This document provides an overview of a presentation on readers' advisory (RA) 2.0 tools. It discusses how RA has evolved with new digital tools that allow librarians to collaborate with patrons and other librarians. Examples of popular book blogs, reading maps, book trailers, and online book clubs are provided. The importance of integrating these social media tools into RA to create an engaging community and address the social aspects of reading is emphasized.

1. Readers’ advisory 2.0
Suggestions de lecture 2.0
Alexandra Yarrow
Coordinator, Carlingwood Branch
Ottawa Public Library
LANCR AGM Tuesday, June 19, 2012

2. http://delicious.com/alexandrayarrow/
look for the tag: LANCR_2012
http://www.slideshare.net/alexandrayarrow
http://ottawapubliclibrarian.blogspot.ca/
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3. Plan for this evening
• Background:
– What is web 2.0 ?
– RA language and schools of thought (a quick refresher)
• Tools:
– Favourite blogs and book resources for readers
– Read-alikes and reading maps
– Book trailers
• Integrating tools in readers’ advisory:
– Social catalogues
– Online book clubs
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4. Tim O’Reilly and web 2.0
• “The Web as platform”
• “Harnessing collective intelligence”
• “Rich user experiences”
• “Leveraging the long tail through customer self-
service.”
Source:
http://www.oreillynet.com/lpt/a/6228
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5. The flip side
The Annoyed Librarian:
“All the twopointoh stuff makes it so easy for users
to generate idiocy. Just think, back in the old days,
one had to find a publisher willing to put up with
your idiocy, but the twopointoh publishers depend
upon it. Without a lot of user-generated idiocy,
Blogger, Wordpress, Livejournal, and the like would
be barren wastelands. But now, there's an endless
supply of idiocy to read!“
From the post “User-generated idiocy.”
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6. Readers’ advisory 2.0
“RA 2.0 is the art of using digital tools not only to share
information with and advise readers on finding the right
book for the right mood, but to collaborate with both
colleagues and patrons/readers to create, enhance, and
use old and new readers' resources and forums; RA 2.0
helps us create community and address the social
aspects of reading by going to where the readers are, as
well as inviting them into our organizing, reviewing, and
publicizing processes.”
Source: Laura Calderone, Diana Herald, and Sarah Cords
on the RA in a Day 2008 wiki
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7. RA language
Why appeal?
• Discussing appeal focuses on reader response rather
than book subject, eg. “I could not put it down” or “I
love those vampires!” (is it the vampires or the sexy talk?)
• Feeling rather than plot
• Provides readers’ advisors with a vocabulary
independent of plot or genre limitations or
preferences
• Allows readers to explore books they might not
otherwise pick up
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8. RA language
Appeal factors: “Schools of thought:”
• Nancy Pearl’s doorways
– Story, character, setting and language
• Joyce Saricks
– Pacing, characterisation, storyline and frame
• Novelist
– Storyline, pace, tone and writing style
• Rachel van Riel
– A continuum of opposites: happy/sad, safe/disturbing,
optimistic/bleak, etc.
• Neal Wyatt
– Nonfiction appeal: Narrative, detail, tone, learning/experiencing,
subject, type.
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9. For more information, consult the OPLA RA Committee’s
Core Competencies and Toolkit
4. Collection Knowledge: Understanding of, and familiarity with, the depth
and breadth of materials and resources in the branch and/or system,
including material in all formats and media, both fiction and non-fiction.
5. Reader Service Skills: Developing and maintaining a system for exchanging
information in a non-judgmental environment for the purpose of
suggesting reading materials that support the reading interests of our
customers.
6. Readers` Advisory Conversation: Interacting with readers to match their
needs and interests to library materials.
7. Reader Development: Developing customers` awareness of their own
reading interests, the ability to articulate why certain books appeal, and
the ability to make connections to similar books.
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10. Top 5 blogs
• Quillblog and @quillandquire
• 49th shelf and @49thShelf
• National Post: Afterword and
@npbooks
• The Reader’s Advisor Online Blog
• Guardian Books and @GuardianBooks
BONUS: Book riot
Want more?
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13. Top 5 French blogs
• Babelio
• Le Devoir: livres
• Pause Lecture
• Evene.fr
• Romans@lire
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16. Favourite resources for read-alikes
RA_
read-
alike on
Delicious
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17. Favourite resources for
reading maps (a.k.a. reading paths)
• PLA Reading Map presentation
• Wordsworthy Reading Paths
• Neal Wyatt Reading Maps
Background reading: tagged RA_background_reading on Del.icio.us:
“Reading Maps Remake RA.” Library Journal 11/1/2006
RA_ reading_map on Delicious
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21. Book trailers
• Can be a book “preview” or “teaser” with
actors, or stock photography and voiceovers
• Can also be a short film related to the book
• Can be made by publishers, authors, fans, or
libraries (staff or patrons)
• Can go viral
• Should be for the right audience
• Have their own awards: Moby Awards
RA_video on Delicious
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22. Video book reviews
Ron Charles from the Washington Post
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23. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/obsessed/
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25. RA_book_social_networking
on Delicious

26. Online book clubs: TPL Book Buzz
(see background reading article discussing process of creation of site)
Pros of online book discussion group:
• More time for in-depth analysis and discussion
• Less pressure to participate
(subscribe/unsubscribe freely)
• Less time investment (no travel)
• Participants are anonymous
• No meetings
• 24/7
Cons of online book discussion group:
• Membership unpredictable
• Less immediacy
• Less social, emotional connection
Results of TPL survey
What they want to discuss:
• 78% fiction
• High interest in non-fiction, mystery, biography
• Moderate interest in sci-fi/fantasy, graphic
books
Who they are:
• 76% female
• 40% age 18-35
• 34% age 35-50
• 18% age 50-65
• 8% age 65+
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27. Social catalogues + RA
• Link to blog posts and read-alike
lists
• Work with Cataloguing and IT staff
• Post book trailers and videos
• Why is this important?
– One-stop shopping
–“
Most of your most passionate users will n
.”
– We’re not the only game in town
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30. Social media + RA

31. Social media + RA
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32. Thank you!
• Questions?
• Contact me anytime
Alexandra.Yarrow@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca
http://ottawapubliclibrarian.blogspot.com/
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