PRESENTED BY: BECKY SIEGEL SPRATFORD NORTH SUBURBAN LIBRARY SYSTEM MAY 18, 2010 Basic Readers’ Advisory for Public Desk Staff

Today’s Presentation 10 Rules of basic RA service and 5 resources you cannot live without  HANDOUT History of Readers’ Advisory How to Read a Book in 10 Minutes: Exercise Appeal: Exercise Basic Genre Distinctions Reader Profile

Today’s Presentation Talking about books & the RA interview How to stay informed Customer service and marketing: Exercise General RA resources Sample searches Review 10 Basic Rules Questions & contact info

What Is RA Service As defined by Joyce Saricks in Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library (3 rd ed) Readers’ Advisory is a “patron- centered library service for adult leisure readers.” Today’s RA service is powered by Betty Rosenberg’s First Law of Reading, “Never apologize for your reading tastes.” Readers’ Advisors suggest books, they do not recommend.

Quick History of RA RA service began in seven urban public libraries the Adult Reading Roundtable of the ALA was formed and the scope of RA service was increased. ALA’s Reading With a Purpose lists on special topics.

Quick History of RA 1935: 44 libraries have RA service. The New York Public Library was the most esteemed. This RA service was very different than today’s– Readers’ Advisors were expected to make judgmental suppositions about their patrons.

Quick History of RA When WWII came, leisure reading time disappeared and RA did not remerge until the 1980s Downers Grove (IL) Public Library Joyce Saricks and Nancy Brown began offering the type of RA service we will talk about today. For a complete history see Bill Crowley’s introduction in Nonfiction Readers’ Advisory. Edited by Robert Burgin (Libraries Unlimited, 2005.)

What You Need to Know About RA Offering basic RA to patrons requires very little training The key is to change your relationship with the books Matchmaker vs. Gatekeeper mentality Follow my “10 Rules” and you too can help your library’s leisure readers & more importantly help your fellow staff

Read! Read! Read! Read widely Learn to “Read a Book in 10 Minutes” (pg of Saricks)  Originally presented by Georgine Olson at the March 2004 PLA Conference.  Exercise Not speed reading for plot A method for picking up a book and making some kind of useful connection with it. Practice all of the time

What Is Appeal? Subject headings can be useless to the RA. Leisure readers enjoy books with a similar “feel.” This has been defined as the “appeal” of a book. Handout and Exercise Look at what appeal can do for you   New: describe a book in 3 words!

Basic Genre Distinctions Adrenaline Genres  Adventure, Suspense, Thriller, Romantic Suspense Landscape Genres  Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Western Genres of the Intellect  Mystery, Literary Fiction, Psychological Suspense, SF Genres of the Emotions  Horror, Romance, Women’s Lives, Gentle Reads Becky’s “Genre-a-Day”

Creating You Reader Profile You cannot begin to understand why books appeal to others until you look more closely at your own reading. Think of three books you have recently enjoyed (or all time favorites) and contemplate what appeal factors unite these works. Conversely, think of books you haven’t enjoyed and try to link these by appeal.

Creating Your Reader Profile Example of my profile is provided (Handout). Use for Staff Development: Create personal profiles and then switch and try to suggest titles for each other. Creating a profile gives you a better understanding of why you read what you read. It makes the unconscious, conscious. As a result, you will have an easier time getting to the heart of your patrons’ leisure reading needs.

Talking About Books: The RA Interview Before beginning your shift on the desk, warm up--preview new books, check best seller list, fill displays, etc… The RA interview is a conversation rather than actual interview. Be approachable. Start with “Tell me about a book you have read and enjoyed.” Then ask, “Are you in the mood for that or something different?”

Talking About Books Talk with the patron to verify what s/he enjoys. Potential trap! Every reader reads a different version of the same book. Remember to listen and use their words when offering suggestions. Volunteer example. The interview proceeds as you share books with the patron. You suggest rather than recommend.

Talking About Books Offer a range of books that hit different appeal factors. Send the patron home with more than 1 book! Encourage readers to come back and tell you what they liked and/or didn’t like. Helps you and them. Work on your own opening line

Stay Up To Date Read the reviews your patrons are reading RSS Feeds:  Popular media, NPR, genre specific  Don’t be afraid to change subscriptions frequently Also subscribe to library specific blogs  My suggested links in the right hand gutter of RA for All:

Share Everything With Everyone Talk to patrons about what they are reading  RA is an ongoing conversation Ask patrons to come back and share Talk about what you are reading to coworkers and patrons…especially at the desk!

Ways to Share Throughout the Building iGoogle pages with relevant RSS feeds at every public service desk. Sign up for a book social networking site for staff and patrons!   Use staff preferences to build institutional knowledge. Staff Recommendations  Browser’s Corner:  Blogging for a Good Book: Staff genre studies and book discussions

Ways to Share Beyond the Building Create a virtual presence. Involve all staff!   Library/ Library/   

I Did What You Said But My Mind Went Blank! Calm down. It happens to all of us If RA staff not available you can still help:  Displays to save the day  Keep lists of “sure bets”  Offer a range of printed lists  Return carts  Write down reader’s question and contact information and call later

Taking the Plunge: Booktalking You are always on stage! When you talk about books at the desk, in the stacks, etc…patrons listen (whether you are helping them or someone else) Once you are talking to patrons about books…you are booktalking  You might not have even realized you were doing it! To the patrons, everyone at the library is librarian

Booktalking Tips Don’t give away too much. Lure them into the book. Keep the book center stage and yourself out of the way. Keep it simple; no extraneous details. Don’t lie, exaggerate, or guess at details you are unsure of. Admit your ignorance. Be prepared to change course if you misunderstand Talk with patrons not to them. Offer what’s available; offer choices and let the reader decide Develop a patter. Be enthusiastic- whatever type of book they want.

Customer Service and Marketing BPL RA motto: Never let a patron leave unsatisfied Patron does not need to leave your library with what they thought they came in for in order to leave satisfied! RA is customer service driven; without good customer service there is no RA  Exercise

Customer Service and Marketing Key: focus on the patron! Read Why We Buy by Paco Underhill  Get out from behind the desk  Take people to their books  Roam the department looking for “lost” patrons Get the entire staff involved in creating displays Get into the shelves and get your hands dirty  Full rant: order.htm order.htm

Customer Service and Marketing Place signs/literature where the patrons are… not where you think they should be. Keep your shelves in order Keep your catalog up to date Make return cart available for browsing  Remember matchmaker not gatekeeper Offer to do it for them or show them how to do it themselves Try to never say no Go the extra mile

Becky’s 5 Go To Resources Amazon: NoveList: EBSCO Database Kent District Public Library’s What’s Next Database: asp asp Gnooks: RA for ALL:

4 More to Help In a Pinch Early Word:  The Librarian/Publisher connection. Use it for lists and media appearance/high holds alters. All Readers:  Not a pretty site, but if you need to know how violent or steamy something is, this is your only hope. Fantastic Fiction:  Great for patrons to browse Fiction-L:  Use the archives or ask a question

Becky 10 Rules Revisited Back to my 10 Rules 1-5: Basic RA Practice 6-7: Keeping Up Your Skills and Knowledge 8-10: Customer Service and Marketing Refer to rules to refresh yourself, especially after a difficult patron.  Patterson winning Nobel Prize example.

Questions and Contact Me  Power Point and Handouts available under “Recent Presentations” Questions?  Now or anytime in the future.