This document outlines a plan for libraries to provide reader's advisory services online by finding patrons where they are engaged on the internet. It recommends that libraries search for patrons on popular social networks and sites, engage with them by responding to posts and sharing relevant content, and use what they learn about patrons' interests to recommend books, movies and other materials tailored to each patron. The goal is to expand awareness of the library's resources and services by interacting with patrons in the online spaces they already frequent.

1. Internet
Reader’s
Advisory:
Outreaching
RA
Kathryn
Bergeron
Systems
Librarian
Baldwin
Public
Library
Goals
Whereas
many
patrons
are
not
aware
of
library
services
Whereas
outreach
is
an
essential
part
of
library
services
Whereas
many
of
our
patrons
rely
heavily
on
the
internet
for
their
entertainment
and
their
information
Whereas
Reader’s
Advisory
is
an
essential
and
under-­‐utilized
library
service
We
commit
to
out-­‐reaching
to
patrons
through
new
and
innovative
methods
to
bring
Reader’s
Advisory
to
them
We
commit
to
expanding
knowledge
of
library
services
through
interaction
with
online
library
patrons
as
well
as
in
person
patrons.

2. Step
1:
Find
Your
Patrons
Online
Where
are
your
other
local
libraries
online?
Where
are
other
organizations
in
your
community?
What
sites
are
your
patrons
using
when
you
walk
past
their
computers?
Have
you
searched
for
your
library
lately?
In
Google?
On
Twitter?
What
are
people
saying
about
you?
Popular
Places
to
Find
Patrons:
-­‐ Facebook
-­‐ LinkedIn
-­‐ Twitter
-­‐ Ning
-­‐ Myspace
-­‐ Flickr
-­‐ Foursquare
-­‐ YouTube
-­‐ Slideshare
-­‐ Second
Life
-­‐ Blog
-­‐ Good
Reads
-­‐ Meebo
Step
2:
Once
you
know
where
they
are:
Go
To
Them!
Step
3:
Engage
Them
Social
Networking
is
not
just
for
announcing
events.
ENGAGE
PATRONS!
-­‐ Talk
to
your
patrons
-­‐ Respond
to
their
posts
-­‐ Search
for
them
on
places
like
twitter,
and
respond
to
them
-­‐ Encourage
them
to
share
your
posts
or
share
your
page
with
their
friends
-­‐ Post
fun
articles
or
videos
related
to
libraries
or
books
-­‐ Post
about
other
library
or
consortium
events,
and
tag
them
in
your
posts
–
let
them
share
and
respond
(MeL.org
is
great
about
this!)
Step
4:
Give
them
what
they
want
-­‐ Look
at
what
they’re
talking
about,
and
talk
about
it
with
them
-­‐ Ex.
NYPL’s
“Mad
Men”
booklist
-­‐ Ex.
New
books
&
DVD
lists
-­‐ Ex.
Latest
award
winners
and
hot
books
-­‐ Find
patrons
who
post
about
specific
books,
movies,
new
technologies,
etc…
and
engage
them.
-­‐ Ex.
You
post
about
your
iPad,
we
send
you
the
title
of
a
new
book
about
essential
iPad
apps
-­‐ Ex.
You
post
that
you
loved
The
Help
and
we
send
you
a
link
to
Little
Bee
by
Chris
Cleave.
-­‐ Ex.
You
respond
to
our
new
movies
post
and
we
send
you
a
message
offering
to
put
next
week’s
new
movies
on
hold.
-­‐ If
you
still
don’t
know
what
they
like,
ASK
THEM!
That’s
the
beauty
of
social
networking!
-­‐ Best
Books
Friday:
Ask
people
to
post
their
favorite
books
of
the
week
Step
5:
Reach
out
with
other
services
Questions?
Kathryn
Bergeron,
Systems
Librarian,
Baldwin
Public
Library
Kathryn.bergeron@baldwinlib.org