Wanted dead or alive? Western genre items in the 21st century United States library

The Western genre, that is frontier adventure stories set west of the Mississippi River, has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity, yet there has been no substantive look at the collection of Western genre novels and films in libraries. The online catalogs of 100 libraries across the United States were examined, and a follow-up questionnaire was sent, to determine the scope of Western genre item holdings and the institutional attitudes towards this genre. This study found that Western genre items are still well represented in most collections. However, it also revealed weaknesses in the way genre collection development is conducted.

► The online catalogs of 100 libraries were examined for Western genre holdings.
► A questionnaire was sent to discover institutional attitudes towards this genre.
► This study found that Western items are still well represented in most collections.
► Also revealed were weaknesses in the way genre collection development is conducted.