The Effect of Fiction on Religious Studies Display Shelves in an Academic Library

The religious studies librarians at Brigham Young University (BYU) began a book display research project to examine the circulation rates of religious studies titles placed on display and to specifically evaluate the impact of religious fiction on that display in an academic library. Student employe...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religious and theological information
Authors: Bischoff, Marissa (Author) ; Dyk, Gerrit van (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Routledge [2020]
In: Journal of religious and theological information
IxTheo Classification:AA Study of religion
CD Christianity and Culture
FB Theological education
Further subjects:B The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
B student employees
B religious fiction
B Nonfiction
B Religion
B Academic libraries
B book displays
B Fiction
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
Volltext (Resolving-System)
Description
Summary:The religious studies librarians at Brigham Young University (BYU) began a book display research project to examine the circulation rates of religious studies titles placed on display and to specifically evaluate the impact of religious fiction on that display in an academic library. Student employees were tasked with curating the displays over several years and maintaining a spreadsheet with the titles displayed and resulting checkout rates. Religious fiction (from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint tradition) circulated over 80% the first three years, higher than the religious nonfiction on display and the same genre in the stacks. In the final year of study when almost no fiction was displayed and a higher quantity of items were placed on the shelves, the display circulation rates fell sharply. All books on the display circulated better when there was a portion of both nonfiction and fiction and when the shelves held fewer items. The data clearly showed that religious fiction is an important genre to display in an academic library.
ISSN:1528-6924
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religious and theological information
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/10477845.2020.1789331