23 March 2010

The next readers advisory seminar (free for New South Wales public library staff) will be 23 March 2010.

Planning has already started and it promises to be another exciting and innovative seminar.

You can find information from previous seminars on the wiki.

Video instant messaging, or online games, for reading groups

Has anyone tried using video instant messaging for running a reading group? If you have I would be really interested in hearing from you. I would also be like to hear from people who would like to trial this as a reading group option.

Video instant messaging is a simple technology to learn. Each person can login to their instant message program of choice and use this as an online forum for discussion. This method would allow people to talk together about what they have read without having to be mobile. It provides social interaction and intellectual stimulation without people needing to meet together in person as they can meet together online. As well as working for older people who are not mobile this may work well for parents at home looking after small children (as they could walk away from the discussion when they needed to attend to their child), and it would also work well for lots of other people as well.

Reading group discussions could also take place in multi user dimensional games, such as World of Warcraft. Participants could agree on the location and time, and use the existing chat function to have the discussion, or they could use voice discussion. People would just need to watch out for wandering hunters and rogues. Imagine having to interrupt a World of Warcraft based reading group to actually fight off imaginary wildlife trying to kill your character. Note World of Warcraft is a subscription game, but libraries could choose to engage with existing World of Warcraft subscribers without those subscribers paying extra. World of Warcraft has more than 11.5 million subscribers each month and they are spread over a range of ages around the world. Some of them may already be amongst your readers

Manly’s ‘roving’ reader’s advisory is ‘roaming’ along!

Staff has not found the ‘little’ net book quite so useful as we had hoped, mainly due to the weight of carrying it around and then only having one hand free to search [physically] when required. Also it times out occasionally at the least opportune moment!
However, we are not dissuaded, and in fact are currently looking at a small reader’s advisory meeting with interested staff to have a refresh course and to see how we can improve our service. We currently have 8 very interested, interesting and enthusiastic floor walkers.

Wendy

Library and Information Week 2009

The theme for this year’s LIW (25-31 May) is designed to highlight the self-directed discovery element of public libraries.

Is anyone using this theme to promote self-help tools that they have available in their Libraries for Readers. Does anyone have any great ideas for how we could promote the self-help aspect of our Readers Advisory services?

We spend a lot of time talking about the Readers Advisor/Reader relationship, but what about those readers who like to help themselves? How do we cater for these very important (but often invisible) customers?

Roving Reader’s Advisory at Manly (part 1)

Manly library service has just taken delivery of a new Dell netbook (9 inch model). We intend to investigate its suitability for roving customer service. Initially it will be deployed on the ground floor which houses our fiction collection. The aim is to liberate one of our customer service staff from behind the desk; so that they can venture out and assist clients browsing our collection. The netbook will be connected to our wireless network allowing access to our catalogue and other online readers advisory resources such as novelist.

Initial impressions of our Dell Netbook:

* the netbook is nice and light and easy to hold in one hand

* the processing speed appears to be adequate for general Internet browsing

* the screen resolution is average however adequate for intended use

* the battery life provides 2 hours charge, adequate for trial

Over the proceeding months Wendy Ford (Community Liaison Librarian) will provide a running commentary on this project.

Wendy's first dispatch;

Reader’s advisory has come to be considered the practice of recommending fiction books to readers unsure of what book to choose, and although my first attempts were honest and hopeful, I was most surprised by the roving assistance results. Manned with our new small net book and equipped with what I considered to be enough general knowledge to assist our clients, I walked the fiction floor trying to look unobtrusive yet helpful. Rather than asking ‘do you want fries with that’, or wearing an ‘ask me’ badge, I thought I was well known enough that our clients would approach me. Not so –

On my second attempt I was more outgoing and so approached people who were ‘searching’. Of the 12 people I approached, all responded with a yes you can help me – but of course, rather than wanting my valuable and interesting knowledge, they were more interested in finding what they themselves were seeking. So, although I was ‘roving’, I was in fact doing what we should have been doing all along; just being visible and approachable.

Tweet your readers

Twitter, a micro blogging service has many possibilties for readers advisory work. Denver Library tweets a mix of suggestions for readers, and promotion for library events. Vancouver Public Library is more promotion based. City of Casa Grande Public Library links their title tweets to their library catalogue. Washington-Centreville Public Library mixes readers advisory ideas in with other information about their library services. Mosman Council includes some information about reading in their council wide tweets.

I think there are lots of possibilties for using Twitter for readers advisory work, and encouraging engagement with your reader through following their tweets as well.

There is a special twibe (yes - tribes for twitter) for librarians.

Bonnet books

A genre which has been receiving a growing amount of attention is bonnet books. These books focus on the Amish. They sounds like a mix of family sagas and romance. What new genres have you discovered?