"All the surveys we've seen, conducted by librarians as well as non librarians, indicate that there is virtually no service library users value more highly than the ability to match a book with a reader or to answer the question, 'What do I read next?'" ~ Francine Fialkoff
The reader advisory interview is a brief, informal conversation about reading between a library staff member and a user. During the course of the conversation, the staff member suggests (guides or advises and does not recommend) some books that the user may enjoy reading. This is less formal than the reference interview and more likely to take place on the floor or in the stacks than at a desk. The reading guidance should be conversational and not didactic. This interview may be like "hand-selling" in a book store.
Ideally, there are three stages to the RA interview:
The client must come to the library and she must be willing to either ask for help or be comfortable about receiving help when it is presented. The library itself and its public services in particular must be visible and welcoming. Clients must know that reader's services are available.
Library staff must be competent. They must be familiar with genre fiction, with the appropriate resources, and be prepared to offer guidance that is appropriate [right book for the right person at the right time]. Orientation and on-the-job training would insure that competence is earned and maintained.
It is assumed that you are a reader and that you enjoy reading fiction. Further, we assume that you enjoy reading one of the major genres. Ideally, you would read widely in your genre and it would be even better if you read in more than one genre. One interesting way to become more familiar with a new genre is to read children's or teen books. With less complicated plots, larger print, and a more limited vocabulary, books for young people help adults to read more quickly and comfortably. This is a good way to become more familiar with major appeal elements.
We also assume that you have access to other readers (staff, family, friends) and that you browse in review periodicals. You have a good notion of which reviewers seem to do an especially good job. In particular, you know which reviewers seem to review works and relate them to typical rather than academic readers or other critics.
You can't read everything and you can't know everything. Success is more likely with a team effort. Don't limit your suggestions to those works that you have read. We want to provide patrons with a reasonable range of possibilities and not just what you have enjoyed. You do not need to have read it, but you do need to know:
You need to be especially familiar with best book and read-alike resources for those genres and sub-genres where you have little knowledge. You may also be able to refer to a colleague who has that knowledge.
On the job training really makes a difference. Usually this is based upon a list of the most popular genres (may include some sub-genres) and the most popular (benchmark) authors in each popular genre. The best way to train is as part of a group [could be library staff or staff from different libraries] so there is ample opportunity for interaction. This is the time to begin work on identification and analysis of appeal elements. Participants in this program should read, annotate, and discuss one book per month. Focus on authors who have written several books or series since that makes RA easier and increases the likelihood that books well be available. Could you design a staff reading (training) program based on these lists and follow-up discussions with a focus on what each major author does best?
Browse in genre-specific magazines, especially those with good reviews and lots of advertisements for new and forthcoming books. Do the same for library and book trade periodicals that review your genres. Browsing in new books also helps.
Regularly review holds or reserves and other circulation data for genre fiction to see which titles, authors, and genres are most in demand. Be ready to handle problems related to the likely fact that best sellers asked for will be out of stock. When holds or reserves are placed, be prepared to suggest authors in stock with similar appeal.
Library staff must be cheerful, outgoing, welcoming, and good at dealing with readers of various types and interests. They must be non-judgmental. Being a good listener is especially important. How might you improve active listening skills?
The collection must contain a reasonable number of the items that local patrons wish to read, including a good balance between older, standard works and new titles. There should be enough duplicate copies so that no patron will wait "forever" before a desired title becomes available. Holds and reserves will allow users to gain equitable access to popular titles.
As mentioned elsewhere, many reader guidance queries may be answered by guides (focused, short bibliographies) and other handouts. These may be in print or mounted on a WWW site. These are especially valuable for those users who do not wish to ask for help, but who would be helped by a guide. Just as the reference department will have a range for guides or pathfinders for common reference topics/queries, the reader advisor should have a range of guides to introduce readers to genres, subgenres, authors, and series.
Some will argue that guides, reader guidance databases, and reasonable intellectual/physical access minimize the need for the RA interview. Segregated shelving for new and older books, spine labels, visible help yourself resources, suggestion systems, staff picks, and the like may make it relatively easy for readers to find appropriate book to read.
Consider a "good book" truck placed near the circulation desk or the genre fiction shelves. Recently discharged books are often popular, readable works. This makes it easier for patrons to find a good boo.
Other ways to encourage self-service RA work and diminish the need for an interview include:
Would these really make a difference? How important is the face to face interaction between reader and staff member?
Although the staff member working the floor may start the interview by asking if she can help, the reader advisory interview usually begins with the reader requesting help. This means that reader advisory work, like reference work, consists of a series of somewhat random encounters. Although their are clearly patterns to requests and interests, it is never clear what the day will bring.
A few independent book stores ask users to complete interest profiles and then notify customers when a matching book is available. With the right software and email notification, this process would allow for a more systematic and continuing relationship between the library and the reader.
