**NSW Readers' Advisory Working Group meeting minutes** 23 November 2018, Picton Library **Chair** Ellen Forsyth **Minutes** Natalie Funston **Acknowledgement of Country** ====1. Present==== * Monique Akauola (Sutherland) * Amy Salmond (Wingecarribee) * Helen Cowan (Wingecarribee) * Natalie Funston (Bayside) * Nicole Richardson (Blue Mountains) * Megan Blines (Blue Mountains) * Lee Burgoyne (Wollongong) * Annette Lindsay (Crookwell) * Lauren Watkins (Kiama) * Shazia Iftikhar (Canterbury Bankstown) * Jeannette Munro (Campbelltown) * Wayne Monkley (Campbelltown) * Gail Dunn (Wollondilly) * Ellen Forsyth (State Library of NSW) ====2. Apologies==== * Christiane Birkett (Gunnedah) * Robyn Menzies * Liz Astley (Wollongong) * Vanessa Henderson (Ryde) * Eric Dodson (Lane Cove) * Christine Howard (Randwick) * Vincenza Cigolini (Castle Hill) ====3. What have you been reading? (Standing Item)==== Say three points about how you can use the book you are reading in readers advisory conversations. Look at readers advisory elements eg Doorways rather than plot How did this feel? It was hard to not mention the plot if you aren't familiar with the customer. Practice on other staff. ====4. How are people using RA generally, at their library? (Standing Item)==== **Wollondilly** * Use of an other wise blank wall with shelves for favourite books of borrowers. If someone borrows a book from the display they are encouraged to replace it with another. * Mental Health Week - A Library customer ran a workshop on the library resources she used to help her out of her depression. **Canterbury/Bankstown** * 7 days challenge from Facebook, adapted as a staff challenge called [[https://www.magisto.com/video/bUMAK0cHGmkrVBhiCzE|5 Days Challenge]] Staff printed the cover of a book they liked. Each staff member nominates another staff member to choose a book. The book covers are displayed. *For The Reading Hour - there was a staff challenge to take photos of reading and how they promote reading. **Sutherland** *Vote For Your Favourite Book for the 2nd year. They used Survey Monkey to get people to vote of their favourite book for 2018. Collected staff reviews by undertaking June 30 books in 30 days challenge as a 30 book reviews in 30 days. To help customers with voting, the top 20 most borrowed books from each category were displayed. There was also the "Other" option available, if the customers favourite book was not listed. The 5 most voted for books in each category were shared on the Library news on the Library website. ** Bayside** *Book reviews on the blog **Wollongong** * Book Review videos * Celebration of [[https://www.facebook.com/wollongongcitylibraries/videos/1868267953216499/|JK Rowling's birthday]]. *Fast Backs - new release items **Kiama** *Rotate collections between branches *Readers' Advisory pamphlet for different genres {{:wiki:pls_20181122_000005556_1_.jpg|}} ====5. Genres==== *Short talks about many different genres addressing key works, a classic and a new work, plus the appeal of the genre/subgenre, diverse writers. ====6. Reports on Training (5 mins/ presentation)==== * Monique Akauola - Genre bootcamp training at Sutherland Library **Genre Bootcamp training** Three hour training (with 15min tea break). One hour 45 mins presentation and activities/ videos pertaining to different genres. One hour upstairs in TAC exploring various online resources. These will be available on Library intranet. Each genre being explored is presented in the power point using an image sourced from free images available online and using a different colour and font. Before the training, staff are being asked to look at selected genre categories within the Stock Quality Health Check. This document is being used to determine areas of strength and areas where individual staff may like to read/ learn more about different genres. From this, we can identify staff who are knowledgeable in particular genres and who can assist with book suggestions within that genre. //Genres covered:// * Sci Fi * Fantasy * Romance * Women’s Fiction * Horror * Suspense and Thrillers * Mystery * Historical * Adventure * Literary- Not a genre, but popular at our library. * Autobiographies/ Biographies/ Memoirs- to understand the difference between these as they are very popular at our library service and are shelved in their own section. //An overview of each genre:// * Definition * Characteristics * Appeal factors * Helping readers * Examples of popular titles showing book covers. //The difference between similar genres:// * Sci-fi/ Fantasy * Romance/ Women’s Fiction * Horror / Thrillers * Thrillers/ Mystery We have also created lists of popular titles within each genre, linked back to the Library catalogue, to assist staff with Readers' Advisory. To complement this, I am also creating self-managed, online, mini genre studies with links to articles, information with questions/activities. These are designed to be completed in 30 minute increments over 10 weeks. Staff can choose which genres they would like to learn more about. There will be a meeting at the end of each study to discuss the training/ genre as a group. ====7. Share your RA programs, services, events and material==== ====8. Planning for 2019==== 3 Meetings //Full Day Meeting// Readers Advisors Interview & Tools including training and staff, form based RA, a series discussion and Doorways with Joyce Sarricks. Also Goodreads research with Beth Driscoll. //Full Day Meeting -// What Not To Do & Displays - including: * Social Media * 5 minute talks? * Podcasts //Half Day Meeting -// Young Adult RA in conjunction with the Young People Working Group - including how to engage youth. ====9. Points for communication (what summary of the meeting goes out with the minutes)==== * Planning for 2019 - two full day meetings and a half day meeting * Interesting Genre talk - Sutherlands Genre Bootcamp * New Enquiry Completion Rate forms and definitions The links to join the meeting via Bluejeans are: Joining a meeting from your PC: Please check your connections to participate in the meeting via videoconference before the meeting - use this link to test: https://bluejeans.com/111and talk to the parrot. You really need to talk to the parrot to check your microphone and speaker settings are working. Technical support will not be available during the meeting. The link to join the Picton meeting is: {{:wiki:pls_20181122_000005556.jpg|}} **Morning** https://bluejeans.com/768131151 **Afternoon** https://bluejeans.com/998888966 **Information about joining a meeting from an iPhone or iPad** https://support.bluejeans.com/video/join-meeting-iphone-or-ipad Information about joining a meeting from an Android device https://support.bluejeans.com/video/join-android ====10. Meetings==== Full Day Meeting - Readers Advisors Interview & Tools ====11. Points for Communication==== Points for communication (what summary of the meeting goes out with the minutes) * Planning for 2019 - two full day meetings and a half day meeting * Interesting Genre training talk - Sutherland Library Genre Bootcamp * New Enquiry Completion Rate forms and definitions