Readers’
Advisory (RA), the art of finding a patron their next perfect book to read,
would be a challenge if it weren’t for the many different RA tools we have to
help us complete this difficult task. Because there are so many different RA
tools, the problem becomes which one to use. There are many different patrons
looking for many different types of books. Luckily, there seems to be a tool
for every kind of patron, genre, you name it. In fact, Thorton-Verma and
Schwartz state that there are “15 types of sources that librarians use for RA
assistance. These include print sources such as professional journals and
newspapers, subscription database recommendation services such as NoveList, and
less formal methods of information gathering, such as Goodreads, blogs, and word
of mouth” (Library Journal, 2014). Within these 15 types of sources there are so
many different genres and reading ages and levels and each more than likely
have their own set of RA resources to find the next read. It is mind-boggling
how many RA resources there are out there. I am going to focus on print and
online RA tools.
Below
are the Top 10 RA tools that are the most convenient to use, in no particular
order, that will be discussed (along with some others):
1. NoveList
2. Fantastic Fiction
3. Good Reads
4. Kirkus (print or online)
5. Booklist (print or online)
6. New York Times Book Review (print or
online)
7. Your Next Read
8. Readers’ Advisory Guides
9. The Reader’s Advisory Online
10. Amazon
Print
resources range from magazines to books. One of the most interesting RA tools I
found in my research is anthologies. As Herald states, “An effective way to
become acquainted with the characteristics of authors in the science fiction
genre, and particularly with the work of new authors, is through anthologies”
(2000, p. 365). Using anthologies is a great way to sample many different
authors in one book and while Herald speaks of science fiction anthologies,
this method will work with any genre. What is especially helpful with
anthologies is the authors who are included may be closely related to an author
who the patron finds enjoyable because they are genre related. Anthologies are
also a place for librarians to get ideas for the patron. If a patron asks about
a science fiction book and the librarian doesn’t read that genre, they might
consult a sci-fi anthology for author ideas to suggest. Along these same lines
are bibliographies. They don’t have actual works by authors in them but the
books listed in the bibliography have been used to formulate a book they’ve
read or a subject they’ve read. Bibliographies are most helpful with
non-fiction readers’ advisory but can also be used for fiction readers in some
cases.
Library
review journals are probably one of the most used print resources for RA. Because
they provide reviews of books along with opinions of authors, writing style and
summaries, it is quick and easy for the librarian to suggest a title based on a
short review. Some best known journal titles are: Kirkus, Booklist, Library Journa, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times Book Review.
Readers’
advisory books are a good choice of tools and are also popular with librarians.
If the patron wants a genre read, there are many good books for RA. One of the
best series of RA books for genre is the Readers’
Advisory Guides. Whether the patron is looking for horror, mystery or
historical fiction, there is a Readers’
Advisory Guide for them. There is even one for street literature. In fact,
the textbook for this class is included in this series. Of course there are
other books for other patrons such as children’s books and YA books. Other
books that can be helpful as well are core collection books. The CODES
Committee explains about a core collection book entitled Fiction Catalog, “The annotations and excerpts from review journals
make this source useful for librarians as well as for general readers. The
second part lists books by title, subject or theme, genre, form, and literary
technique. This extensive section makes it a highly important readers' advisory
tool” (2004, p. 295). Librarians are selecting and doing RA with some of the
same sources because the two are very similar; RA is just more individualized.
While
print resources are great, let’s face it, the world is becoming more and more
technology-based and those of us becoming librarians now are finding RA
resources online to be much quicker and, arguably, more efficient. Some of the
more popular online RA tools are: blogs, social media, review websites and
databases.
Databases
are looked upon as one of the most respected tools of RA. NoveList is one of
the most popular and is user-friendly once you get the hang of how it works. It
includes Read-Alikes for not just titles but also authors and series. NoveList
is quite extensive as one can search many different ways. For example, if a
patron is looking for a novel set in a certain location, it is possible to
search for other novels set in that location. It is also possible to search for
writing style, pacing and any keywords that may direct you to the right book.
