Hiding in plain sight: Paratextual utterances as tools for information-related research and practice

•Information can be gleaned from the book-as-object.•Paratext, specifically peritext, can be used as a research tool.•Qualitative content analysis was applied to award-nominated and winning codices.•Paratext includes data about authors, the culture of publishing, and libraries.•The findings have impact for libraries, readers' advisory, and LIS research.

Through a qualitative content analysis of a purposive sample (the 2010 finalists of the Canadian Governor General's Literary Awards in both French and English), this study investigates what information can be gleaned from the book-as-object using peritext as a research tool. Using the theories of Gérard Genette, who defined the paratext, and Pierre Bourdieu, this research posits that paratextual utterances serve as an expression and tool of the cultural realm of publication and can be used for informational purposes in library and information science (LIS) research and practice. Findings indicate that the peritext is a rich source for gathering information about authorship and publishing as it reveals contextually relevant information, shares the author's informational tools, constructs the author, markets titles, and provides relevant information for specific age groups and genres. Discussion centers on the impact for libraries and the LIS community, with a focus on readers' advisory.