Urban Fiction Collection

Let’s Get EXCITED!!!

What is your favorite thing about Urban Fiction?

Who are our patrons?

And specific data to Illinois…

Background on Urban Fiction

Donald Goine - Father of Urban Lit High school dropout, no interest in writing until

later in life (1971-1974 = 16 novels), died at 37 in 1974

Dopefiend

“There’s no doubt about Goine’s ability to turn people with limited formal education into readers.”

Vickie Stringer – Queen of Urban Lit Wrote 2 novels in prison

Rejected from 26 publishers, 6 figure advance from Simon and Schuster

Triple Crown Publications

Published over 1 million copies of books

5 are still writing from inside of prisons

Positive Features

Black characters

Themes of power, control, and agency

Readers use as a way to negotiate an empowered subject position

Spirit of resistance to dominant white power structures

Cautionary tales: negative consequences of characters choices

Reader is able to create a greater understanding of the roles that they have played on the streets

Readers identify with position of author

Non-readers find a relatable genre

Why do readers enjoy Urban Fiction?

I read Urban Fiction because…

Though I have spent most of my earlier years reading mystery novels

written for the European culture I couldn’t relate to the characters. They

didn’t look like me, talk like me or love how I love. I can’t relate to their

affluence and worry free lifestyles. For that reason I am drawn to the work

of Black writers who depict everyday struggle, love and triumphs exactly

the way I see them.

I have finally found a genre that not only represents the daily grind

of a true urbanite but a list of authors who have penned my thoughts.

-Urban Fiction News Blog

Patrons’ Voices from the Satellite Jail

First I want to say thank you for sharing your time with me (us).

I really appreciate it.

I write [Urban Fiction] because it takes me away from the

environment I be in (prison) and it really frees my mind. I write

fiction because you can write about anything and no one can say

you’re wrong.

- P. Taylor, August 2012

Reading About Crime & Violence

Testimonial dialogue with protagonist

“complex interrelationships between subjective and social/structural forms of injury, violence, agency, and healing”

Gain knowledge and validation of self, tool for sharing testimony with others, cultivate notion of justice as relational responsibility, dialogue only with protagonist (control, fewer fears when relating)

Coming to terms with committing a crime

Reader can switch roles of being the perpetrator or subject of violence

Many prisoners wait to participate in counseling

Manga 101

Translation = whimsical pictures

maw-nnn-gah vs. main-gah

Why readers enjoy Manga

Strong themes

Defending friends, fighting for what they believe in, trying to be the best at what they love

Main character is always the hero

Rich & involved story telling

Improving vocabulary

Visuals provide support, though reading level is compared to chapter books

Visuals can provide cues to meanings of words

Reading Manga

Read book

backwards

& from

left to right

We have our books… now what?

Prepare books for circulation

Train librarians for tracking circulation statistics of purchased books statistics

Bring books and statistics folders into the libraries

Fill out the Purchased Books Project Worksheet weekly

Worksheets will be collected & replaced weekly

Follow-up meeting 3 ½+ months after start of tracking statistics The ½+ month allows for worksheets and information to be

put together into a report.

Preparing Books for Circulation (1 of 2)

Advantages:

Paperbacks will last longer

School librarians swear by this method

Can place our stickers underneath the contact paper

Preparing Books for Circulation (2 of 2)

Add our insert about

the program

& ask for patrons to

return their books

Purchased Book Project Worksheet

Making it as painless as possible

Checkmark at check-in and check-out

ONLY if time permits – describe damages

Worksheet kept in transport box

Librarians will not need to enter data!

Weekly stats provide:

Lifespan of book

Traditionally tracked by number of reads

Average circulation periods

If you have questions,

please write them in the

“notes” section!

TIME FOR

FEEDBACK!

Please share:1. What you like2. What we can do improve the project

After we have shared, we will choose our top most do-able improvements to work on!