- Different reviews - how does this affect collection development?
- I hate to say it, but the informal grammar in the reviews made me consider them less reliable. Poor grammar and a neglect to check for errors make me feel like the author didn't review their work carefully- and maybe this means that they didn't read the book carefully, as well. This may not be the case, but I'm a little put off by it. I think this can deter collection development librarians from some books with only these informal reviews, because they are not able to get a more reliable opinion.
- How likely would you be to buy this book for your library?
- Based solely on the review, I'd probably pass. But, I would tend to look at collection stats from similar books and see what my patrons are reading. If this book would circulate well based on that data, I'd ignore the reviews.
- Angela's Ashes?
- I would buy this book based on the reviews. They are thorough and honest and they highlight what readers will get from it. While it's not something I think I would enjoy reading, I know patrons who would, and it could also serve as a source for anyone looking at poverty in that part of the world or otherwise.
- Amount of coverage?
- I don't think its necessarily fair that some types of books get more coverage than others, but I also think we need to be realistic about readers and what appeals to them. Many best sellers have a wide appeal, so it follows that more people will read them and possibly review them. I think that readers of certain books and genres should step up to provide more quality reviews if they wish to see more of them.
- Negative reviews?
- I think that negative reviews should be posted freely. I like that Kirkus allows for anonymous reviews, which is tactful for this profession. I feel like they are far more honest. As long as a review is well-written and helpful, it shouldn't matter if it's positive or negative- if the reviewer can provide support for their decision, or a piece of constructive criticism, I would still consider it a valuable review.
- Reviews for personal reading/favorite sources:
- I like reviews for reading, because I like knowing exactly why someone liked or disliked a book. My favorites are BookPage and LibraryJournal.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Week Five
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I have to agree Amy, poor writing definitely impacts my perception of a review's reliability. This is more likely to happen in informal review spaces, like Amazon customer reviews. If the book is from a genre or covers topics and genres I know well, my alarm bells ring immediately if the reviewer betrays a slanted view or lack of understanding of the subject. I think you make a really important point about how books that suffer from a lack of formal reviews or mainstream attention may be ignored or overlooked in collection development.
ReplyDeleteGreat prompt response, I totally agree that negative reviews can be constructive, useful, and valuable. It doesn't always mean someone won't purchase the book either! Full points!
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