Chapter 1 - Genreflecting Thoughts on the reading

In the discussion forum I wrote:
RA is a service we provide to our customers. Part of the service is responding to a customer's need - does the customer want help in identifying the latest title by an author, the first book or latest book in a series by an author, a suggestion for a book to read, a suggestion for somebody "new" to read, or information about the format the book might be in -- hardcover, paperback, large print, e-book, audiocassette, book on cd, PlayAway, or audio online (OverDrive).

Part of the service is more proactive: putting out displays, creating reading suggestions via print or on our website--best new books, favorite books of 2008, staff picks, etc. Offering online services such as Next Reads or Chapter-A-Day products.

The key component, beyond our collectons, is the one-on-one service. RA described as a conversation by Saricks and others where we talk about books and share with our customers. We wander the aisles and engage them in conversations about what they're reading and offer suggestions. My favorite recent RA experience was with a woman. I recommended Sue Henry to her and she recommended another author to me and took ME to the shelf where those books were!

The introductory materials talk a lot about genres and how to talk with people -- questions to ask to help us suggest possible books or authors and not to worry that there is only one right book. I found On the Social Nature of Reading by Wayne Wiegand fascinating in the section in which he talks about "understanding how libraries function as places in the lives of their users. . . ."

More on Wiegard:
As librarians we should think primarily from the perspective of the "library in the life of the user" rather than the user in the life of the library.

Advisory means enabling choice for the reader - facilitating their needs and we need to be careful not to be seen as "prescribing better" or "elevating taste". This leads me to think of the times I've heard staff say or said myself when asked about a romance or horror fiction . . . hmmm, well, I don't read romance but . . . .
Does the reader take this as a put down , , , that we are too good to read romances . . . the taste level isn't high enough
What phrasing can we use, something like yes, there are lots of good romances to choose from and then go into the RA interview . . . I'll have to work on this

Catherine Sheldrick Ross talks about matching a reader to a book to match the readers mood right then . . . I do see that phrasing a lot - especially in the summer - I want something light or not too long . . . it's a busy time and I want to read but don't have a lot of time. In the winter, I see people who want to stock up in case the weather is bad. We do try to do displays tha reflect this seasonal type of reading difference.