so many books, so little time: reader's advisory for the rest of us
DESCRIPTION
Slides to accompany presentation for SWFLN Library Staff Day 2014TRANSCRIPT
SO MANY BOOKS, SO LITTLE TIME: READER’S ADVISORY FOR ALL OF US
SWFLN Library Staff Day,
April 30, 2014
Book shelves of the first circulating library of Miami Beach, Florida. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/42507
RA Speed Dating
Spend 2 minutes asking about your neighbor’s reading preferences, then switch
Couples saying goodnight in front of FSCW's Bryan Hall - Tallahassee, Florida. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/25270
What is Reader's Advisory (RA)?
“the act of putting people together with the books they love” – Diana Tixier Herald, Genreflecting
“patron-oriented library service for adult leisure readers” -Joyce Saricks, Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library
The right book for the right reader at the right time
Connecting readers and writers
Children reading their books while teddy bear sits alone on the floor. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/142372
Rosenberg's First Rule of Reading
Never apologize for your reading tastes
Goetz, Chuck. Brothers at the Leon County Public Library in Tallahassee during national Children's Book Week. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/264160
Other RA Rules To Live By
“Every reader his [or her] book. Every book its reader. Save the time of the reader.”- S. R. Ranganathan’s 2nd, 3rd and 4th Laws of Library Science
“No two people ever read the same book” -Diana Herald, Reader's Advisory Online Blog
Kerce, Red. Ryan Edwards lying on the floor reading. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/45661
Anxiety Producing?
“One of the biggest deterrents to doing readers' advisory is fear: that awful feeling I don't know anything, haven't read enough, and won't know what the patron is asking about.”
-Joyce Saricks, At Leisure
Diamond back rattlesnake. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/149281
You know more than you think…Genre Matching Quiz handout
Answers
1., k (fantasy, Lamentation, by Ken Scholes)
2., 1 (science fiction, House of Suns, by Alastair Reynolds)
3., b (historical romance, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, by Lauren Willis)
4., d (suspense, Runner, by Thomas Perry)
5., h (women's fiction, Very Valentine, by Adriana Trigiani)
6., e (historical fiction, The Passion of Artemisia, by Susan Vreeland)
7., c (mystery, All the Colors of Darkness, by Peter Robinson)
8., g (gentle reads, Back on Blossom Street, by Debbie Macomber)
9., f (honor, Books of Blood, 1-3, by Clive Barker)
10., j (western, Night Hawke, by Stephen Overholser)
11., a (literary fiction, The Echo Maker, by Richard Powers)
12., i (legal thriller, Dirty Blonde, by Lisa Scottoline).
So Where to Start?
5 out of 5 Librarians on Fiction-L agree
Librarian shelving books at Leon County Public Library in Tallahassee, Florida. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/262367
What is this RA Interview?
Different from a traditional reference interview
The goal Direct questions
often don't workThomas, Deborah. Reporter and cameraman on a interview - Tallahassee, Florida. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/113471
What is this RA Interview? Con’t
Go at it sideways. Is there an author you have always enjoyed (or tv show or movie)?
Then introduce appeal factors-pacing characterization, frame, etc.
-Cheryl BryanMiss Florida 1968, Linda Fitts, giving a television interview. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/113471
What is this RA Interview? Con’t
Stuck? Don’t judge Suggest If you haven’t read it Explain Maintain eye contact Take the reader to
the books Ask them to come
back-Mary K. Chelton
Leon County Public Library bookmobile librarian helping Butch Wagner with book choice in Tallahassee, Florida. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/260720
Nordstrom Theory of Reader’s Advisory
Give three book options to the advisee: One very similar book to
the book they enjoyed One very close to that
book And take them to another
part of the library and find a third that is related
-Nancy Pearl
Advertisement for shoes. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/6050
RA Pet Peeve
Or why appeal factors matter
One of the things that frustrates me about "readalike" sites is that they assume every reader is reading a particular book/author for the same reason, which in my experience is not the case-Lynne Schlatter, Shreve Memorial LibraryMothers of Twins Club in Tallahassee, Florida. State Archives of
Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/261583
The “IT” Factor”: Appeal or Doorway?
A book with a particular “feel”-Joyce Saricks
When we…read the first few pages, and choose to go on, we enter the world of that book-Nancy Pearl
Helps answer not just what people like to read but why?
Greetings from Florida. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/259613
Appeal Factors Versus Doorways
Characterization Storyline Frame Pacing
Appeal is the keystone to RA
Character Story Setting Language
In many books, 1 or 2 elements dominate.
Pie chart
Joyce Saricks: Appeal Factors
Nancy Pearl: Doorways
RA for Nonfiction-Sarah Statz Cords
It's all about subject; subject has nothing to do with it
Nonfiction is not contained by the stacks
Types; styles; genres and subgenres
Not so much escapist as involvist Robert E. Lee High School student Ed
Kromberg and his science fair project. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/39074
RA for Nonfiction-Others
Catherine Sheldrick Ambivalent Exclusive=“real” Interruptions To be entertained and
“take something away”Neal Wyatt “Reading nonfiction…a
different experience than reading fiction.“
Learning/Experiencing Appeal
"Worms with fish appeal" sign in Tampa, Florida. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/246559
Other Factors
Elements the reader DOESN’T want in a book*
Formats or categories
Lahart, David. Web Worms. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/96833
The Missing Appeal Factor?
