Street Literature in Five North Carolina Public Library Systems

by Vernon, Katrina C.

There has been a renewed interest in street literature (also referred to as urban fiction) in public libraries across the country. This research examines how street literature is treated in five North Carolina urban public library systems, specifically in terms of collection development, displays, and programming. The study shows that all of the counties use different methods for marketing the genre to their patrons, and that there are varying levels of acceptance of street lit titles throughout the counties. All five counties report high levels of use of the street lit collection despite differences in the treatment of the genre throughout the counties.