The case for chick lit in academic libraries

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to prove that chick lit is a legitimate and important area of collection for academic libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

This article presents a definition of chick lit with an overview of the origin and significance of the term itself, discusses chick lit's impact on publishing, and its relationship to academia and women's writing.

Findings

Chick lit is an important area for libraries to collect in because it is representative of women's writing in the twentieth‐twenty‐first century, and because it is a cultural and economic force in the publishing and entertainment worlds.

Practical implications

This article presents guidelines on building a chick lit collection.

Originality/value

This article provides a perspective on chick lit lacking in the literature aimed at academic libraries. A search of Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA), Library Literature and Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) reflects the dearth of articles on this specific topic.

Citation

Davis‐Kahl, S. (2008), "The case for chick lit in academic libraries", Collection Building, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 18-21. https://doi.org/10.1108/01604950810846206