MOOD What are you in
the mood for today?
What do you feel like reading, watching, listening to?
-Mary K. Chelton
A flock of flamingos in the sunshine state - Florida. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/157769
Finding Appeal Factors-Kathryn Bergeron
The mood…stylized and captivating. The plot centers around…social differences, and power relations….drama and period TV show. Stylistically, stars an ensemble cast. In approach …serious and realistic. It takes place…on an estate and in the countryside....set in England ….happens in the 1910s and in the 1920s….known for being a hit series, a Golden Globe winner…an Emmy winner …suggested for a girls' night.
Downton Abbey: jinni.com
Finding Appeal Factors-Kathryn Bergeron
…privileged Gotham golden girl….disturbingly damaged women of Edgar-finalist Flynn’s first two books….Amy’s husband…she disappears…rented mansion in his Missouri hometown on their fifth anniversary…prime suspect …presumed murder…sick genius and twisted gamesmanship ….charmer Nick may not be quite the corn-fed innocent….masterfully lets this tale of a marriage gone toxically wrong gradually emerge through alternating accounts…unreliable….discover their layers of deceit….Compulsively readable, creepily unforgettable
Gone Girl: Publisher’s Weekly
RA for Children
I don’t know what I like but I know it when I see it
Age/Grade/Stage Too easy/Too hard Fun/Homework Parents-Penny Peck
Girl checking out book at the Leon County Public Library in Tallahassee during national Children's Book Week. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/264158
RA for Teens
Life changing; connection
Respect, sharing of time and openness
Active and empathetic listening
Specific Parents!-Heather Booth
Still from the "Creature from the Black Lagoon“. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/9112
Passive RA
Displays Whole collection Blind date with a bo
ok Booklists Take it to the stacks
Posters/infographics Shelf talkers Staff/Patron Picks
WebsiteFlaxman Library at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Blind date with a book is back by popular demand. Retrieved from http://saiclibrary.tumblr.com/post/45854521875/blind-date-with-a-book-is-back-by-popular-demandActivity
Know Thyself, Know Thy Collection, Know Thy Colleagues, Know Thy Tools
Read Write Prepare Keep Current-Cindy Orr
Girl Scouts preparing for their trip from Tallahassee to North Carolina. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/266897
Activity: How to Read a Book in 5 Minutes
Form Based (Asynchronous) RA
Web and paper Availability,
legitimacy Privacy Vocabulary Best person for the
job Time; not on the spot-Elena Gleason, Sweetwater County Library System
SPL’s online form, Your Next 5 Books. Readers advisory: Fresh approach, same core service. Retrieved from http://webjunction.org/news/webjunction/readers-advisory-fresh-approach-same-core-service.html
RA on Social Media
Have a Facebook/Twitter social media session Advertise in advance,
have the session “open” for limited time
Monitor closely, respond promptly—instant gratification
Not a venue for an RA interview—stick with quick one-off answers
-Elena Gleason, Sweetwater County Library System
Should we ditch social media marketing pay to play model?http://www.publiseek.com/influence/social-media-marketing/
Activity: How to Write an Annotation
Social Media as Reader Space
Turn your social media accounts into spaces for readers to engage with the library and each other
Turn patrons into readers’ advisors with questions that engage readers, e.g. “What books would you recommend to someone who has never read fantasy but wants to give it a try?”- Elena Gleason, Sweetwater County Library System
Girl reading - Ybor City. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/138588
Social Media as Reader Space con’t
Follow bookish accounts and share posts
Repurpose content but make it appropriate to the site
Participate in bookish memes, like #fridayreads or #amreading on twitter
I decided staying up all night and finishing my book was more important than being mentally present today.http://www.ebscohost.com/novelist/novelist-special/ra-4-fb-creating-a-social-space-for-readers
References
Booth, H. (2007). Serving teens through reader’s advisory. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.
Chelton, M. K. (2001). RA to-do and not-to-do list [Handout]. Reader's advisory: The complete spectrum. Retrieved from http://www.sjrlc.org/RAhandouts/RAdosdonts.htm
Cords, S. S. (n.d.). An introduction to nonfiction readers' advisory for Bettendorf Public Library [blog post]. Citizen Reader. Retrieved from http://www.citizenreader.com/citizen/nonfiction-readers-advisory-bettendorf.html
Gleason, E. (2013, October 3). Readers’ advisory rundown. Program presented at the meeting of the Wyoming Library Association.
Mohawk Valley Library System. (2008, May 29). Sue speaks: Nancy Pearl entry #1 [blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.mvls.info/blog/2008/05/29/sue-speaks-nancy-pearl-entry-1
References
Orr, C. (n.d.). Cindy Orr's golden rules of readers' advisory service. Retrieved from http://www.cindyorr.com/Golden_Rules_of_RA.html
Pearl, N. (2012, March 16). Check it out with Nancy Pearl: Finding the next good book. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/nancy-pearl/index.html
Peck, P. (2010). Reader’s advisory for children and ‘tweens. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.
Saricks, J. (2005). Reader’s advisory service in the public library. Chicago: IL: ALA Editions.
Saricks, J. (2009). At leisure: Taking on the quiz challenge. The Booklist, 105(22), 27. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/235647734?accountid=40795