Librarians use reviews to decide whether to purchase a book. When books are published, a paid professional reviewer reads it and then publishes an opinion based on the book’s merits. These reviews are published in newspapers like the New York Times and in journals like the School Library Journal or VOYA. A good review means some shelf space, a book tour and possibly a better contract for the author. However, using this marketing method, word of mouth is slow, and there are many gatekeepers controlling information about the book.
The Internet and social media have changed all that. According to Gefland’s research, the “omission of social media will delete you and your enterprise from the public radar”; the converse is also true. (Gefland 2012)
Social media decentralizes the power from publishers and professionals—thanks to blogosphere, anyone can be a critic, everyone has a voice. The YA Book Blog Directory lists hundreds of book review blogs. These blogs can be the work of one individual or a collaborative effort. Thanks to advanced reader copies (ARC) and websites like Netgalley.com, bloggers can read and post reviews even before the release of the book.
Like many authors, book bloggers may have a blog, a Facebook page, a twitter feed and a Pinterest page on which they will promote themselves and their reviews. YouTube and Vivemo afford reviewers and avid readers a platform to post original book reviews and trailers. Virtual communities like Shelfari.com, goodreads.com and Bookglutton.com revolve around book critique and encourage readers to share their thoughts and reflections.
Social media affords book bloggers the ability to publish in real time, media-rich, decentralized, collborative environments. Consequently for librarians, “the information about a text [has] become as important as the primary text itself.” (Barrett 1992)
Read More:
Barrett, E. Sociomedia: Multimedia, Hypermedia, and the Social Construction of Knowledge. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. (1992).1.
Burns E. Curl Up with a Cup of Tea and a Good Blog. School Library Journal. (2007, Feb); 53(2): 40.
Furman J. Top 10 Tips for Marketing a Book Using Social Media. PM World Today. (2012, Jan);14(1): 1-7.
Gelfand J, Lin A. Social Networking: Product or Process and What Shade of Grey?. Grey Journal (TGJ). (2012, Spring2012); 8(1): 14-26.
Shank J, Bell S. Blended Librarianship: [Re]Envisioning the Role of Librarian as Educator in the Digital Information Age. Reference & User Services Quarterly. (2011, Winter2011); 51(2): 105-110.
Wasserstrom, J. Why read book reviews? The Chronicle Review. (September 9. 2011). B20.
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Do you ever think the decentralization of book reviews can be a bad thing? It’s great that everyone has a voice, but I certainly know nothing about how to write a decent review, so what would make mine, or anyone else’s opinion useful? I worry sometimes that too many people have too many opinions which can leave librarians in a difficult position in terms of recommending (or not recommending) various materials.
I always think that more voices in the public sphere are better than fewer. That said, I do follow my favorite bloggers, thus creating my own little information bubble. Self-censorship is a constant challenge when choosing books, but I try to consider the needs of all my patrons when building a book list.
Great post. I use Shelfari quite a bit and good reads less so. I do follow the Citizen Reader blog and have for years.
In response to the first comment, my thought is that readers find the best after a bit of searching. I recently read a chapter of Infotopia by Cass R. Sunstein and he shows how accurate crowds are in finding the correct answer or in this case the highest quality reviews. I’ve been persuaded to trust the crowds to separate the wheat from the chaff for me.