The document provides an overview of readers' advisory services in libraries, emphasizing their importance for leisure readers, particularly teens. It outlines the history, appeal factors of books, and best practices for conducting readers' advisory interviews. Additionally, it highlights resources and training opportunities for librarians to improve their readers' advisory skills.

1. Readers’ Advisory - The Real
Story
Presented by the Indiana State Library
Professional Development Office

2. Who am I? – BIG IMCPL FAN!

3. Who are you?
 Teen librarians?
 How long?

4. LEUs
 2 for today
 Emailed
 Probably in a month

5. What is Readers’ Advisory
 Patron-centered library service for leisure readers
 A successful readers’ advisory service is one in
which knowledgeable, nonjudgmental staff help
fiction and nonfiction readers with their leisure-
reading needs
Joyce Saricks, Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public
Library

6. Why Readers’ Advisory?
 Libraries can give suggestions for new books
 We can direct new readers to other books…
 Provide resources for finding more books that
their patrons will actually like
 Librarians and library staff are usually avid
readers and able to field RA requests

7. Why Readers’ Advisory for Teens?
 http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-
developmental-assets-adolescents-ages-12-18
 A way to help them with their healthy
development.
 Yup. It’s critical.

8. History of Readers’ Advisory
 Readers’ Advisory has been around as long as
public libraries.
 Librarians were much more judgmental about
what people read in the past

9. Nancy Pearl

10. Nancy Pearl
 Book – Book Crush
 http://www.npr.org/people/6395311/nancy-pearl
 http://www.nancypearl.com/

11. History of Readers’ Advisory
 Librarians used to think that people should read
to better themselves and not so much for
pleasure.
 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=fa147d
e8-175f-413b-9032-
7c18462bf91b%40sessionmgr14&vid=1&hid=23&
bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT
1zaXRl#db=lxh&AN=25394478

12. History of Readers’ Advisory
 In A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Francie goes to the
librarian who “hates children” and recommends
the same two books every time.
 Good Books / Moral Books

13. History of Readers’ Advisory
 And now?
GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT.

14. Why Do We Like the Books We Like?

15. Understanding the Appeal of a Book
 Pacing – How dense
 Characterization
 Story Line – How is it written
 Frame - Genre

16. Understanding the Appeal of a Book
 You can also think of this in terms of
How Does the book FEEL?

17. Pacing – How Dense is the Book?
 Are the characters and plot quickly
unveiled or slowly unveiled?
 Is there more dialogue or more
description?
 Is the book densely written?

18. Pacing – How Dense is the Book?
 Are there short sentences, short
paragraphs, and short chapters, or does
the story take place in a short amount of
time?
 This generally does affect the reading
level.

19. Quick Pacing…

20. Slow Pacing…

21. Pacing?

22. Pacing?

23. Pacing?

24. Pacing?

25. Characterization
 Are the characters developed over time, or are
they the types we recognize immediately?
 Is the focus on a single character or on several
whose lives are intertwined?
 What is the point of view from which the story is
told?
 Is characterization the most important aspect in
the book?

26. Characterization
 Is the reader expected to identify with the
characters or observe them?
 Are there series characters, followed through and
developed over several related novels?
 Are there memorable and important secondary
characters?

27. Observe vs. Relate

28. Many vs. Few

29. Characterization
 Characters may be the most important part of
leisure reading for lots of kids…some teens still
want those characters…
 Is the main character a male or female?
 Is the character an animal?
 Know your series!

33. Story Line – How is it told?
 Does the story emphasize people, or does it
highlight situations and events?
 What is the author’s intention in regard to the
story line?
 Is the focus on the story interior and
psychological or exterior and action oriented?
 Does the story take place on more than one level?

38. Frame – Is the setting important to the reader?
 Is the background detailed or minimal?
 Does the frame affect the tone or atmosphere?
 Is there a special background frame?
 Setting, atmosphere, tone
 Genre…is that important to the teen?

42. Making Connections
 Knowing what books have similar appeal
 Hunger Games and Maze Runner

44. Making Connections
 Knowing what book don’t have similar appeal

46. Review…
 Pacing…how dense
 Characterization…about
the players
 Story Line…how is it
written
 Frame…genre or setting

47. Book Genres

48. Fiction Genres
Action/Adventure Mysteries
Crime/Caper Romance
Fantasy Romantic Suspense
Gentle Reads Science Fiction
Historical Suspense
Horror Thrillers
Literary Fiction Women’s Lives and
Relationships

49. Nonfiction Genres
Adventure/Survival/
Exploration/Disaster
Memoirs and Biographies
Animals/Nature/Natural History Pop Culture/Sociology/Lifestyles/
Entertainment
Contemporary Issues Popular Science
Crime and Criminals Self-Help/Inspirational/Sociology
History and Microhistory Sports
Humor Travelogues

