You need to select a genre from this list--adventure, western, mystery, romance, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, Christian/inspirational or horror--for your focus. In order to insure that each genre is covered, we will draw genres out of a hat on the first class meeting. DE students not present in Knoxville may select a genre of their choice. Christian fiction may be more difficult because it is not included in our text.
While this course is intended to focus on adult genre fiction, students may use YA or teen genre fiction 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 work that is suitable for a teen audience.
Ordinarily, you would select the genre that you know the most about. However, this could be an opportunity to become familiar with a new genre, perhaps filling a gap in your collection development - reader's advisory knowledge. 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 readon his web site.
It is important that each of the major genres listed above is covered in class and that means that each will need to have a student. If there are more than enough students to cover the genres, it may be possible for students to do the genre specific projects as a team.
This is the discussion list 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.
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. Close with thoughtful conclusions. Worth 30 points.
As reader advisors, it is important for us to understand the appeal that a particular genre has. Why do people read this genre rather than another? Using whatever sources seem appropriate, including contacts with genre readers if they are available, prepare a thoughtful essay that considers the several appeal elements associated with the genre that you have selected. Worth 20 points.
Be ready to discuss your findings and conclusions when your genre appears on the course calendar.
One of the major problems facing the reader advisor in selecting genre fiction is keeping up with new books, authors, and the like. Often, the standard sources don't provide adequate coverage. Using traditional hard copy and WWW resources, identify the five resources that you would use to keep up with your genre. Provide an annotation and a persuasive rationale for each selection. Also include some indication of your strategy and which resources were most useful in compiling your list.
Be ready to discuss the results of these identification exercises when your genre appears on the course calendar. Worth 20 points.
Genreflecting includes some WWW sites. However, some of these sites may disappear and new ones will appear. Using your favorite search engines, directories, and the like, identify and evaluate genuinely useful and excellent sites that deal with your genre, including major publisher sites. This should be a highly selective list.
Prepare an annotated and evaluative webography. Briefly describe your search strategy in your introduction. Be ready to discuss your findings and conclusions when your genre is presented in class. Worth 25 points.
It might be best to do the WWW assignment first since it should provide you with helpful orientation information on your genre.
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 which genres. 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 15 points.
Chapter 3 in Readers' Advisory Service in the Pubic Library lists appeal questions and their application. Select a book in your chosen genre and answer these questions. The teacher provides a sample response for a fantasy novel, Green Rider. Worth 10 points each.
Distance students who do not attend class meetings are required to do TWO books characterizations.
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 a book in your chosen genre and prepare proper annotations.
Distance students who do not attend class meetings are required to do TWO books [two annotations].
Worth 10 points each.
Large chain bookstores (Borders and Barnes & Noble, for example) generally have good selections of current, popular genre fiction as well as popular back list items. Visit such a store (If this is not possible, visit Amazon.com. The experience is different, but can substitute). For your chosen genre, answer the following questions:
Distance students who do not attend class meetings are required to do TWO genres and compare findings. Worth 30 points.
This is in lieu of the final examination. The talk should ordinarily be no more that 10 minutes because our time is limited. The book talk is designed to encourage your audience to read 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 medium. The talk is a sales pitch and must exhibit enthusiasm (perhaps even zeal). Note the book talk evaluation criteria on the course syllabus. Distance students who do not attend class meetings 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.
Please see the teacher if you have concerns, questions, or wish to modify an assignment to better meet your needs.
