public Library, says it best, "The teen area of the library makes teens feel comfortable, welcome, and a part of the library and it would not be complete without the nonfiction books that teen library users have requested. It would be a lot more complicated to find a nonfiction teen book and uncomfortable for some to go in the adult section to learn about teen problems and find books written for teens."