50. Genres for Youth and YA
 Graphic novels are a format, not a genre

51. The RA Interview Conversation
“Never apologize for your
reading tastes.”
-Betty Rosenberg
First Editor of Genreflecting

52. The RA Interview Conversation
 More of a conversation than an interview
 Suggesting vs. Recommending
 Using judgmental terminology
 Don’t make assumptions based on age, gender,
nationality, religion, etc.
 Patron privacy

53. The RA Interview Conversation
 Preparation for the interview starts long before a
patron comes up to the desk
 Reading a book with an eye to its appeal
 Group book and author with other titles and
authors
 Consider how a title or author fits in a genre
 Find a system that works for you

54.  Interview at the reference desk, circulation desk, or in the
stacks
 Stage One – Approachability
 Stage Two – Information on what the patron is looking to
read
 Stage Three – Use sources to find titles that match
patron’s mood
 Stage Four – Highlight suggested titles
 Stage Five – Follow up
The RA Interview Conversation

55.  Approachability:
While they are browsing
Lingering in the stacks
Making eye contact with you
 Homework
 Failsafe: “Tell me about the last book you really
liked.”
 Good vs. Good for them
The RA Interview Conversation

56. Readers’ Advisory in Your Library

57. Promoting RA in Your Library
 “Ask Me for a Book Suggestion” buttons and
signs
 Book Displays
– Current events/Topical
– If you like …
– Books You May Have Missed

58. The Art of the Display
 Displays can help alert Teens to books they might
like
 Displays can help make your library a
destination…

59.  Goshen Public
Library

60. oshen

63.  Forest Hills
Library

64.  Wellington
East Girls
College

65.  Horowhenua
College in
Levin, New
Zealand

66.  Jacksonville Public
Library

67. Promoting RA in Your Library
 Bookmarks
 Annotated Booklists
 Booktalks
 Book Clubs

68. Booktalks
 Twilight booktalk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G9S8Dfn37E&feature=related
 Invisible booktalk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-210Xo9IxI
 Manhunt booktalk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJVNlgwfVBI&feature=channel

69. Readers’ Advisory Training

70. Continuing Your RA Training
 Design a personal reading plan
– Read genres and nonfiction topics you normally
don’t read
– Read authors on the bestsellers list
 Practice talking about books
– Share discoveries in staff meetings
– Talk to at least one patron per day about books

71. Continuing Your RA Training
 Make Connections
– Think of readalikes for popular titles and authors
– Make a Sure Bets list for your library
– Join a readers’ advisory listserv
– Organize a readers’ advisory roundtable or
counterparts group in your area

72. Readers’ Advisory Resources

73. Readers’ Advisory Reference Books
 Genreflecting
 What Do I Read Next?
 Fiction Catalog

74. Readers’ Advisory Websites
 Allreaders.com
 Gnooks.com
 Librarything.com
 Readalike.org
 Reader’s Robot - http://tnrdlib.bc.ca/rr.html
 Whichbook.net
 http://www.jackflannel.org/ra.html

75. More Websites (Youth/YA)
 Abookandahug.com
 http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/serieslist.
html (Series lists)
 www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/bbya/ (Best Books
for YA)

76. RA Indiana Blogs
 http://gplteensblog.wordpress.com/ - Goshen

77. RA E-Resources
 Fiction-L – Listserv through Morton Grove (IL)
Public Library
 NoveList
 NoveList Plus

78. RA E-Resources for Youth/YA
 Booktrailers and community on
www.teachertube.com
 PUBYAC – Listserv for Young Adult and
Children’s librarians
www.pubyac.org

79. Publications You Should Know About
 Publisher’s Weekly
 Kirkus
 Booklist
 Hornbook
 School Library Journal

80. Bibliography
 Adult Reading Round Table, The ARRT Popular Fiction List, 3rd ed. (Woodridge, Ill.: Adult
Reading Round Table, 2007).
 Diana Tixier Herald, Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests in Genre Fiction. 5th ed.
(Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 2000).
 Fiction_L (Morton Grove, Ill.: Morton Grove Public Library, 1995). Available from
http://www.webrary.org/rs/FLmenu.html
 Heather Booth, Serving Teens Through Readers’ Advisory (Chicago, Ill.: American Library
Association, 2007).
 Joyce G. Saricks, The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (Chicago, Ill.: American
Library Association, 2001).
 Neal Wyatt, The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Nonfiction (Chicago, Ill.: American Library
Association, 2007).

81. Works Cited
 Joyce G. Saricks, Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library. 3rd ed. (Chicago, Ill.:
American Library Association, 2005).

82. Contact Information
Suzanne Walker
Indiana State Library – Professional Development Office
317.234.5649
suwalker@library.in.gov
Twitter: @suzieecw