Each student is required to complete five assignments. Assignments are due on:
Select a genre from this list--adventure, western, mystery, romance, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, Christian/inspirational or horror--for your focus. Advisory work, regardless of format, is easier if you have some strength in a particular genre.
While this course is intended to focus on adult fiction or non-fiction, students may use YA or teen genre content for some exercises. However, adult genre fiction is typically more popular with teens than teen genre fiction. It might be better to work with adult fiction and attempt to find content that is suitable for a teen audience.
Ordinarily, you would select the genre that you know the least about. Although he is not an expert, the teacher reads heroic fantasy and science fiction novels. You can see what he has read recently by visiting novels recently read on his web site.
This discussion list is devoted to reader's advisory work. This
should
give you a good taste of what RA work involves. Please note that the
traffic
is heavy and you should sign up for the digest version. See if you can
find
the subscription information on your own. However, if it takes more
than a
few minutes, the teacher will give you the needed URL. Although the
focus is on fiction and books, much content will apply to any format.
During the term, prepare a log or some such where you comment/react to the posts that you have read. Look for patterns and major issues as well as tips and hints that seem especially useful. Turn these into a thoughtful paper with thoughtful conclusions about common problems and trends. Worth 25 points.
As advisors, it is important for us to understand the appeal that a particular subject or genre has. Why do people read, view, or listen to this content rather than another? Using whatever sources seem appropriate, including contacts with subject or genre enthusiasts if they are available, prepare a thoughtful essay that considers the several appeal elements associated with the genre or subject that you have selected. Worth 25 points.
One of the major problems facing the advisor in selecting and suggesting genre fiction or topical non-fiction is keeping up with new content, authors and creators, and the like. Often, the standard LIS sources provide inadequate coverage. Using traditional hard copy and web resources, identify the five to ten resources that you would use on a regular basis to keep up with your content area. Provide a descriptive and evaluative annotation and a persuasive rationale for each selection. Do compare similar sources. At the beginning, include some indication of your strategy and which resources were most useful in compiling your list. Note which sources have a RSS feed.
Worth 25 points.
In many smaller libraries, it is difficult for one or two librarians to keep up with the several genres. You may be able to secure help from colleagues, both professional and nonprofessional, who are thoughtful genre readers. Survey your staff, to discover which colleagues regularly read, view or listen to which content areas. If you do not work in a library, assume that SIS students or other friends are colleagues in a simulated public library. Survey SIX of them. Ask these questions:
Summarize your findings and ADD conclusions. Worth 25 points.
Chapter 3 in Readers' Advisory Service in the Pubic Library lists appeal questions and their application. Select an item in your chosen content area and answer these questions. You may need to be flexible in working with non-fiction and non-book formats. The teacher provides a sample response for a fantasy novel, Green Rider.
Chapter 5 in Readers' Advisory Service in the Pubic
Library discusses annotation writing and provides an example.
The
teacher provides an example for Green Rider.
There
are also lecture notes on this topic. Select two items in your chosen
content area and
prepare proper annotations. Add a "lessons learned" conclusion at the end.
Appeal and annotation are worth 25 points.
Large chain bookstores (Borders and Barnes & Noble, for example) generally have good selections of current, popular fiction and non-fiction as well as popular back list items. Video stores often have good film selections. Visit such a store (If this is not possible, visit Amazon.com. The experience is different, but can substitute). For your chosen content area, answer the following questions:
Worth 25 points.
This is in lieu of the final examination and is required of all students. The talk should ordinarily be no more that 10 minutes because our time is limited. The book talk is designed to persuade your audience to read, view, or listen to a particular work or you may talk about two works with a similar theme. If you wish, you can compare a written work with the same or a similar work in another format. The talk is a sales pitch and must exhibit enthusiasm (perhaps even zeal). Note the book talk evaluation criteria on the course syllabus. Students are required to send the teacher an audio or video tape in time to be evaluated before grades are due.
The book talk is worth 15 points.
These assignments are designed for those interested in managing public services for adults.
Prepare a thoughtful essay that answers the question: "What business are we in?" For example, is the library in the book business? The Information business? The entertainment business? The popular reading business? The education business? After your decision and rationale, discuss the collections and services that are appropriate for that kind of business.
The essay is worth 25 points.
Using lifestyle analysis , select an
adult audience segment and create a portfolio of services appropriate
for that segment. While some services are
appropriate for several audiences, some audiences need particular
services. Being able to relate services to particular community
segments is an essential part of adult services.
This paper is worth 25 points.
For the audience discussed above, prepare an appropriate program. Indicate the resources needed, who will be involved, the topic, how it will be promoted, and how success will be evaluated.
This project is worth 25 points.
Visit at least five public library websites to see how visible adult services are. At least two websites should have reasonably visible adult services. How close is this information to the library's home page. How attractive and useful is the adult services page? Which adult services are available? Were any of these innovative? Would this content attract the adult user? How might this aspect of the website be improved?
This project is worth 25 points.
Attend a program for adults at a local library or other community organization. Evaluate the program: Was it well-done? Was it appropriate for the community? Did it enhance the reputation of the library or other organization? Was the event well attended? How might the program be improved?
This paper is worth 25 points.
Prepare a rehab for a physical library to make it more attractive to adults. Using a floor plan [need not be to scale], show the existing arrangement and the revised one. Describe and discuss specific steps you would take to make the library more welcoming and interesting with some consideration to showcasing collections and services.
This paper is worth 25 points.
Last major revision: October 2007.
