Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library

225 Pages·2005·1.53 MB·English

by  Joyce G. Saricks

Readers’
Advisory
Service
in the
Public
Library
T H I R D E D I T I O N
JOYCE G. SARICKS
Readers’
Advisory
Service
in the
Public
Library
T H I R D E D I T I O N
JOYCE G. SARICKS
American Library Association
Chicago 2005
While extensive effort has gone into ensuring the reliability of information appearing
in this book, the publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, on the accuracy or
reliability of the information, and does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to
any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in this publication.
Design and composition by ALA Editions in Janson Text and Helvetica using
QuarkXPress 5.0 on a PC platform.
Printed on 50-pound white offset, a pH-neutral stock, and bound in 10-point cover
stock by McNaughton & Gunn.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. (cid:1)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Saricks, Joyce G.
Readers’ advisory service in the public library / Joyce G. Saricks.––3rd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 0-8389-0897-7
1. Readers’ advisory services––United States. 2. Public libraries––Reference
services––United States. 3. Fiction in libraries––United States. I. Title.
Z711.55.S27 2005
025.5'4––dc22 2004029271
Copyright © 2005 by the American Library Association. All rights reserved except
those which may be granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act
of 1976.
Printed in the United States of America
09 08 07 06 05 5 4 3 2 1
For Bren and Meg,
who continue to tolerate their mother’s obsession.
And especially for Chris,
who is always ready to read and to play and
who has shared a love of books from the beginning.

CONTENTS
List of Figures vii
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
1
A History and Introduction 1
2
Reference Sources 14
3
Articulating a Book’s Appeal 40
4
The Readers’Advisory Interview 74
5
Background for Readers’Advisors 104
6
Promoting and Marketing Readers’Advisory
Collections and Services 136
7
Training 161
APPENDIXES
1
Popular Fiction List 181
2
Popular Nonfiction List 185
3
Sure Bets 188
4
A NoveList Author Readalike 191
Bibliography 195
Author Index 199
Subject Index 201
v

FIGURES
2.1 What to Look for in Reference Sources for Readers’ Advisory 16
3.1 Questions to Consider to Identify Pacing 45
3.2 Questions to Consider to Identify Characterization 50
3.3 Questions to Consider to Identify Story Line 56
3.4 Questions to Consider to Identify Frame 59
3.5 The Vocabulary of Appeal 66
3.6 Fiction Reviews 68
3.7 Nonfiction Review 70
5.1 Suggested Discussion Questions 106
5.2 Book Annotation Format 109
5.3 Book Notes Format 110
5.4 Readalike Notes 118
5.5 Completed Readalike Bookmark 120
5.6 Characteristics of the Suspense Genre 122
5.7 Tips for Studying a Genre 126
5.8 Questions to Consider in Discussing Sue Grafton
and Authors of Female Private Investigator Mysteries 127
5.9 Speed-Reading Books; or, How to Read a Novel
in Ten Minutes 131
6.1 Downers Grove Public Library Proofreading Checklist 154
7.1 Goals of Readers’ Advisory Training 162
7.2 Basic Skills for Readers’ Advisors 166
7.3 A Checklist for Readers’ Advisory Training 167
7.4 Readers’ Advisory Assignment 173
7.5 Ongoing Training Activities for Experienced
Readers’ Advisors 175
vii

PREFACE
I
n the years since the second edition of Readers’ Advisory
Service in the Public Library was published, in 1997, the
library profession has once again experienced a dramat-
ic increase in interest in this topic as well as in the way it is taught in library
schools and practiced in public libraries across the country. The impact of
the World Wide Web on library service in general and readers’ advisory in
particular, changes in practices, increased availability of tools, expanded
knowledge of and interest in the topic, and questions from librarians con-
vinced me that practitioners and educators would welcome an updated and
expanded edition.
In this edition, I have added material in several areas. In response to
increased interest in readers’ advisory for nonfiction readers, I have expanded
the original definition of readers’ advisory to include materials for leisure
readers of fiction and nonfiction. A brief discussion of nonfiction readers’
advisory is also included. The chapter on readers’ advisory reference sources
has been dramatically revised to reflect the domination of online tools. I
have also expanded the explanation of appeal with more examples, a vocab-
ulary of appeal terms, and a discussion of how readers’ advisors use reviews
to discover appeal. More material on marketing—to library users and
administration—acknowledges the growing importance of that aspect of
our work. There are also additional bibliographies and appendixes; the
Popular Fiction List is joined by a Popular Nonfiction List and examples of
fiction and nonfiction Sure Bets with an explanation of their audience and
appeal. Throughout the text, I have tried to include more examples to illus-
trate the concepts.
The philosophy behind this revision remains consistent with that of the
first two editions. The aim is to introduce the user to the materials, skills,
and philosophy of readers’ advisory service. Rather than being prescriptive,
this book offers suggestions of techniques, and all material included supports
ix