Owen Massey > Libraries > Erotic fiction in Borsetshire Libraries
Owen Massey > Libraries > Erotic fiction in Borsetshire Libraries
Collection management, MA Information and Library Studies, Loughborough University, January 2000
Borsetshire Library Authority serves the villages and four main towns of Borsetshire, a total population of 500,000, of whom 60% have a library ticket. The county is predominantly rural but new employment in finance and computing has attracted young people and families to the towns. The central library in Borchester, the county town, has a stock of 125,000 items and also supports smaller branch libraries throughout the county. 5,000 items were acquired last year from a bookfund of £50,000.
Since the 1990s, a range of avowedly erotic fiction has been available from a number of publishers, which has sold well but which few public libraries (in particular, not Borsetshire) have acquired. This report argues that it is a disservice to the public not to represent its tastes and proposes that a broad selection of erotica should be bought as an experiment and its use monitored during a trial period.
Virgin Books was the first publisher to introduce mass market erotica with its Black Lace imprint, advertised as 'by women for women', in 1993. Their example was swiftly followed by a number of established publishers such as Hodder Headline and Little, Brown and by the cheap Victorian reprints of Wordsworth Classic Erotica. The commercial success of these books is sufficient proof of public demand: for instance, over one million Black Lace novels were sold in the first eighteen months.
Provision of fiction is a major role of the public library network. In 1997-1998, adults' fiction constituted 52% of books borrowed from public libraries. Of this total, 22.1% is classed as 'general fiction' and the remaining 29.9% falls into one of various genres2. It is difficult to quantify use of libraries other than for borrowing, but it seems plausible that borrowing fiction is the primary purpose of most visits and that this provides the popular justification for a tax-supported library service3.
Most public libraries have stocks of popular novels, such as crime, romance, historical fiction, fantasy/science fiction, often called 'genre fiction'. Such books are a major success: a majority of the authors of books estimated at over one million loans in 1997-1998 could be classed as writing genre fiction4. It is bought in large quantities, frequently in paperback, selected by publisher as much as by author, often shelved separately from other fiction and issued intensively.
Erotica can be treated in exactly the same way as existing popular fiction collections5. Whereas most genres appear to polarise borrowers by sex6, erotic fiction has been published to appeal variously to male, female, straight or gay readers. While the declared audience may not match the real readership, such diversity is surely to be welcomed.
Despite the popular demand for genre fiction, there may be unease about providing it free of charge in a public library whose role is perceived as educational, not recreational. First, there should be no apology for offering diverting reading material, as encouraging reading is a worthy end in itself. In any case, genre fiction is often borrowed as part of a mixture of fiction and non-fiction7, not to leaven the more challenging material but to be enjoyed on its own terms.
Secondly, it is arguable that genre fiction is not solely recreational, but can explore human experiences in ways impossible in non-fiction. The 'family saga' can support personal development through empathy and catharsis while more escapist genres can develop the imagination and provide insights into otherwise inaccessible cultures and experiences8. The library should aim to select not just 'good' fiction but good genre fiction.
Criticism of the quality of popular erotic fiction may mask disapproval of its content. Parents, conservatives and feminists may all object, for different reasons; it is important not to dismiss the views of people who are likely to be concerned readers (or staff). To the extent that their arguments can be anticipated, the library must make sure of its position. The collection development policy should be strengthened and clarified: it should be reiterated that there is evident demand for these books and that the library has a duty to create a diverse collection, specifically including material which will offend some people.
Diversity means that the library already holds books exploring feminist and other objections to pornography, and holds sexually explicit material such as sex manuals; there are certainly literary novels in the collection with strong erotic themes, such as Nicholson Baker's Vox and Alan Hollinghurst's The swimming-pool library. If non-literary erotica is considered unsuitable for the collection then it should be explicitly excluded.
Individual staff members may disapprove of the stock, and indeed feel hostility or embarrassment, but they have a professional duty to act impartially.
A sample of erotic fiction should be bought in sufficient quantity to make the new acquisitions noticeable. The books are published mainly as paperbacks and so would be cheap to acquire; they are published by mainstream companies and so should be available through the usual library suppliers. Readers' willingness to substitute when selecting genre fiction9 means that it is not necessary to buy multiple copies of individual works.
Selection need not pose a problem because much genre fiction is marketed and bought on the strength of the publisher's reputation more than those of individual authors10,11. This is not ideal - a genre is not an undifferentiated category, nor are its readers undiscriminating - but more effective selection must wait on librarians developing familiarity with the material.
