Handouts and slide presentation are available at: http://www.schaumburglibrary.org/ala/
Walk the stacks with an eye to what the patrons are seeing.
Really look. RA can take place on the floor and in everyday day-to-day
transactions. Look up a book for a patron. Suggest additional titles. Start
every conversation as a sales pitch.
Day to Day RA:
See:
Duncan Smith “Readers Advisory as a Transformative Act” Toronto Library Association 2011
Standard
RA interview tends to be:
REACTIVE
“Have you got…<book title>?” Check Resources, provide response
LESS
COMMON – but MORE fruitful
SUGGESTIVE
Suggest additional titles patron might enjoy
ANTICIPATORY
Suggest patron sign up for genre newsletter based on book
CONTRIBUTORY
Encourage patron to rate on blog or goodreads or social networking
PARTICIPATORY
Ask is patron is interested in joining (genre) book club
START
the conversation USING INTERACTIONS AS A SALES PITCH
INSTIGATE
and EXTEND the RA Conversation
Shelf Talkers:
Example: Post in front of shelves: ‘If you like John
Grisham, You might also like…” and list authors and books.
Definition:
Printed card or other sign attached to a store shelf to call buyers attention
to a particular product displayed in that shelf. Also called "shelf
screamer."
Recommend
www.shelfwiz.com Why? The “Flip-up” style. Doesn’t impede shelvers. Easy access
to items, easily changed, comes with inserts and templates.
Use
for: Recommendations, Read-Alikes, Coming Soon alerts. Incorporate QR codes
linking to your Fiction pages.
Other ideas? www.shelftalkers.com
Dress Up Displays:
Library
users are often overwhelmed trying to choose from the huge selection of books.
Merchandising and displaying the library's collection in inventive ways is
essential to get maximum use out of the materials. Ask colleagues for temporary
loan of any props. Pinterest has great inspiration boards for ideas.
Book News Notice
Board:
This
board is similar to one you might see for movies. It features what is newly
released.
Easy
to populate with colorful reviews, articles, lists , community book events etc.
Pages
from:
Book
Section "Entertainment Weekly"
Book
Recommendations from People Weekly
Articles
or reviews from USA Today Books
Copies
of items from Bookpage
Literary
happenings in your area
Library literary programs of note
Book Series:
Consider stickering the spines (or insides) – if you have
space. Very helpful. Or use a shelftalker. Ask shelvers to shelve in sequence.
You are doing the work for the patron.
Read-Alikes:
Target does a great job of pointing their readers in new
directions. Use stickers to point readers in new directions--at the end of the book they just finished..
Form-Based RA
THEORY:
Face
to face discussion between reader and librarian may work under ideal
conditions, but there needs to be a rethinking of how readers services are
offered in libraries. General disconnect between the THEORY of RA Service and
how it goes in practice.
SOLUTION:
Form Based RA
SOURCES:
"Improving
the Model for Interactive Reader’s Advisory Service“ by Neil Hollands,
Reference and User Services Quarterly 2006 "Expanding the RA
Conversation" by Joyce Sarick, Booklist, October 2012
"Take
the RA Talk Online" by Neal Wyatt, Library Journal, February 2008
Trendsetters,
and example: Williamsburg Regional Library
ADVANTAGES
Readers
can fill them out at their leisure, and staff members have the time and
resources to search out a range of suggestions.
Read-Alike Guidance:
Bookmarks
&/or inserts:
Annotated Book
Inserts
Annotated
book inserts allow for a more accessible snapshot of the book content.
A Pew Research
Center report indicated that 84% of parents say libraries
are important because libraries help promote the love of reading and books as
well as offer programs for children. But how many of those parents use the
library for their own purposes? Pictured is a set up a display of popular
reading materials for adults near the children’s room at the Schaumberg Public Library:
Programs:
In
addition to author programs and book club extensions, consider expansions of
typical book talks. Some of these include:
Wuthering
Bites – which
provided inspiration for book club recipes and tastings with related books
Tis
the Season – the
best of seasonal reading (with cookies)
Culinary
Fiction –
best of food fiction with food inspired by the books (not including chocolate
pie from The Help).
Fifty
Shades of Racy Reading – providing “hot” alternative read-alikes, serving chocolate
and sparkling apple juice substituting for champagne
Around
the World in 80 Reads – patrons travel the world with books inspired by the
destination stops
You
may have noticed a running theme of food in some of these programs. With
apologies to W. P. Kinsella, “If you feed them, they will come.” When you have
a program, make sure that any books mentioned or related to the program are
prominently displayed nearby.
Beyond
these programs, we have also advanced beyond our command
A
“crime scene” program presented by two Chicago
police-officers-turned authors
A
book valuation program similar to Antiques Roadshow
“Book
Notes,” a musical program of songs inspired by literature
Exterior Resources:
Also: www.stopyourkillingme.com
for mystery and thriller readers.
Link here:
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