Blog Post summarizing Reader's Advisory articles

http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2014/05/your-role-in-readers-advisory/

http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/05/jack-of-all-trades-readers-advisory-how-to-learn-a-little-about-a-lot/

The articles that I looked up were on the public library atmosphere and the problems that we face when patrons ask for a book recommendation. This has happened to me quite a few times when a patron asks me what type of book they should read next based off of an author that they just finished. The first article touches on how we as clerks can help out people finding specific genres and books they might enjoy and the second really discusses different theory's in recommending books and how to recommend them. According to the second article, "Many readers’ advisory courses and articles caution against pushing your favorite books or authors on a patron. I’m going to buck convention here and say that while yes, you must avoid only giving out your favorites, you do need to become so well-versed in your collection so that it seems as though every book you’re giving out is one you’ve personally read and enjoyed." (Vnuk, 1). One of the debunking ways to help out patrons that I have found is getting familiar with newer books by popular authors (such as Stephen King, David Baldacci, ect.) but there is a great website called Fantastic Fiction that I used at my old job. On that website it gives a list of every book a specific author has written, what books they recommend, and what books are similar to their writing. 

Comments

  1. Caroline WOctober 23, 2018 at 2:10 PM

    That's quite the responsibility to put on librarians--making it seem as though they've personally read every book in a collection! I like that you recommended a tool to help with this--Goodreads is another one that uses user input to build lists of what someone might like if they liked a specific book. I wonder if there are any conventions about recommending that readers use Goodreads or Fantastic Fiction to create their own kind of readers' advisory? It takes some work away from the librarian and gives the user more power.

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  2. UnknownOctober 24, 2018 at 4:28 PM

    I think that's a great point, to try and avoid recommending your favorite books. This was something I struggled with at my old library job, and especially when patrons came up to me without a specific genre or subject in mind. My first instinct is to return to the books I know and love, but this is another example of how we should put the reference interview to use and encourage them for more details - what other books have they liked, what authors, etc. I've never been great at reading the "popular" NYT bestseller books, and that's something I need to add onto my to-do list.

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  3. Christopher FortOctober 30, 2018 at 6:34 AM

    Your second article definitely makes a good point. I imagine it's hard to sound enthusiastic about books you don't enjoy--one can and needs to pretend, of course--but if you're not an expert in the books you do enjoy, patrons might be wary of going to you for advice.
    It's good to have a website to go to, so I'll keep that one in mind. When put on the spot, I always blank on authors' names and book titles, despite being able to rally them off when making an argument. Having a resource like that really helps.

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  4. UnknownDecember 4, 2018 at 10:34 AM

    I think you make a good point by highlighting the quote that focuses on the importance of having a breadth of knowledge about your collection (even including your own favorites). I also like the idea of framing all recommendations as though you had thoroughly enjoyed them as you had your favorite books. I think that exemplifies one of the biggest parts of library customer service, staying enthused. I'm definitely going to check out that website though (as if I need more books to read), it sounds like an amazing resource.

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