CHICAGO — Street lit, also known as urban fiction, addresses with unflinching grit the concerns and problems of city living. Controversial in some quarters, it is also wildly popular. “The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Street Literature,” published by ALA Editions, emphasizes an appreciation for street lit as a way to promote reading and library use. Providing knowledgeable guidance, this book by street lit expert Vanessa Irvin Morris:

• Sketches out the rich history of the genre, showing why it appeals so strongly to readers and providing a quick way for street lit novices to get up to speed;
• Covers a variety of subgenres in terms of scope, popularity, style, major authors and works and suggestions for readers’ advisory;
• Helps improve library customer service by strengthening the relationship between staff and any street lit fans who are new to the library.

Morris is an assistant professor at the College of Information Science and Technology at Drexel University, Philadelphia (The iSchool at Drexel).  She has spent 20 years serving in academic, special, school media and public libraries. Her research interests include the socio-cultural anthropology of small, urban and rural libraries, literacy practices of public service librarians and literacy practices enacted and learned in Second Life. Morris founded and facilitated a teen book club focusing on street lit, working with inner-city teens at a Philadelphia library from 2005-2008. She is currently pursuing her EdD and is conducting her dissertation research on "Street Literature as Collaborative Inquiry for Urban Public Service Librarians" at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She blogs at Street Literature.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. ALA Editions publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5418 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.

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