Eric Dodson (Lane Cove), Susan Ambler (Blue Mountains), Karen Redlich (Mosman), Melanie Mutch (Hornsby), Robyn Menzies (Hawkesbury), Pat Annetts, Donna Cox, Debbie Mossad, Noelene Stephenson, Jennie McNiven (Newcastle), Roberta Carbone (Lake Macquarie), Vickie Clifford (Maitland), Joan Ingram (Singleton), Michelle Cairns, Kim O’Grady (Ku-Ring-Gai), Ellen Forsyth (SLNSW).

Heidi Colquhoun, Amy Heap, Beth Grace, Helen Cowen, Stephanie Hodgson,

These themes were selected by popular vote. If you are interested in writing or co-writing a blog post for one of these themes, please contact a member of the RA Steering group. The RWP themes for 2017 are:

• January #firstread
• February #diverseread
• March #waterread
• April #biographyread
• May #playread
• June #epicread
• July #humourread
• August #nightread
• September #comfortread
• October #twistedread
• November #nordicread
• December #timetravelread

• Suggesting books and other material using appeal characteristics

Brief discussion of the difference between books we personally love and books we love to suggest. We worked in small groups to identify the appeal characteristics of items attendees have read, and to discuss how to suggest them to our community members.http://raforall.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/making-distinction-between-book-you.html

Time was spent creating Tumblr posts for #artread and #geekread. A reminder that these posts can be easily shared on facebook, Twitter, in library slideshows and so on. The images are also available on the RWP Pinterest account.

A reminder to follow Becky Spratford’s excellent RA blog RA FOR ALL

• All libraries are invited to share examples of their RA programs by sending images to Melanie Mutch or Eric Dodson to share on our Flickr account.
• Hawkesbury Library is running a program ‘reconnect with reading’ with the goal of increasing circulation. It will include updated reading lists, form-based RA, displays, adding genre labels and subject headings to the fiction collection.
• Hornsby Library is running an ‘open book club’ where community members are invited to read a text of their choice around a monthly theme. These themes have included: ‘A Childhood favourite’, ‘An award winner’, ‘a book that’s been made into a film’, ‘a work that has been translated’

• Ownership – who is responsible for implementing and maintaining RA programs in our libraries? How many staff have it in their PD, and what is considered the scope?How to initiate new programs without stepping on toes?
• How to identify appropriate stock for new book and other displays? How do you teach staff to identify items that are likely to circulate? Newness of an item should be a factor, but not the only factor to consider.
• All staff need to be involved for RA to be successful. Specialists in individual areas – eg Children’s, YA – need to share knowledge, create resources and train staff.
• It is absolutely fine to ask a colleague for help if you need it, or to refer a community member to use form-based RA services. We don’t expect ourselves to answer reference questions without refering to resources, and we should not expect to answer RA questions without using the available tools.
• How do we make it easy for our community members to approach us and to ask us questions? Discussed the benefits of roving staff in general, and removing the perceived barrier of the desk.

Many attendees of the meeting also visited the nearby Civic Digest Cafe- follow the link for some photos, or here for some more information: http://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/Library/Connect/Follow/Latest-News/Civic-Digest-Now-Open

The next Readers Advisory Meeting will be held on Tuesday 10th May, at The Lovett Gallery, Newcastle Region Library, Laman St, Newcastle (phone 4974 5342). It’s a 9.30 for 10am start and a 3pm, or maybe earlier, finish.Please RSVP directly to Patricia Annettspannetts@ncc.nsw.gov.auNewcastle Library will provide morning tea and tea/coffee on arrival.The library is adjacent to Darby Street which provides a number of delicious lunch options.

There is limited paid (2 hour) and unpaid parking (also 2 hour) in the streets around the library. There is all day paid parking at the rear of the library off Darby Street, but this is usually full by 8am.There are 2 parking stations within a short walk of the library.If you are travelling by train you will need to change to a bus at Hamilton Station, the bus can drop you at Civic Station, it is just a short walk from there to the library via the Civic Theatre, Town Hall and Civic Park.