Current Studies in Librarianship (CSiL) is a peer-reviewed journal published annually since 1977 under the sponsorship of the PennWest Clarion of Pennsylvania Department of Information and Library Science and the Office of Research and Graduate Studies.
Here's the abstract:
Romance fiction has been a best-selling genre in bookstores. However, little has been investigated about the genre in U.S. public libraries. This research study looks to answer the following two questions about the genre. What are the current statistics of purchasing and cataloging category romance titles in public libraries? And how, if any, does librarian perception of category romance fiction affect its presence in public libraries? Eight different public library systems in Virginia are asked if they purchase and/or catalog 12 specific Harlequin category romance fiction imprints. In addition, librarians are asked if they encounter patron complaints about the genre being in libraries. Librarians also offer what they and their peers feel about having the genre in a public library. A majority of the library systems in this study do not purchase category romance titles due to budget limitations. However, the entire group of librarians are supportive of having romance genre titles in their libraries.
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Specifically, interviewees were asked if their library system purchased and/or cataloged Harlequin Desire, Harlequin Heartwarming, Harlequin Historical, Harlequin Intrigue, Harlequin Presents, Harlequin Romance, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Harlequin Medical Romance, Harlequin Special Edition, Harlequin Suspense, Love Inspired, and Love Inspired Suspense. (41)
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Analysis showed that one library system specifically and consistently ordered four of the 12 category romance imprints. These four were Harlequin Heartwarming, Harlequin Intrigue, Harlequin Presents, and Harlequin Romance. Harlequin Romance and Harlequin Presents were a packaged deal from the vendor and circulated well. Initially, Harlequin Intrigue titles were added to the collection due to patron requests for individual titles. But those Harlequin Intrigue titles circulated so well that the library system made the imprint a regular purchase. Harlequin Heartwarming was added, according to Librarian E, because “I wanted a paperback romance that stayed closer to the normal personal experience as opposed to kings, princes, sheiks, billionaires and the exotic locales of [Harlequin] Presents.”
Two library systems bought individual category romance titles only if they were written by popular authors and/or are specifically requested by patrons. These were not standing orders. The remaining five library systems did not order romance category titles. One of those five libraries did not purchase any paperback fiction at all because hardback books last longer in circulation than paperbacks.
Another one of the five library systems that did not purchase imprint titles accepted category romance titles as donations. (42)
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The three library systems that purchased category romance fiction did catalog those titles. (43)
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Interview questions did not touch on the subject of electronic books. However, librarians did bring the topic up. Two librarians mentioned that although the library systems themselves were not curators of their e-book collections, they believed their vendor, Overdrive, offered e-book versions of category romance fiction titles. All eight systems’ online catalogs were reviewed for category romance imprint titles. Every library system’s e-book catalog did contain books from the different Harlequin imprints with varying titles. (43)
There was little information available online about this article. I did find a webpage which states that
Here's the abstract:
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