Mary K. Chelton, a cracker jack reader's advisor and library author, says that the key issue is the mood of the patron and that is related to what the reader hopes to gain from the reading experience. A secondary concern is what costs [degree of difficulty and time required to complete] the reader is willing to pay. For example, when readers are stressed, they likely want stories that bring comfort. When they are not stressed, they are more likely to take risks. Time plays an important role too. When time is limited, easier and less challenging books may appeal. When more time is available, new authors and new sub-genres are more appealing. Chilton lists six approachs toward reader book selection. Some of these categories seem to overlap. The major thread is that of comfort versus challenge.
Usually, the interview focuses on read-alikes since most users want a new book that is similar in some important way to one already read. A read-alike may come from another genre or general fiction since appeal elements may cross genre divisions. For example, some one who enjoys mysteries might enjoy one in a romance, SF, or fantasy work. The guides mentioned above often focus on read-alike authors, e.g. if you enjoy Tolkien you may enjoy ....
Recall the major elements of the reference interview. The process is essentially the same for reader guidance. Note especially that "it is understood that the professionalism of the reference librarian does not depend on his or her personal interest or knowledge about the topic. ... The reader's adviser should not rely on a lucky coincidence of tastes, but should use professional skills first to find out about the advisee's reading interests and, second, to use reference tools to find suitable books that match those interests."
The major difference is that readers are less likely to ask for help that those with information wants or needs. This means that more effort is usually required to get readers to ask for help.
Another difference is that readers are less likely to have specific wants or needs. Since genre reading is usually done for personal reasons, it is unlikely that there will be assignment expectations or other external cues.
Finally, "right" answers are less likely and there are many potential wrong answers. The key is not so much to find the right book as to identify elements that may be used to narrow choices to a reasonable number.
Privacy or confidentiality is a concern in both cases. Although revealing reading interests my seem less threatening than revealing information needs, it is important that users feel comfortable in sharing their interests. Library staff should treat guidance interviews as confidential and share reader comment only with permission. Some readers will be uncomfortable in discussing what they read. For example, the horror reader may not wish people to think that he carries an ax in his briefcase or whatever. It is unethical and unprofessional for staff to joke about reader comment shared in the interview.
Love books, love people, and love bringing the two together. Be cheerful and open. Maintain good eye contact and positive body language. Don't make negative comments about authors and books. Do not attempt to "elevate" taste except as this occurs naturally when suggesting an enjoyable book. Honest enthusiasm and an acute appreciation for the joys of reading are required.
The questions most often used are simple and straight-forward:
The intent is to begin a conversation with the patron which will naturally identify some appeal elements that can be used to identify a read-alike or an appropriate new author.
Good walking the floor questions to open the interview might include:
Follow questions such as those with an attempt to identify appeal elements important to the reader so that these can be matched with books held.
There is no perfect book for the reader. Always suggest two or three titles in a range of possibilities so one should work. A recommendation tends to be more prescriptive while a suggestion focuses on reader interests and preferences. We do not give mini-book talks but instead focus on a few relevant appeal elements that match the reader's interests.
Given the nature of reading and readers, it is best to suggest books to read rather than to recommend. It is always difficult to know what a reader will truly enjoy. Unlike reference, there are rarely right answers. However, with two or three suggestions, one may be just the right book or author.
Most questions will focus on appeal elements and answers should focus on those same elements. Typical appeal elements include:
As with the reference interview, rephrasing what the patron wants is important in moving toward resolution. Note that "a good book" or "a well written book" usually means a story that matched the patron's mood and the need for a certain kind of experience. These phrases have little connection with critical appraisals.
Sometimes you will be stumped. What will you do then? If you cannot readily identify a likely title, visiting the RA reference shelves and looking at sources with the patron usually helps (just like browsing the ready reference shelves in answering a ready reference query). For example, Genreflecting provides many helpful lists and suggestions.
Subject entries or added entries for fiction are usually not helpful enough to make catalog use productive when looking for stories about librarian detectives or time travel involving the Roman empire.
Sometimes it is useful to go to the genre book shelves or the new book shelves. Books held for reshelving are often good possibilities since this is where many popular items will be found. Book clues or cues work well here. Examine briefly book covers, front and back flap copy and the blurb on the back.
Another approach is to go a comprehensive print or data base and do some general searches or help the user to become familiar with the resource. If your library has a collection of "sure bets (works that have proved popular with many readers)," they may work at this time.
Not all RA queries need to be answered immediately. As in reference, call backs in a few hours are often quite acceptable and give you the time to do a better job (especially if you can't think of anything).
If these do not work, this is time for a referral. After using an appropriate variety of sources, you need to be able to suggest an alternative. Alternatives might include WWW search engines, news groups, and discussion lists.
Ideally, the patron would return and comment on the suggestions made earlier. Once you know which suggestions worked and why (or which did not and why) you can do a better job of guidance in the future. Without feedback, it is difficult to know if you were successful. The best measure of success is the satisfied patron. This success may be measured by anecdotal comment, letters and emails, and responses to survey instruments.
Since a purpose of reader advisory work is to increase circulation, circulation should increase after a RA program is initiated. How much circulation should increase is a difficult matter to predict. Still, with guidance, more books should circulate, especially those on guides and other bibliographies.
Last major revision: August 2004.