Recommendations without saying a word: Passive readers’ advisory
Readers’ advisory (RA) is a service
offered to patrons to assist them in identifying items that they will enjoy borrowing
from the library. RA generally involves an interview to determine the patron’s
desires based on past positive or negative experiences, favorite author, mood,
pace, time period, and anything else helpful in hopes of locating the perfect
book for the patron. Readers’ advisory service is becoming an increasingly
sought after service from staff in the majority of public libraries. According
to survey results, “All of the public librarians who answered a survey recently
developed by LJ (Library Journal) with NoveList and the RUSA/CODES Readers' Advisory Research
and Trends Committee said that they conducted personal RA in-house.” (Schwartz,
2014)
Chances are good that when working
with the public, a RA inquiry will arise as survey results indicate that an “in-person RA takes place 85% of the time at the reference desk and 59%
at the circulation desk.” (Schwartz, 2014) Patrons can also gain satisfaction in
selecting their own books as part of their entire reading experience or
appreciate suggestions when they feel staff is too busy to assist them with individual
assistance. Those patrons still benefit from staff’s expertise in readers’
advisory services through the classification of material, creative use of displays,
and the information provided about and the promotion of materials in the
library.
Passive readers’ advisory services,
sometimes referred to as self-service readers’ advisory, involves the actions
of and intentions in staff recommending and suggesting books to patrons in all
possible methods and modes, aside from verbal communication. “Passive readers’
advisory is an essential part of any library’s readers’ advisory services
because it reaches a group of readers who cannot or will not take advantage of
real-time or face-to-face services.” (Moyer, 2010, p. 73) According to the survey,
“Self-directed RA is also highly popular, with 94% of libraries
creating book displays, for example, and 75% offering book lists.” (Schwartz, 2014)
While many patrons enjoy nothing more
than talking to library staff and using their expertise and resources to help them
discover a new book; some patrons’ simply enjoy discovering a book to read by
browsing on their own. According to the article, Flow: The benefits of pleasure reading and tapping
readers’ interests, “The importance of self-selection is key in
developing services to fiction readers. Through Readers’ Advisory Services,
libraries can passively and actively promote fiction to readers. Passive
readers’ advisory is the act of grouping, displaying or highlighting books to
make them accessible to readers seeking to self-select titles.” (Towey, 2001)
There are many different types of
passive readers’ advisory methods used in libraries that staff may not even be
aware that they are offering to patrons. A subtle advisory service employed by
libraries is in the organization of the collection. “Grouping the fiction collection by genre or
placing genre identification on book spines is often suggested as the solution
to providing readers with better access to the fiction collection.” (Saricks,
2005, p.138) If a patron enjoys Mystery Fiction, for instance, they are able to
browse that area without asking for staff assistance. Unfortunately, without
speaking to staff, patrons may be unaware that the Mystery section does not
contain some of the suspense titles they enjoy, or that their favorite author
may also have books in a separate section as well. Genre defining stickers placed
on the materials spine can also assist patrons in selecting books based on
their preferences especially when the collection is not divided into separate
genres. Regrettably, issues of inconsistent classification can occur with subjective
staff determination of material placement, lack of knowledge of a particular
title or genre and the fact that many authors are writing books that are in
blurred genres or in a completely different genre altogether.
Displays around the library are a
great way of promoting material and can be used in a variety of physical locations,
and take up as much or little space deemed necessary. The displays can be
customized to fit any need that the library wants to meet. Megan Tarbett author
of “Market your library like a bookstore” was a merchandising manager at Barnes
& Noble before becoming a librarian and offers this valuable advice for successful
displays,
This is the most important thing to
remember about making a display. A display doesn't have to be
put up on the first of the month, be forgotten, and then taken down at the end
of the month to begin the cycle again. If a display is having a great
impact, leave it up. Add to it. Modify it to keep it vital. On the flip side,
if a display is a nonmoving stack of books, take it down and put
something else up. It sounds simple and it is, if you let yourself be nimble
and alert to your patrons' wants and the profession's trends. Make a basic display plan
at the beginning of the month but be willing to change it as the month goes
along. (2011)
Displays are a great way to offer self-selection and increase
the circulation of material.
·
In preparation for blockbuster books, make
a quick read-alike list for titles with expected long reserve or hold lists.
·
Feature a "Book of the Day" at the
checkout point. As soon as it disappears, get another book to take its place.
·
A perennial low-maintenance favorite is the
"Good Reading You May Have Missed" basket. Ask staff and patrons to
add to the basket. Patrons enjoy making their own choices, but they also
appreciate having the choices whittled down to the best material.
·
Leave
multicolored index cards at the public service desk for patrons, and invite
comments and suggestions about current reading. After a handful of cards have
been collected, put them on a ring, and leave it at the desk for patrons to flip
through.
These ideas are all effective methods of passive RA techniques
that can be utilized by any size library, without a budget and are fairly
low-maintenance; some also include patron involvement which is a fun way to
expand suggestions and add variety to them.
Making bookmarks and booklists are both
terrific resources in offering passive RA and providing additional information to
all patrons. Bookmarks can easily be created through templates and can feature
staff packs, patron favorites, new releases, “similar to” and suggested titles
or anything else desired. Booklists are generally printed on full size paper,
and can be folded, full page or multiple pages. This gives them the ability to
contain more information about the book, including a brief annotation.
Booklists can cover any topic, theme or bestsellers. (Moyer, 2010, p. 76) If
the material is available in the library, (which is always a positive thing to
make sure that it is available for patrons to borrow or reserve from the
collection) the item location can also be noted.
No matter how patrons receive staff’s
assistance, we want it to be positive. Librarians are always thinking of the
best way to serve patrons and through that, the scope of RA has evolved to help
patrons find the material that best serves their needs. Whether it is for sheer
entertainment or resources for a research paper; the librarian can offer value
through recommendations. Passive readers’ advisory extends the offerings to
patrons without saying a word.
References
Moyer, J. E., & Stover, K. M. (2010). Readers' Advisory
Handbook. Chicago, IL, USA: ALA Editions. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com
Saricks, J. G. (2005). Readers' Advisory Service in the
Public Library (3rd Edition). Chicago, IL, USA: ALA Editions. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com
Schwartz, M., & Thornton-Verma, H. (2014). The State of
Readers' Advisory. Library Journal, 139(2), 30.
Stover, K. M. (2005). Working without a Net: Readers' Advisory
in the Small Public Library. Reference & User Services
Quarterly, 45(2), 122-125.
Tarbett, M. (2011). Market Your Library Like a Bookstore. Voice
Of Youth Advocates, 34(4), 334-336.
Tarulli, L. l., & Welch, L. w. (2013). RA Training. Reference & User
Services Quarterly, 52(3), 191-196.
Towey, C. A. (2001). Flow: The Benefits of Pleasure Reading
and Tapping Readers' Interests. Acquisitions Librarian, 13(25), 131.
