Readers' Advisory: Research and Trends in RA Services Tara Bannon, Senior Librarian, Denver Public Library Jessi Barrientos, Librarian, High Plains Library District Joanna Nelson, Teen Services Coordinator, Pikes Peak Library District Dodie Ownes, Adult Services Librarian, Douglas County Libraries Duncan Smith, Vice President, NoveList

Creative Acts By Eventorbot (Own work) [GFDL ( or CC-BY-SA-3.0 ( sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

“ A new medium does not extinguish the old.

Becoming something new

The original maker space via Wikimedia Commons

Embedded experiences This image was made by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) via Wikimedia Commons

Embedded reading This image was made by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) via Wikimedia Commons

Embedded reading This image was made by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) via Wikimedia Commons

Embedded reading This image was made by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) via Wikimedia Commons

Books = Our brand Books  Our business Reading IS our business

1 Assess how we are doing today 2 Expand beyond the passionate few 3 Move out from behind the desk Three steps to the future By TaitaFkm (Own work) [GFDL ( or CC-BY-SA-3.0 ( sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

How are we doing today?

84% RA is important or very important to library mission

Mission control By NASACjosefy at en.wikipedia Later version(s) were uploaded by TheDJ at en.wikipedia. [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

What libraries are doing Does this align with user expectations?

Who Takes Responsibility for RA? Is RA seen as a core duty?

RA Training Provided by Library Does this convey priority?

Evaluating RA Effectiveness How are we measuring?

What Are Libraries Measuring? What gets measured, gets managed

1992: The Nature of the Readers’ Advisory Transaction (Kenneth Shearer) Not much has changed 2013: Secret Shopper Study at major urban library 2000: A Look at Readers’ Advisory Services (Anne May) 2014: Secret Shopper experience (Mary K Chelton)

How should we define and measure success? By Gio JL [CC-BY-SA-2.0 ( via Wikimedia Commons

Moving beyond the passionate few By jeshua.nace (Librarian) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 ( via Wikimedia Commons

High book knowledge High commitment to customer service Low commitment to customer service Low book knowledge A Model for RA Service Development

High book knowledge High commitment to customer service Low commitment to customer service Low book knowledge They know books and know how to help people A Model for RA Service Development

x High book knowledge High commitment to customer service Low commitment to customer service Low book knowledge They know books and know how to help people Don’t be here A Model for RA Service Development

x High book knowledge High commitment to customer service Low commitment to customer service Low book knowledge They know books and know how to help people Opportunity: find tools to enhance knowledge Don’t be here A Model for RA Service Development

x High book knowledge High commitment to customer service Low commitment to customer service Low book knowledge They know books and know how to help people Opportunity: find tools to enhance knowledge Opportunity: encourage customer service skills Don’t be here A Model for RA Service Development

Moving out from behind the desk

Our RA priorities Face-to-face In house, self- directed Programs Digital, self- directed

Face-to-face In house, self- directed Programs Digital, self- directed Face-to- face In house, self-directedProgramsDigital, self-directed Our RA priorities vs. reader priorities

Lots of Time High Touch Low Touch No Time A Model for Meeting Reader Needs

Lots of Time High Touch Low Touch No Time Face-to-face RA Library programs A Model for Meeting Reader Needs

Lots of Time High Touch Low Touch No Time Face-to-face RA Library programs E-newsletters Form-based RA Enriched catalog A Model for Meeting Reader Needs

Lots of Time High Touch Low Touch No Time Face-to-face RA Library programs E-newsletters Form-based RA Enriched catalog Posters Brochures Self-check A Model for Meeting Reader Needs

Lots of Time High Touch Low Touch No Time Face-to-face RA Library programs E-newsletters Form-based RA Enriched catalog Posters Brochures Self-check Book displays Shelf talkers A Model for Meeting Reader Needs

By Matthew Gordon (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 ( via Wikimedia Commons

Be in the 1% inspiration business

I am now 16 and all I can say is thank you. Thank you for all the books that helped make me the person I am today. Don't worry, I turned out OK, or so they tell me. I would not be who I am today if it weren't for the inspiration you put in your books. They inspire me to do my best and when that isn't good enough, to push harder. They motivate me to be loyal to my friends and to stand up for the truth. When someone tells me I can't do something because of some fault I have, your books inspire me to want to do it more, so thanks again for the inspiration and making us, your fans, realize that there is a hero in everyone of us, even an ADHD, dyslexic, annoying seaweed-brained kid. Sincerely, Lindsey

“…But when I was 12, a bookmobile came to the fields. And you have to understand that I wasn’t allowed to have books… So I told the bookmobile person that I was a little nervous about the mountain blowing up. And he said, “You know, the more you know about something, the less you will fear it.” And then he gave me a book about volcanos. And then I saw a book about dinosaurs. I said “Oh, that looks neat.” So he gave me a book about dinosaurs. And I took them home, and I devoured them. I didn’t just read them, I devoured them. And I came back in two weeks and had more questions. And he gave me more books and that started it. That taught me that hope was not just a word. And it gave me the courage to leave the camps. That’s where the books made the difference. By the time I was 15, I knew there was a world outside of the camps. I believed I could find a place in it. And I did.” --Storm Reyes, who grew up in migrant farm worker camps outside Tacoma, Washington during the early 1960s Source: NPR StoryCorps

And now words of wisdom from our active RA panelists!

Thank you! Tara Bannon -- Jessi Barrientos -- Joanna Nelson -- Dodie Ownes -- Duncan Smith --