Hardback editions are not generally available, necessitating reinforcement of paperbacks. A limited range of audiobooks is available in this area and collection of these might be left to individual libraries depending on the size of their existing audiobook stock. Erotica does not appear to have been produced in large print, probably because of the demographics of the target market12.
Although paperbacks may not last as long as hardbacks, this is not of much concern with stock that quickly becomes stale, as is the case with genre fiction. The short shelf life compels books to be rotated around branches, with the central library's stock used as a base for distribution, but also implies frequent sales and new acquisitions.
Cataloguing could be done at a minimal level to save resources because the catalogue is rarely used as a selection tool for fiction13. Conversely, Betts14 suggests adding to catalogue entries synopses of novels which could be searched for terms appealing to the reader - perhaps using semi-controlled vocabulary to offer sophisticated categorisation independent of shelf order. This is an issue in general fiction management which requires further investigation by the library service.
Erotica is arguably at greater risk of theft or mutilation than other stock, although photographic material is generally confined to the cover. However, if the books are to be used then they must be on open access. Keeping such material in a reserved collection requires patrons to overcome embarrassment in requesting it and inhibits browsing.
The main decision to be taken is whether to shelve the collection separately from general fiction or to integrate it in the alphabetical sequence. Herald summarises the problems of each method:
Many libraries dislike labeling and segregation, as some patrons will look only at labeled shelves, while others never use them. Books, then, that might be of interest to both types of patrons will never be seen by them ... Shelving all fiction, including genre, in one alphabetical arrangement makes it difficult for the fan to find desired genre titles without knowing the author. Labeling by genre and interfiling within the general fiction collection is disliked by the genre fan, who wants the easy access of a separate shelving, and may offend the fiction reader who objects to labeling as denigratory.15
While integration in the A-Z sequence might lessen any stigma attached to genre fiction, borrowers predominantly choose novels by browsing the shelves as well as, or instead of, searching for a known author16. In the comparatively new field of mass market erotica, few authors have established reputations. It is therefore essential to enable successful subject browsing, and separate categorisation of fiction is the prime method for doing this.
An effective method of displaying the stock would be face-out in a spinner or a cascade display, as most of the books are of the same size and format. If the cover photographs are considered too bold then normal shelving could be substituted, although it would be a shame entirely to lose the appeal of face-forward display. Naturally the possibilities for physical arrangement will vary with the size of the library building in different branches.
It will be important to keep control of the process of publicising the collection of erotica, ensuring that all staff and interested parties are notified of its introduction before any public announcement. It is highly likely that the local press will take an interest and library managers should be prepared to defend the acquisition policy.
This need not be a cause for apprehension or regret as it is imperative that library users (and non-users) are aware of the new collection. A booklist, perhaps in the form of a bookmark, could be prepared to guide readers, recommending titles or at least explaining the different audiences of different imprints. Readers' groups supported by the library could select from the new stock. The library can use the publicity to present itself as dynamic and addressing the changing needs of changing readers.
Children, including teenagers, will inevitably have access to the erotica collection. The library currently has separate readers' tickets for children - readers below 16 - and adults. It will be necessary to clarify policy on access to material, making it clear that children either may or may not read all books in the library, rather than leaving decisions to the discretion of individual staff. There is certainly no legal requirement to limit access according to age.
All libraries in the county have separate children's and adults' sections, so there is some discouragement to children from browsing the collection of erotica, regardless of borrowing rights. It is certainly not appropriate to restrict physical access, perhaps shelving erotica with reserve stock, because patron reticence would effectively eliminate use of the collection. Library staff cannot be expected to act in loco parentis.
Restrictions may be deemed desirable, although a measure of flexibility would do no harm in allowing teenagers to find their own level in the library's collections, as no two people develop at the same rate. In Borchester, where all libraries have computerised circulation systems, it would be simple to prevent books from the collection from being borrowed on a child ticket. Libraries in Borsetshire which are not yet computerised must rely on circulation staff to check the ticket at the point of issue.
The number of issues from the new collection must be monitored, using computerised circulation systems where available - for once, the bottom line is the principal criterion for deciding whether to retain the stock. When interpreting the figures, however, it will be important to disregard any initial popularity resulting from novelty and publicity; the collection must be refreshed by new stock if readership is not to drop after initial success. According to the success of the experiment, the collection can be expanded or withdrawn.