Looking for some good books to read? Join us for a discussion of interesting books we've read and hear some ideas for doing Readers' Advisory in your library.
NCompass Live - September 16, 2009
3. Do questions like these strike terror in
your heart?
Resources for Readers’ Advisory
◦ Professional sources
◦ Social networking sources
◦ Personal knowledge
5. Joyce Saricks,
Downers Grove
(Ill.) Public Library
(retired)
•Readers’ Advisory
Service in the Public
Library
•The Readers’ Advisory
Guide to Genre Fiction
•Booklist column
•Presentations
6. Characteristics/Appeals
Guernsey Literary and
Potato Peel Pie Society
o Genre/Plot
o Setting
o Format
o Characters
o Pace
o Tone
o Historical fiction
o Post-WWII England
o Mostly letters
o Eccentric
o Quick read
o Upbeat overall
What do you like to read? / What did you like
best about the book? / What don’t you like?
Topic today is RA resources and there are numerous ones available.
But first I’ll start by talking a bit about what readers’ advisory is.
RA can be one-on-one in the stacks or it can involve a preemptive move to target a broader group.
Involves knowing books and what is in your collection.
Saricks—long-time proponent of good readers’ advisory; has written a lot about it
First book—good introductory resource--focuses on how to do RA, reading and thinking about books; talking with/interviewing patrons; booktalking
A lot of common sense things but also things we need to be reminded of sometimes
We are going to look briefly at what suggesting books to patrons entails.
Suggestions—not recommendations
Appeals—what to listen for----4-10 depending on who you read in RA
GLPPS by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Genre—could also be considered gentle read—has bit of mystery, romance, humor, no foul language, sex scenes; author looking for a storyline for a new book receives a letter from a man who found her name in a book; in correspondence discovers he is part of a group of people who started a literary group to escape punishment for breaking curfew in Nazi-occupied Guernsey, learns how they survived the war and continue to help each other in the aftermath
Setting—Guernsey is an island in the English Channel
Format—some journal entries with telegrams thrown in, tells a complete story
Character—plucky, quirky heroine, get picture of characters from the viewpoint of various other characters
Pace—not fast paced
Tone—yes, bad things happened, but they are survivors; happy endings!!
Are they reading to learn or to escape?
What to suggest—depends on your collection, ILL possibilities:
Letters, English connection, author—84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff
Letters, slow paced--Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith
Aftermath of WWII, slower paced—A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
Book groups—Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi; They Did It with Love by Kate Morgenroth
Historical fiction ,light with quirky characters—Carola Dunn (Daisy Dalrymple), Rhys Bowen (Lady Georgina series)
Gentle reads, eccentric characters—Jan Karon
Work smarter, not harder
If RA is in high demand by your patrons, prepare!
Market
Displays—Think about books more than creating a fancy display
Popular book/author in high demand—If you like this, try one of these
Or if long waiting list for book—While you wait for X, try one of these
If have some good older books not circulating, come up with a theme to promote, especially if they fit a demand from patrons
Personal knowledge---work together with other staff and patrons to come up with suggestions
Aren’t familiar with all genres? Don’t have time to read a lot of books?
Other titles at the Commission: Joyce Saricks’ Guide to Genre Fiction; ALA Readers’ Advisory Series--The Mystery Readers’ Advisory, Genreflecting, What Do I read Next?
Book reviews—Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist—have summaries and usually mention appealing characteristics
In addition to print resources---
Julie and Susan will highlight features of some of these resources that you might want to consider using