This document summarizes a presentation on readers' advisory techniques for librarians. It discusses interviewing readers to understand their interests, flexible genres in fiction and nonfiction, describing books' elements like characters and plots, popular genres and topics, and ways librarians can improve their readers' advisory skills through reading challenges and writing reviews.

1. The Art of Reader's Advisory Public Library Institute March 16, 2009

2. Angie Howard Asst. Director/Acquisitions N elson County Public Library 201 Cathedral Manor Bardstown, KY 40004 nelsoncopublib.org http://angiereads.blogspot.com [email_address] Use [email_address] to find me on goodreads.com

4. Learn how to apply memory aids to remember what you have read & what is available in your libray.

5. Connect readers with books across the Fiction and Nonfiction line using tags.

6. Use Passive RA to interest readers not in the library.

7. Library 2.0 as a form of communication.

8. Learn to write about books—not complicated.

10. RA Interview

11. Genre & Topics or Subjects in our context

12. Passive RA.

13. Library 2.0

19. Genres are more flexible than we want to admit.

20. Trust 'appeal' over genre anytime.

21. What does the cover tell you?

22. Some titles fit under 'headings', not genres.

24. What NF book matches your favorite genre/book/author?

28. Political Intrigue and Terrorism

29. Financial Intrigue/Espionage

30. Disaster

31. Wild Frontier & Exotic Lands

32. Soldier of Fortune

33. Military Adventure/Historical

36. Christian-themed Thrillers

37. Cipher Thrillers

38. Detective/Perpetrator Thriller

39. Legal Thrillers

40. Technothrillers

43. Rescuer/Unofficial Detective Suspense

44. Romantic Suspense

45. Psychological Suspense

46. “Shoot Out” Suspense

49. “Cosmic Paranoia”

50. Demons/Satanism

51. Monsters

52. Occult/Supernatural

53. Psychological 'Horror'

54. Witches/Warlocks

57. “Erotic/Sensual”--in any setting

58. Historical

59. Paranormal

60. Romantic Suspense

61. Saga

62. Time Travel

65. Detailed, detailed

66. 'Place-oriented'

67. Sagas

68. 'Time-oriented'

71. Bestiary

72. Dark Fantasy

73. 'Epic/Sword & Sorcery'

74. Fairy tales

75. Humorous

76. Myth & Legend-based

77. Urban Fantasy

80. Aliens

82. Psionic Powers

83. Space Opera

84. Techno SciFi

86. 'Appeal' words different for each.

88. Plot

89. Point of View

90. Style

94. Amateur Detectives

95. Cozy/Soft-Boiled

97. Crime and Caper

98. Look for Subject and Theme

103. Women overcoming obstacles: emerging from darkness to light

105. 'G' or 'PG'

107. Christian fiction, but not always

108. Humorous

109. Romance—not too heavy

110. Can be written by male authors

113. Creative way of telling a story

115. Have some sub-genres of their own

118. Character

120. Facts over narrative

122. Learning vs. Experiencing format (Frame)

123. Setting (Frame)

124. Tone

126. Does it help or hurt readership to separate?

127. Dewey decimal system—hindrance or help?

129. Adventure/Survival/Exploration/Disaster

131. Crime and Criminals

132. History—General and Specific—more topical

134. Popular Science—more topical

135. Self-Help/Inspirational

136. Sociology/Popular Culture

137. Sports

138. Travelogues/Travels

139. Compare to fiction genres: setting, detail, character, learning, language, setting, tone

143. Terminal at library

145. Librarything.com or other wiki online

148. Lists

149. Sections/Subjects well-marked

150. Fiction?

152. At work: Quiz yourself; use memory aids to determine books' contents. Were you right?

153. At work: Read a book in 10 minutes (at break)

154. At work: Map a book as a group project

156. www.goodreads.com

157. www.shelfari.com

159. Write--annotations

160. Write—answers to questions to 10 min. reads

161. Start—6 to one year 5 book challenge. Read 5-10 books in a genre/topic you're not familiar with.

162. Challenge others.

164. Find ways to share—online & in house

165. Consider a blog for self or group

167. Whole Collection RA service

168. Check out RA sites regularly

169. Look for experiments online & with catalogs

170. Keep up with formats

171. Keep in touch with readers at library and online

172. IS AT YOUR LIBRARY.

173. Ask yourself: how much do I already know?