As an adult circulation desk attendant at the Fargo Public Library, I spent a lot of time reshelving Zane Gray novels—or at least trying to. I’d be in the middle of putting a book back in its place when I’d feel a soft tap on my shoulder. Sure enough, one of the male senior citizen regulars wanted to get their hands on the title before somebody else. This was in 1998, but I would bet my nonexistent horse that Gray’s books remain top circulators.

Of course, we all know that in public libraries on the whole, mystery rules genre fiction (see Barbara Hoffert’s “Budgets Rebound: Book Buying Survey 2006″), but a call for Louis L’Amour readalikes this week on Publib reminded me of the appeal of Westerns. It may very well be that only “little old men readers,” to use one poster’s expression, devour them like biscuits and gravy at a Texas canteen, but they are part of the public and deserve more of the same, so to speak. 

So who to turn to when your patrons have exhausted Mr. L’Amour’s bibliography? Here are some names that were mentioned:

• Tony Hillerman (who, one poster pointed out, was born in the same town as L’Amour, that is, Sacred Heart, OK)
• Frederick Chiaventone
• Terry C. Johnston
• Douglas C. Jones (Hasford Family Saga)
• Elmer Kelton
• Larry McMurtry
• Howard Frank Mosler
• Douglas Hirt
• Don Coldsmith
• Dusty Rhodes (author of “clean” Westerns based in Arkansas)
• Robert J. Conley (Cherokee specific)
• Lauran Paine
• Ralph Cotton
• Ralph Compton
• Elmer Kelton
• Alistair MacLean
• Max Brand