READERS’ ADVISORY

DR. MELISSA VILLA NICHOLASGSLIS, URI

IN THIS LECTURE•LOOK AT THE HISTORY

OF READERS’ ADVISORY•LEARN BEST PRACTICES

OF THE READERS ADVISORY INTERVIEW•NOTES IMPORTANT RA

TOOLS

A BRIEF HISTORY• 1876-1920• 1920-2940• 1940-1984• 1984-PRESENT• SOME CONTROVERSIES

1876-1920

•READERS ADVISORY WAS INVENTED, LIBRARIANS SAW LITERACY AS SERVING THE GOOD OF THE NATION 1920-1940: ALA BEINGS RA PROGRAMMING, RA PROFESSIONALIZED. RA SPECIFIC POSITIONS DIED OUT WITH BUDGET CUTS AFTER THE WORLD WARS

1940-1984

•READERS ADVISORY DISCOURAGES FICTION AND READING FOR PLEASURE, LIBRARIANS BECOME GATEKEEPERS OR OVERSEERS OF CULTURE AND ENCOURAGE THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO READ LITERATURE THAT REFINES THEIR CULTURE

1984 TO PRESENT• READERS ADVISORY IS REVIVED AND PRIVILEGES FICTION OVER NONFICTION. ALA

BEGINS MAILING LISTS AND MORE RA SERVICES.-READERS’ ADVISORY GAINED MOMENTUM IN THE 1980S AND 1990S AS A LEGITIMATE SERVICE WITHIN REFERENCE. THE INTERNET AND GOOGLE INITIATED PATRONS/USERS TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN READERS’ ADVISORY. READERS’ ADVISORY SERVICES ARE NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER AS PATRONS’ QUESTIONS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT AND SPECIFIC , ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO READ FOR PLEASURE. IN THIS NEW DIGITAL ERA, READERS’ ADVISORY HAS SHIFTED TO PRIORITIZE THE NEED OF RA. (CASSELL AND HIREMATH, 2013)

READERS’ ADVISORY SERVICES

• RA IS DIFFERENT THAN GENERAL REFERENCE, IT SHOULD BE VIEWED AS MORE OF A CONVERSATION THAN A REFERENCE INTERVIEW• PEOPLE SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR RA, THEY HELP THE LIBRARIAN

DETERMINE THE PERSONAL PREFERENCES OF THE PATRON• RA AS A LITERACY AND LEARNING TOOL : RESEARCH HAS FOUND

THAT READERS OBTAIN COGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE AND AFFECTIVE PLEASURE THROUGH THEIR READING INTERESTS. READING FOR PLEASURE ALSO DECREASES STRESS LEVELS AND TEACHES THE READER ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM, HISTORY, AND SOCIETY (CASSELL AND HIREMATH, 2013)

THE READERS’ ADVISORY INTERVIEW - Begin with:

- ”Tell me about a book you have enjoyed” - Follow up with:

- ”Are you in the mood for a similar book, or something different?”

- Appeal factors- Try to get a sense of the Feels, what kind feel does the book promote?

- What has the reader disliked? Withhold judgment: Vampire fiction and 50 Shades are the readers preference!

- Good form: Appear approachable, ask open ended questions, be an active listener, share your method of discoverability with the patron

- Common mistakes:- Librarian turns to the OPAX rather than initiates

conversation- Not using tools- Suggesting one title rather than many

- Best practices: - Prepare by reading widely- Keep a reading log- Look at new books- Restock and renew book displays- Talk with other staff about recent reads- Record 5-6 popular titles available that day on

the shelf

TOOLS - THE RA librarian: well read,

friendly and ready for conversation

- RUSA’s Reader’s Advisory 101- Genreflecting (2006)- Booksinprint.com - What should I read next? - Books and Authors database

(paid)- NoveList (Ebsco)- LibraryThing

REFERENCES

• BOPP, R. E., & SMITH, L. C. (2011). REFERENCE AND INFORMATION SERVICES: AN INTRODUCTION. ENGLEWOOD, COLO: LIBRARIES UNLIMITED• CASSELL, K. A., & HIREMATH, U. (2013). REFERENCE AND INFORMATION

SERVICES: AN INTRODUCTION. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION