This special topic paper will analyze the role readers advisory plays in library services. Wyatt and Saricks state that “the goal of readers advisory service is to help readers discover titles they are currently in the mood to read” (2019, p. xv). This seemingly simple task can prove to be daunting for inexperienced librarians. But it is a role that people often find synonymous with libraries, this idea that a librarian will help them find a “good” book. This paper will analyze the history of readers advisory, staff training, and the public’s expectations from librarians.
Crowley states that finding a date for the beginning of the readers advisory service “is at best a frustrating, almost arbitrary exercise” (2005, p. 37). This is due to the idea that historians have a difficult time agreeing on some of the very basic definitions of terms like “what is a library,” and “what is readers advisory” (Crowley, 2005, p.38).
When librarians were asked, via a survey spearheaded by the Library Journal, about the biggest challenges they face when conducting readers advisory, many responded that it’s difficult to work with genres and authors, they aren’t familiar with or haven’t read (Wyatt, 2021, p. 26). The adage “practice makes perfect” comes to mind when honing readers advisory skills. The job of readers advisory is a task that is being shared by more and more librarians within a library system and not a job set aside for one specific person (Wyatt, 2021, p.27).
Smith states that we can think about the relationship between readers, books, and book selection as a reader’s ecology that has three basic parts: discovery, discernment, and delivery (2022, p. 34). Readers want to find new things to read, they want to know if a book is right for them or not, and then they want to acquire that title (Smith, 2022, p.34). The whole process often sounds much more straightforward than it usually ends up being.
Overall, libraries and readers advisory have a long and storied history, one that is continuing to evolve and grow with the needs of their communities.
References
Crowley, B. (2005). Rediscovering the history of readers’ advisory service. Public Libraries, 44(1), 37–41.
Smith, D., Fredrick, V., & Friedli, A. (2022). Engaging readers: readers’ advisory + reader engagement = reader services for our times. Library Journal, 147(3), 34.
Wyatt, N. (2021). Surveying the field: ra by the numbers. Library Journal, 146(8), 26–31.
Wyatt, N., Saricks, J. (2019). The readers’ advisory guide to genre fiction. ALA Editions.
Great summary! There is lots to think about when it comes to librarians taking part in readers' advisory. When I read this summary, I think of literacy as a web, connecting all librarians and information professionals together through different means (books, media (movies/TV), social media etc).
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about genres and authors that I have not read, my favorite way to circumnavigate that issue is to rope in the phrase "our library patrons like this book in particular" or "our library patrons seem to really like this author" - it's a way to add authority to a suggestion, even if it is a suggestion that does not come from immediate personal experience.
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