There is also a NoveList K-8 for children’s books.
Social
media is big these days in RA. Facebook, Twitter, Good Reads and Your Next
Read. Good Reads and Your Next Read I put under social media because mostly the
reviews and recommendations come from the public not a specific source and you
may connect with those friends you have on Facebook to find out and discuss
what they are reading. Good Reads is a cataloging website (some may say
database) where anyone can catalog what they are reading, want to read or have
already read. You have access to lists, reviews, quizzes, contests and so many
other elements that are definitely RA. Your Next Read is not nearly as
extensive in its perks but when you look up a book, it generates a map of
different suggested reads by the public for that particular book. After you
read the suggestion, you can give that book a thumbs up or down as it pertains
to the original book you had read. You can also make your own map. Of course,
Good Reads and Your Next Read can be linked to Facebook or Twitter so you can post
with other social media what you have read or are planning to read. Libraries
are also using Facebook and Twitter to promote books and to review books. It’s
so easy for someone to use these sites to get many suggestions on what book to
read next.
Facebook and Twitter may also be
considered under the subject of blogs. As Anwyll and Chawner state, “Microblogging
involves posting short (typically 140-character) status updates, usually broadcast
via a website. One of the most popular microblogging sites is Twitter, which
provides “real time” updates from people anywhere in the world” (2013, P. 19).
Another more typical blog that is recommended is The Reader’s Advisor Online.
It provides a weekly, extensive blog for librarians covering so many different
subjects such as: lists, authors, ebooks, worth reading and so much more. The
site also allows you to click on a book and it will give you Read-Alikes, genre
and sub-genre suggestions and what to read next.
Review websites are also very helpful when
doing RA. One of the best review sites for series is Fantastic Fiction. It is
very well organized and can be searched by author or book. Once searched, all
of the series are arranged from start to finish and are very easy to comprehend
(especially for those of us who don’t usually read series). The books may also
be clicked upon to get a summary. Kirkus,
Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly and New
York Times Book Review, each of which was touched upon earlier in the print
discussion, also have online websites which feature reviews and are very
similar to their book forms. Amazon is considered an RA tool because it does
feature reviews as well as summaries and suggestions for books that have been
bought by customers along with the book that is of interest.
There are pros and cons to all of the RA
tools that have been touched upon. Print tools are highly respected but are
also more clunky and, sometimes, harder to use than online tools. Online tools
are a dime a dozen and can be harder to figure out which ones are respected but
they are easier to use and more handy with today’s technology. Sites which use
the general public’s reviews may be a pro or a con depending on how you look at
it; if you are looking for a professional review, this is definitely a con but
if you are looking for an item or genre that isn’t widely reviewed or received,
the general public’s reviews may be taken into consideration. The number of reviews
by the public may be counted as well; if there are many good or bad reviews,
this may give the patron their answer as to whether or not they are interested
in pursuing the item. Another pro for online sources is they are frequently
updated with new material, sometimes even daily. Print sources are not updated
until the next printing or issue which may be a week or a year depending on the
tool.
In conclusion, there is an enormous
selection of Readers’ Advisory tools that is available to librarians. Print and
online resources are the most popular and most widely used and they all have
pros and cons depending on the librarian’s experience with them. Some of these
tools are also available to the general public, some are subscription only but
may be accessed at your local public library. The Top 10 most convenient tools
are handy and easy to use but don’t forget the other lesser used tools that can
open up a new world for the patron as well.
Resources
Anwyll,
R., & Chawner, B. (2013). Social media and readers' advisory: A win-win
combination?
Collection
Development and Evaluation Section (CODES) Readers' Advisory Committee.
Herald,
Diana Tixier. (2006). Genreflecting: A
Guide to Reading Interests in Genre Fiction.
Libraries Unlimited. Westport, CT.
[Print].
LIUPost.
(February 24, 2016). Library and
Information Science Resources for Palmer Students:
Thorton-Verma,
Henrietta and Schwartz, Meredith. (February 3, 2014). “The State of Readers’
