By Alexandra Boris
Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0276-9281
University Libraries, University of Tennessee
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Alex Boris, University of Tennessee Libraries, 1015 Volunteer Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37996. Email: aboris1@utk.edu.
Abstract
Every university has a different way of providing its patrons with popular or leisure reading titles. In academic libraries, mission statements and collections policies focus on resources supporting research and teaching. A leisure reading collection within academic libraries may be tended with care or fall by the wayside when resources are needed elsewhere. It can be overwhelming to find oneself responsible for a collection that has not been the priority.
This case study will discuss how a relatively stagnant leisure reading collection was revived to engage users with library spaces and collections. While such a task can seem challenging at the beginning, intentional selection, care, and marketing can increase the accessibility, visibility, and usability of the collection. Over five years, the leisure reading collection at the University of Tennessee Libraries became a tool for engagement and a visible connection to library values.