Match Book: Readers’ Advisory in the Public Library

Tuesday, April 16, 2013Southeast Wisconsin Libraries

Kaite Mediatore StoverDirector of Readers’ Services

Kansas City Public Library

Match Book:Readers’ Advisory in

the Public Library

Rosenberg’s First Law of Reading:

Never apologize for your reading tastes.

Kaite’s mother’s corollary: Life’s too short to read bad books.

The Readers’ Bill of Rights The right Not to Read. The right to Skip Pages. The right to Not Finish. The right to Reread. The right to Read Anything. The right to Escapism. The right to Read Anywhere. The right to Browse The right to Read Out Loud. The right Not to Defend Your Tastes.

Why RA? Over 60% of library users come to

the library for leisure reading Fiction is the lion’s share of that 60% Get to know your patrons and

collection and forge introductions for both

Francine Fialkoff, former editor of Library Journal

“There is virtually NO SERVICE library users value more highly than the ability to match a book with a reader or to

answer the question, ‘What do I read next?’ “

Why NOT RA?“Reading opens the world.

Readers’ Advisory is one of the best services a library can offer.”

Tim Grimes, Asst. Administrator, Ann Arbor Public Library, ALA, July 1996.

Why Readers Read What They Read: Understanding Appeal

Appeal elements describe the “feel” of a book Art AND Science Vocabulary of Appeal

Appeal Factors Pacing Characterization Story Line Frame Tone Language Style

“Appeal elements take us beyond the bare bones provided by subject descriptors and reveal more of the book’s essence.” Joyce Saricks, Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library

Appeal Factors

Character Language Setting Story

“I have come to think in terms of ‘doorways’…we enter the world that the author created through one of four doorways.” Nancy Pearl, Now Read This III

Appeal Factors

Adrenaline Emotions Intellect Landscape

“A new and broader way to consider appeal and genre, a way that makes it easier to see links between books and genres.” Joyce Saricks, The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction, 2nd edition.

Annotations The core of articulating appeal Basics Adjectives Perceptions Plot vs. Appeals

How to read a book in 15 minutes With the book in front of you, look at:1. Cover2. Jacket blurb3. Typeface4. Heft5. Read a sampling6. Evaluate--genre/type; pace; clarity7. What is the format?8. Connect this book to other books.9. Who will enjoy this book?

Identifying a Book’s Appeal

Now you do it! Using the book you brought with you, examine the cover, read the flyleaf and flip through the first couple of pages of each book.

Quickly jot down some key thoughts about the book that would help you to suggest it to a reader.

Libraries Are Still About Reading: The Readers’

Advisory Interview• Conversation• Suggest v. Recommend• Encourage returns

Talk about books With coworkers, friends,

family, etc. Practice using the elements

of book appeal Take notes on what others

are reading

The Reader Arrives Readers’ Advisory is NOT like Reference Authors you don’t know or like Genres you don’t know or like Patrons do not speak librarian Drawing a blank

Questions that will help Tell me about a book you enjoyed. Do you have an author you never miss? Have you read anything you disliked

lately? Any biblio-limits to the amount of

violence, profanity, or sex? What kind of book are you in the mood

for?

Help the Reader find a bookNow that you understand the appeal of a book,

recommend one to the patron looking for something “good to read.”

RA Web ResourcesThe #1 Resource you shouldn’t be withoutNoveList Amazon Good Reads Early Word RA for All Blogging for a Good Book Fiction_L

Keeping CurrentTwitter FeedsBlogs: Readers’ Advisor Online, ShelfrenewalOther websites: Shelf Awareness, Books on the

Nightstand, Citizen Reader, Indiebound

Want further information?Go here:http://kaitestover.pbworks.com

Afterword

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