19 August 2020 Readers’ Advisory Working Group Online Meeting

Minutes of the Readers’ Advisory Working Group (NSW) Meeting of 19 August 2020

The Meeting was Conducted Online: Blue Jeans

The Meeting Commenced

The Meeting commenced at 10 am on Wednesday, 19 August 2020.

The Meeting Was Attended By

Those present, listed in order of registration for the Meeting, were: Carissa Glynn (Shoalhaven Libraries), Cher Murphy (Shoalhaven Libraries), Stephanie Hodgson (Cumberland City Libraries), Therese Scott (Mosman Library Service), Ellen Forsyth (State Library of NSW), Sujatha Thadakamalla (Fairfield City Open Libraries), Helen Cowen (Wingecarribee Public Library), Joanna Kondaxis (Inner West Library Service), Shazia Iftikhar (Canterbury Bankstown Libraries), Lauren Watkins (Kiama Library), Amy Heap (Riverina Regional Library and Chair), Lisa Holloway (Bathurst Library), Alison Coutinho (Canterbury Bankstown Libraries), Rachel Franks (State Library of NSW and Minute Taker), Ashleigh Adams (Northern Beaches Libraries), Yasmin Greenhalgh (Stanton Library, North Sydney), Taryn Khamlu (Hornsby Shire Library), Monique Akauola (Sutherland Shire Libraries), Kaye Johnson (Sutherland Shire Libraries), Alison Bambach (Sutherland Shire Libraries) and Anneta Argeitis (Hornsby Shire Library).

Acknowledgement of Country

Amy Heap started the meeting by Acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the Land from which all participants joined the meeting today.

All participants were invited to identify the Country they were on, via the chat feature. Nations included were: Birpai, Bundjalung, Darug, Gadigal, Guringai, Wangal, Wiradjuri, Worrimi and Yuin.

Short Talks Focussed on Online Reading Groups

Michael Lewis (Richmond Tweed, Lismore Branch)

• § We jumped in and shifted Reading Groups online as soon as the lockdown started in March (running these until July). Online sessions were run for four youth-based and five adult-based Reading Groups (twelve Groups decided that online sessions were not for them). A total of 65 people were involved in the online, via Blue Jeans, Groups.
• § There was only one internal Reading Group – Reading for Reconciliation – the other Reading Groups are all Groups that have kits supplied.
• § The Youth Clubs were facilitated at the usual time (by Michael Lewis) and all the other Clubs were run around their usual time (with Michael Lewis assisting), it was noted that each Club has a Coordinator who liaises with the library.
• § Sessions were 90 minutes long for adults, 120 minutes long for teens.
• § The first challenges were around technology, with Blue Jeans selected as platform for all Clubs, a lot of support had to be offered to the Clubs to ensure the technology ran smoothly for each session.
• § A lot of time was spent troubleshooting, with numerous practice sessions set up for each Coordinator and each parent (practice logging in, audio set up, video set up) resulting in 45 Parent sessions alone; this was time consuming but necessary because if the technology did not work the children were getting anxious and frustrated.
• § Another technology issue was around connectivity, many library members do not have access to stable Internet or have strict download limits (being cut off after 30 minutes).
• § The established Monthly Themes were generally followed, with the Youth Clubs working with broad themes such as: “Shelf of Shame”; “What’s on the Floor”; and “Books My Parents Have Told Me To Read”.
• § Everything happened quite quickly, with only one day’s notice to send out Book Club sets (collected by Coordinators); scheduling took place through Outlook with invitations going to Coordinators as well as participants and parents.
• § The aim main aim was keeping continuity; so that when the library did reopen, the audience was still there and ready to go.
• § All sessions started 30 minutes early to assist with set up and to answer questions (there were, for example, lots of issues with microphones and headsets), mobile devices were more problematic than laptops or desktops.
• § In the sessions, there were challenges in learning social etiquette! Waiting for cues, waiting to speak – adults picked it up after a month; the first meetings were generally terrible, but subsequent meetings were better with people raising hands; the youth groups were better, some of this was the nervousness of talking to a grid of people on a computer, but by the end of four months online the youth groups were better than the adult groups!
• § Micromanaging each session was really hard work, if it was again, more multi-media would be added to sessions to break them up a bit more.
• § The Blue Jeans Gallery View was a problem as it only showed nine people, even though the Teen Club has fourteen people (the Speaker View just shows who’s loudest), and although the chat feature was a good work around for this, there was a bit of back and forth.
• § There were a few instances of anxiety around an online tool, with five young people unable to turn the camera on and three unable to turn the microphone one (the chat feature, and careful facilitation, allowed everyone to feel included).
• § In going online, the service was still a great service and parents in particular were grateful as it offered an element of “normal”.
• § Young people were allowed to “socially catch up” after the meeting, playing games and talking about what was important to them (this was supervised but not facilitated) and was popular with numbers growing from 45 to 52 young people participating in sessions over the lockdown.
• § Online delivery allowed for greater flexibility of delivery; in the branch, participants are at a table with books talking, while online allowed for games, trivia and other activities to break it up and offer some literary context to the books being read.
• § Management and colleagues attended some sessions passively which was a great experience for them (just popping in onsite would disrupt the dynamic) and this allowed for greater understanding and greater responsiveness (for example, ordering books mentioned by young people in their discussions).
• § Online sessions also helped to overcome feelings of isolation; participants really valued seeing people that they see every month.
• § A couple of Book Clubs will continue stream for members who are 70+.

