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**Minutes RA Seminar Meeting - 6/5/25 
Chair - Ita Hanssens (Tamworth)
Start 10am**

**10.00 - Introduction and Acknowledgement of Country** 

The meeting started by Acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the Land from which all participants joined the meeting. Participants wrote what land they were attending from in the chat. Ita welcomed everyone and outlined how the meeting would progress.

**10.05 - What ideas did you take back from the seminar (chat or voice)

10.15 - Readers’ advisory interview - discussion from the seminar**
Lauren (Gerringong)– reiterated the interview as an ongoing learning process. You learn every time you do it. 

Shiralee (Liverpool Plains) really liked the videos demonstrating an RA interview.

Jawed (Burwood) – saw benefit in having a separate strategy for children, a 10 step process and advice about directing the questions back to the child. General RA content was great to reiterate what we do every day. Important to know what people don’t like and being able to work around that. 

Victoria (Bathurst) - finding the time to continue the relationship and get people to tell you if they didn’t like something you recommended. Creates a conversation.

**10.25 - Diversity- How to ensure diversity in readers’ advisory - discussion from the seminar**

Ita (Tamworth)- helping people with diverse mental needs, bibliotherapy. There seemed to be a need for this info as lots of questions were asked. 

Angela (The Hills) – People were excited about getting on board with advocacy and taking this to mental organisations where we can help. Putting reading in forefront of these organisations. Maybe we don’t know how to do this and that’s why there are lots of questions.

Yasmin (North Sydney) - a good side bar to making libraries dementia friendly libraries, sunflower project. We are working in accessibility and other ways in our libraries so this worked well. 

Ellen Forsyth (SLNSW) – tied with collections often people aren’t as deliberate at including books with people with disability. If these books aren’t being purchased and foregrounded, then this makes a difference. There could be a whole range of ways to approach books in the collection. Ellen liked how Yasmin spoke about - if you don’t have the collection there- you can’t do a more diverse readers advisory. About being deliberately inclusive. It does take more work to be inclusive, but that is a better thing in the end. This ties in with then needing the cataloguing to support the collection which supports the RA. It’s a many step process. Interview, collection, cataloguing. 
The findability of the items is critical. Being libraries for the whole community.

Aaron (RUCRL)– interfiling dyslexic books into main collection. They are looking at doing that in their library. 

Ita (Tamworth)– Tamworth actually have junior non-fiction interfiled with adult.

Yasmin (North Sydney) – RA – ask your community how they want it? How do they want to find dyslexic books? Knowing your community and how they want to find books.

Ita (Tamworth)– stickers on spines. As a customer she would like to see them. Conversations about this always go up and down in libraries.

Ita – How do you do your First Nations collections? How do you do yours?

Deanna – flag sticker and items catalogued as FN and interfiled. 

Aaron (RUCRL) - fiction, non-fiction and kids’ book all have a sticker for Aboriginal Australian authors

Ellen (SLNSW)- https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3250767341/view guidelines for First Nations collection description Tui Raven.

Consulting with local elders and FN community can mean they feel more consulted and are more likely to come in.

**10.35 - Taking action - applying good practice in diversifying readers' advisory**

Ita (Tamworth) – making sure displays are diverse. Recommends being actively anti-racist training.

**10.50 - Training - how have you taken ideas back from the seminar, and how does your library include readers' advisory training?**

Gregory (Blacktown)– enjoyed integration of youth book club with RA presentation. 

Ellen (SLNSW)- could suggest your collection staff watch part of the seminar if they didn’t see it. 

A few libraries shared notes, recording onto their teams.
 
Yasmin (North Sydney) – can be as simple as making suggestions yourself to the team

Rob (Singleton) – book buying day- could invite reps from different community groups to participate. Can open conversations. Get in a bookseller – book set up and community can select for the library. 

Yasmin (North Sydney) - did this with youth GN and pizza for a youth activity

Abbey/Angela (CNRL)–  good consideration for regular staff to think about how to have these conversations with casual staff. 

Laruen (Gerringong) - does anyone have any modules they use for casual staff or volunteers? 

Natalie (Kingscliff) – would like to see a cultural advice pop up on public library websites to recognise and respect FN patrons and advise some resources may contain images, film, voices, of deceased. 

Aaron (RUCRL)- permanent cultural advice on their catalogue https://richmondvalley.libero.com.au/libero/WebOpac.cls
 
Ita (Tamworth)– big and small libraries how do you display diversity? 

Jawed (Burwood)– Parallels b/w RA and displays. Useful way to engage people. Their space is limited so discussions are around refreshing regularly, showing members its not the same thing over and over, present with different themes. Weeded books seem to be picked up and go. Is there any angle there about why people pick them up when they have been removed?

Ellen (SLNSW) – encouraging libraries to include books in languages in addition to English as part of displays. Seeing books in other languages they don’t read, can also prompt people to think about asking if there are books in their language. More visibility and inclusive. 

Ita (Tamworth)- can get mixed boxes – this worked well for Tamworth. 

Displays – new books and on other side, recent returns, staff picks, People go to certain staff picks as they know they like the same thing. Makes It personal – starts conversation. 

Yasmin (North Sydney) – Vox books – bilingual read-aloud

Ellen (SLNSW) Professional Reading Groups –Reference group had a small cohort a few years ago who would read articles and discuss. 
Maybe in public libraries a statewide group might work better than within individual public libraries. If anyone wants to take something up let us know.

Rod (Singleton) – is anyone running a silent book club?

