Recommending Books to Men

Slide 1: Recommending Books to Men (Especially When You're Not One) Male Reader’s Advisory OhioNet Reader’s Advisory Workshop April 29, 2008

Slide 2: Warning: We’re Not Men Look for trends (and avoid stereotypes.) WWMD: What would men do? Listen to men and learn from them!

Slide 3: But We’re Not So Different… People are motivated to read to fill a gap in knowledge to relate to others for entertainment

Slide 4: Trends

Slide 5: Just the Facts, Man Men do read books. Not as much as women, and not as much fiction, but they do. Men like to read about hobbies, sports, and things they might do or be interested in doing. Men tend to enjoy escapism and humor; including science fiction or fantasy. Men like texts that could be easily exported into conversations.

Slide 6: Just the Facts, Man (cont.) Men desire reading that is new, different, or surprising. Men are more interested in persuasive or informational literature, and not as interested in narrative fiction and poetry. Men are not as interested in female characters (especially books written in the female point of view.)

Slide 7: What’s So Funny?

Slide 8: Gender & Genre Humor, War Stories, Sports Stories Narrative Non-Fiction Mysteries, including Action, Adventure, & Espionage Man versus Nature Fantasy & Science Fiction

Slide 9: Gender & Genre (cont.) Christian Suspense Fiction Dick Lit (or Lad Lit) Good versus Evil Stories about Fathers and Sons Practical Guides Graphic Novels

Slide 10: Marketing to the Man

Slide 11: Just the Facts, Man Men are more inclined to read magazine and newspaper articles, graphic novels and comic books. Men are more enthusiastic about reading electronic texts. Men are often interested in visual narratives in various formats, such as graphic novels, comic books, video games and movies.

Slide 12: It’s All About the Package eBooks Graphic Novels eAudiobooks Websites Magazines Video Games Newspapers Movies

Slide 13: There’s More on the Web than Porn Market on the Web! Men are more likely than women to use the internet as a destination for recreation. Make sure to market to both users and non-users by placing information not only on the library’s website, but other sites that men might frequent. Offer a “back entrance”, such as drive-through reserve pickup for those men who might still think that “library” is a dirty word.

Slide 14: Go Where the Men Are Set up displays and other marketing pieces by the newspapers. Pair books with their movie adaptations in the Media department. Try “book talking” with captive audiences, such as at the beginning or end of library programs, or at senior living facilities. Advertise collections in or around the technology center or computer lab.

Slide 15: Men At Work Offer to create subject guides for area businesses. Make sure to have job search information easily accessible. Offer book groups for businesses that can be used as networking opportunities.

Slide 16: Listen to Men, and Learn from Them! In reader’s advisory, listening is your strongest tool. If you can get him to open up a little, you can use “identity markers” such passions and interests to make a connection. Focus on the negative. Sometimes it’s easier to describe what you didn’t like about the last book you read.

Slide 17: Up Close and Personal Ask the experts! Talk to your male friends & your male co-workers to get the inside scoop. Start “friending” men on Goodreads to track trends and make connections. Did you know that you can even find MySpace users by searching “similar book interests”?

Slide 18: Other Resources Novelist and Novelist Plus He Reads, She Reads column from Booklist magazine Amazon.com’s Listmania LibraryThing’s recommendations (similar to Amazon’s Customers who bought… feature)

Slide 19: Further Reading Reading Don’t Fix No Chevy’s: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men by Michael W. Smith Misreading Masculinity: Boys, Literacy, and Popular Culture by Thomas Newkirk He Reads, She Reads column, Booklist magazine Men See the Light by Tamara Butler, Library Journal He Reads ... She Reads: The Booklist Adult Books Readers Advisory Forum, ricklibrarian article on BlogSpot

Slide 20: Further Reading, cont. The Books that Move Men by Lisa Jardine and Annie Watkins, from The Guardian How Men and Women Use the Internet,from Pew Internet and American Life Project report What Do Men Really Want (To Read About)? by Ginia Bellafante, from New York Times Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Adults Reading Literature from InfoPlease.com

Slide 21: Share What You Learned For our PowerPoint Presentation, go to: www.slideshare.net/westervillelibrary/menread For links mentioned, go to http://del.icio.us/westervillelibrary/menread