2. Basics of RA
Appeal factors- What did the patron like about the book?
• Characters- well developed or easy to identify, focus on one
or more characters, point of view, easy to identify with
characters
• Pacing- Quick or slow to develop, more dialogue or
description, short or long chapters/paragraphs, multiple
plot lines or single plot
• Storyline- Emphasis on people or events, is the focus
internal/psychological or more action oriented
3. Basics of RA
• Frame- Detailed background, does the setting effect the story,
anything special about the frame
• Writing Style (light, literary)
• Basically, how did the patron experience the book?
• Be careful! Don't make it too complicated for the patron. Some
people will simply want a title/author read-alike and you can give
them several possibilities. Get a feel for how in-depth the patron
wants to go.
Don't forget: This is the fun part of the job!
4. ORE on the Web
The Ohio Library Council offers Ohio Reference Excellence
on the Web.
Access the Readers' Advisory portion from
http://www.olc.org/ore/2readers.htm
5. Passive Readers' Advisory
• Booklists- These can be made available in print or online format
(Ideas: If you liked..., Cozy Mysteries, staff picks, movie tie-ins)
• Also: Don't forget to promote BookLetters (or NextReads)
• Best Seller Lists- Patrons love to see lists and this is one you simply
have to print out.
• Displays- No shortage of ideas! Try holiday-themes, hot news
topics, movie tie-ins, book awards, etc.
• Genre labels- Easy to identify.
6. Don't forget print resources!
These can be especially useful if a patron is just getting started into a genre.
Consider:
• Readers' Advisory Guide to (Mystery, Romance, Horror, etc.) from ALA
Editions
• Genreflecting by Diana Tixier Herald
• Read On series by Libraries Unlimited (Biography, Life Stories, Historical
Fiction, etc.)
• Now Read This by Nancy Pear and Sarah Statz Cords
• What Do I Read Next: A Readers' Guide to Current Genre Fiction by Neil
Barron
• Reader's Advisory: An Unshelved Collection by B. Barnes and G. Ambaum
7. Free online resources
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk
• Browse by authors/titles. Includes lists of new authors/books.
Author information gives lists of every book written by a particular
author, including series lists.
• What's hot.
• Lists for most major book awards.
• One of the best resources for series information
8. Free online resources
http://www.openingthebook.com/whichbook
• Easy to use appeal terms and the ability to
create lists.
http://www.literature-map.com/
• Enter an author’s name- database will
return read-alikes.
http://www.fictiondb.com/
• New fiction titles/reviews and series
information.
9. Free online resources
http://whatshouldireadnext.com/
• Great resource for author/title read-alikes
• Crowdsourced suggestions from readers
http://www.readersadvice.com/
• Comprehensive lists of genre and sub-genre
(and even sub-sub genre) titles
http://www.readinggroupchoices.com/
• Recommendations for book groups. Includes
info on the author, summary, reviews.
10. Free online resources
• Book discussion guides
• Read-alikes by title or author
• "Find a book" tool- combine categories to find your next read
• Author bios- even an author pronunciation guide
• What's new
• Online magazine
http://www.bookbrowse.com/
11. NoveList
• Subscription database
• Title/author/series read-alikes for every title within the database.
Nine title/author/series (when applicable) read-alikes for each title
• NoveList Plus includes nonfiction!
• Includes book discussion guides
