When readers cross the age boundaries : Libraries' book promotion in the wake of the crossover phenomenon

The starting point of this study is the crossover phenomenon and how the needs of adult readers of young adult fiction can be met in the library services. To investigate this, the main focus is on how public librarians perceive cross-reading adults, and in what ways literature promotion can facilitate or restrict adults' reading of young adult fiction. Six librarians were interviewed for this study, and the results were analyzed from a theoretical perspective that emphasizes literature promotion as an activity that can affect the perceptions, and actions of the recipients. The librarians express an open attitude to cross-reading in general, which creates favorable conditions for anyone who wishes to read across age boundaries. Furthermore, there are several situations where the librarians sometimes choose to recommend young adult literature to adults, or when fiction for adults and young adults is shelved together. However, the main part of the collection is still organized and shelved based on age categories. The study suggests that when literature is directed at a specific age group, there may be a restricting effect on those who do not fit into that age category, unlike in cases where literature is contextualized based on content. Literature may also be seen as more appropriate for certain age groups by its proximity or distance to other literature departments in the library. One conclusion drawn is that if the boundaries between different age groups are loosened, this may be advantageous for more than one group of library users