2013 LISGSA conference poster presentation on library perceptions of romance fiction and its readers

Adams, Katherine M.

Moeller, Kimberly N.

English

University of Missouri: MOspace

Gaps in Scholarly KnowledgeOnly 14% of romance readers obtain romance novels through a public library,2  so where are the rest of romance readers getting their novels?Previous studies examined librarians’ perceptions of romance novels and their readers, and how these perceptions influence collection development and reader relationships with libraries. However, the commercial sector has been largely overlooked.3,4Additionally, former research focused almost exclusively on print formatting, leaving the recent explosion of E-books and E-formats unexplored.1. Simba Information. (2012).  Business of Consumer Book Publishing. Rockville, MD: Simba Information, Inc.2. Romance Writers of America. (2005). Romance Writers of America’s 2005 Market Research Study on Romance Readers. The Romance Genre.  Retrieved April 10,2013 from http://eweb.rwanational.org/eweb/docs/05MarketResearch.pdf3. Adkins, D., L. Esser, and D. Velasquez. (2006).  Relations Between Librarians and Romance Readers: A Missouri Survey. Public Libraries, 45(4), 54-64.4. Adkins, D., L. Esser, D. Velasquez, and H.Hill.  (2008). Romance Novels in American Public Libraries:  A Study of Collection Development Practices.  Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, 32(2), 59-67. 5. Bosman, J. (2010, December 8).  Lusty Tales and Hot Sales: Romance E-books Thrive.  New York Times.  Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/books/09romance.html?_r=1&6. Romance Writers of America.  (2012).  Reader Statistics.  The Romance Genre.  Retrieved April 10, 2013 from http://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=5827. Romance Writers of America. (2012).Statistics on Romance ReadershipRomance fiction was the largest share of the U.S. consumer market in book sales during 2011• 14.3 percent with a revenue of $1.368 billion• Perspective: next largest religion/inspirational at $715 million1The impact of E-books:• E-book sales of romance books have doubled each year: 9-10% in 2010, 22% in 2011, and 44% in 2012.5,6• 45% of romance book buyers read E-books• Of those readers who only buy/read print formats, 53% claim they will never read E-books. Research Questions• Where are romance readers acquiring the literature that they read, and subsequently donate?• What are the perceptions of romance readers outside of libraries?  Are commercial settings more welcoming?• How have E-books and E-readers impacted this trend of purchases and perceptions?Methodology• Survey of Missouri book sellers of print and E-format novels.  Questions cover store collections, customer preferences, and perceptions of romance readers and the genre.Finding Romance outside the Library:Purchase and PerceptionKatherine M. Adams and Kimberly N. Moeller7

Finding Romance Outside the Library: Purchase and Perception

https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/10355/35125/1/FindingRomanceOutsideLibrary.pdf

Finding Romance Outside the Library: Purchase and Perception

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University of Missouri: MOspace