Unfortunately, a lot of adult readers don’t consider Young Adult, New Adult, or Graphic Novels to be legitimate literature. As many of my frequent readers know (and have read) I have quite an issue with people who don’t think that adults should be reading Young Adult books, but I also feel that way about the other two categories as well. Ignoring the fact that nobody should be judging what anyone else chooses to read, I honestly feel like they’re just straight wrong. People who believe that those who are classified as “adults” should not be reading books for “children” do not take into account that people read for a variety of reasons. There is definitely more than one reason to read and there are multiple ways to read as well. Young Adult, New Adult, and Graphic Novels all have their merits just like any other category of book.
Now that we’ve established that YA, NA, and Graphic Novels are legitimate literary choices, I think it’s important for librarians to promote them actively to adults. First, it would be great to get rid of the stigma that surrounds these types of books. Secondly, I am convinced that there are many adults out there who would like these books if they only gave them the chance. I think one great way to do this is to take YA, NA, and Graphic Novel choices outside of their respective sections of the library. Librarians could try to create displays that incorporate YA, NA, and Graphic Novels with adult fiction and non-fiction. This way, an adult who doesn’t normally wander over to the teen section of the library may see something that catches their eye. This also enables those who would like to check out the teen section (but are too embarrassed to) to peruse some popular teen titles without it being obvious to the rest of the library.
What's She Reading? 