Yasmin (North Sydney)- running 3 as part of library winter reading guide. Silent reading party.  Could make it a club if works well. Make a space at start or end talking, but sit down for 30-60 mins for silent reading. You read more if you are with others who are reading. 
These are popping up in pubs and cafes but there is an expectation you buy something. Libraries could work well as an alternative. 

Rebecca (Mosman) Book Banter group for youth. 5 attended. 13-17yrs. Found they don’t book, just dropped in but really enjoyed it. 

Catherine  Bryant = Corrimal (Wollongong) quiet hour – to support people with light and noise sensitivity. Calm not silent. Info from In The Libraries. 
Abby Dawson https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/state-library-unplugged 

**10.55 - 5min talk from Tara at Ku-ring-gai Library on Non-Fiction cataloguing and RA.
Presenter – Tara Ross**

How we tweak outsourced records- every adjustment you make to profile increases cost. Tweaks for in house – two goals – to make everything findable for all borrowers and staff – and to get a record to fit on a screen
Changed what loaded- playing with load controls. Rerecords – stopped 600 fields loading meant didn’t have 3 lots of same heading in collection. Discussions around 650 and 655.

Reg fic/non fiction – 655 turned off genre headings. 
Made record shorter but didn’t make them more findable. 
Goes around and asks team where they would find an item. Think like borrower

Books on country – move to travel. Go out better there. Sewing – moved to art and craft from ‘home 646’
Moved 305 items everywhere. 

Generified Junior Non Fiction - 5 genres. People and places, things to do, nature, animals, stem. Coloured dots, label/book talker, grouped in genre area. Increased loans. 

Generified adult non – fiction. Initial increase in loans. Stabilised a bit now. 

**11.05 - 11.45 Understanding Australian readers research. What is this research? What are the implications for readers' advisory work? Ideas?**

Who aren’t we reaching? Probable that you need to use different methods to reach different reader groups. How do we get the message out?

Knowing where to start can be a problem. Emphasising that you don’t have to finish what you start. Non-judgmental.
Aspirational Readers – motivation of priorities. Most receptive to suggestions/recommendations. Would only read when they had the time, or impulsively. 38.4% read on holidays. Large percentage probably on social media – taping into this. 

Abby (CNRL) - Make book suggestions around holiday times. A specific idea was a 'Suggested Reading Jar' that people could borrow or just grab a suggestion from the front desk - tapping into a trend of what some people are doing at home and bringing it into the library. Irregular paced book club? 

Abby - Along with the irregular book club idea - it might be interesting having an email book club. I'm aware of some popular Discord (messaging app) groups that operate in a similar fashion, and I read Dracula via an email on the date of the letters in the book. Takes pressure off but also could allow more people to attend. Designate the last week of the month to ‘message’ reply all and see conversation. 

I also think what’s important for acquisitions staff to consider is that the aspirational readers list have borrowing from the library lower down on the list of where to get their books. We might need to consider ways to get those readers into the library and not impulse buy.

Aaron (RUCRL)- book discussion clubs rather than everyone reading the same book because the library can't source multiple copy of books.

Andrew  (Randwick)  – Speed dating for reading – playing on trying books in short bursts. 

Ellen (SLNSW)- I would consider going to where the people are - sale yards, sports fields - other places the council may be in operation - as getting out of the library seems important - and could be used to offer tailored suggestions? Plus, could show people how to use library apps (so people can try downloading different titles).
Promote more personalised book suggestion service. Takes the decision making out of it. 

Lismore - We've done displays for our short story collections in AF. I am also a big fan of graphic novels as a way for a 'quick' read and to target people who might be neurodivergent and prefer pictures over words - also really good for young people

Yasmin (North Sydney)– during covid drop in online book club – in hindsight aspirational readers. Informal research shows that many people get the books from street libraries. Impulse. 

Victoria (Bathurst)- At Bathurst we use Beanstack throughout the year to run reading 'challenges' for all ages. They are often themed, based on completion by minutes read OR books read. Come with reading list/suggestions put together by staff.

Gregory (Blacktown) Here at Blacktown Libraries, Gabby Cundy ran a sort of mocktail night called "Sips and Stories" where staff chatted with the attendees, discussing books and stories. This was sort of targeted at people who were interested in reading but who wanted suggestions or recommendations.

Goodreads and storygraph as tools.
How do you promote ebook and audio? 	
Reading pop ups in community 

Aaron (RUCRL)– Railway library and visitors centre pop up’s

Abby (CNRL) – pop-up strategy for getting people a library card - finding a space where a lot of people who might not usually consider the library to be and be more present in their minds? Go where people are in their daily lives and push the library. 

Lauren (Gerringoing) – all council events, markets, RA things, sign up options. We have street libraries that are affiliated with library. Volunteers collect some from library to stock them. 
Outreach- have barcode books as well as free books – takes pressure off people to return but gives them a taste
Stamps and labels that go into street libraries promoting library. 
Resource -Surviving the stacks – podcast for librarians and Good Librations RA podcast

**11.45 Resources - what resources do you use for readers' advisory work.** [[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1srd6MqKu4QPT7piEoVo5AVxixbbXW7rz4EWhXvB4T44/edit?usp=sharing]]


**Next seminar March 2026. Any interest in presenting let committee know.** 

Why should you read the minutes
-	Pages of ideas that have been sparked and shared
-	Ideas that are possible, or feasible. Targeting areas that should be prioritised. 
-	Refresher of seminar and info from report connected with real life library tools, ideas and strategies.