Leanne Wright (Port Macquarie)

• § Book Clubs are huge in this area; over the last five years borrowings have doubled (and this increases every year).
• § There are roughly 250 Book Club sets (many of which have been donated); with many sets serving as a facilitator for online author visits.
• § A key issue was ensuing information was able to reach patrons because the lockdown happened so quickly.
• § All of the Book Club coordinators were contacted individually by phone (a sharp change from group emails!), this allowed for checks on membership, any changes as well as “wish lists” with each member picking a few titles they are interested in and then each month a Club has a kit ready to go.
• § Lots of online books and audio books were single use, but many classics titles offered simultaneous use.
• § Zoom was used, with a subscription being purchased to overcome the forty-minute cap on meetings for free accounts.
• § Most of the Book Clubs were made up of older people (the oldest member was 91!), so staff offered to be the coordinator of the technical aspects of online meetings (helping people join the meeting, explaining chat, helping with problem solving and more); patrons soon built up the skills to play around with backgrounds and started to have the confidence to run the sessions themselves.
• § Book Club sessions traditionally went for two hours; some of this time was for people to learn about the services in the area, but it was hard to reach people who were new to the area.
• § With the local paper no longer being printed, it was hard to read people who do not generally go online (though Facebook and Instagram were used in addition to flyers and posters); promoting the sessions on local radio worked really well.
• § Lots of people are working to their strengths and jumping in.
• § It was a bit hard with some people working from home and some online; to fit in with the most timetables, sessions were scheduled for Saturday afternoons at 2pm.
• § Some people did not have Internet access at home, but they were able to go a friend’s or a relative’s place to participate.
• § One author missed a session – for a special guest appearance – so do make sure you collect the best contact phone numbers!
• § More than half of the Book Clubs are meeting again “in real life”.
• § A hybrid model is being investigated, so that when all Book Clubs are back on site there is an option for people to stream in.

Monique Akauola (Sutherland Shire)

• § A series of Reading Groups were established after the lockdown; there were
• three x one-hour fortnightly Groups: general (Monday) / crime (Wednesday) / memoir and life writing (Friday).
• § Zoom was chosen for ease of use and for flexibility in allowing for the creative use of backgrounds to match the books discussed.
• § The Reading Groups were promoted via social media, the library website and traditional channels, with bookings made via Eventbrite.
• § The ease of online attendance attracted some new members.
• § There was an issue with lots of participants losing their invitations; this was resolved by sending the meeting link in the Eventbrite reminder (in addition to the details of the book being read).
• § Book discussion guides (some of which were found online, some of which were created by staff), were added to the chat in Zoom.
• § Interestingly, nobody wanted to choose a title, all of the selections were left to staff (patrons would borrow the book from their preferred branch).
• § Two staff members prepared for and attended each session (to support patrons and to support each other) and there were also special guests, including a guest author each month; sessions also offered presentations, trivia and read-alike lists.
• § Having reopened after the lockdown, there are now just two sessions per month online (one day, one evening).
• § There were lots of enthusiastic seniors, some of whom were already Zooming, but some patrons were a bit apprehensive; a quick guide for patrons with procedures for staff proved useful for troubleshooting.
• § Overall the sessions offered very positive experiences; social etiquette was generally pretty good (though as people became more comfortable the sessions were more like real Book Clubs!).
• § There were between five and ten patrons at each meeting, with new people coming along for particular books.
• § These online Reading Groups will be offered for as long as there is demand.

Wiki Update

• Ellen Forsyth advised that not much progress has been made to rebuild the Wikis since the migration of the information to the new firm.
• The Information Technology Branch at the State Library of NSW is under a lot of pressure at the moment, but it is acknowledged that the Wikis are important pieces of infrastructure for the Public Library Network. It is important to note that the basic information sets across the Wikis have been saved. A proposal by Information Technology is being explored, but this is yet to be tested.
• It is known that reconstruction will be a major undertaking. though none of the multimedia files have come across and these will have to be uploaded again, slide presentations will also need to be uploaded again. The basic layout of pages and navigation will be maintained as a lot of work was done on this last year. When there is more information about a timeline for resolution, then a call for volunteers to rebuild the Wikis will be made.
• One recent improvement is the move of emails to an internal hosting solution (previously, emails had been taking 24 hours to be received). Emails are mission critical.

Follow Up Discussion: Neal Wyatt Presentation

In discussing the recent presentation by Neal Wyatt, participants were invited to comment on what they had taken from the presentation. Comments included:

• § The importance of conversations with people.
• § Relaxing and letting people talk about books; Readers’ Advisory can be about a social connection; it does not necessarily have to be about curating an instant collection.
• § The importance of looking at the whole collection when doing Readers’ Advisory work (so looking at genre and format).
• § Taking the information offered for mini-information sessions with colleagues as well as displays for patrons.
• § Ellen Forsyth reminded everyone that the video of the presentation is still available, and people are welcome to re-watch for their own information and the video can also be shared with colleagues. Slides are here, video is here. Slides are here, video is here

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What Are We Reading

All participants were invited to note what they were reading (noting appeal factor, rather than plot elements), via the chat feature.

Some of the books noted were: Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow (Setting), See What you Made Me Do (Educational, Forensic Detail), The Extraordinary Role of Viruses (Educational), Mitford Murders (Fashion), Trugannini (History), Claire Bowditch (Memoir), Charlotte (Audio), Candlestick (Very Cosy Reading), Too Much Lip (Character and Language).

Short Talks Focussed on Form-Based Readers Advisory

Patra and Fiona slides are here

• § A form-based Readers’ Advisory service had been planned as a project for some time. Despite some concerns about increased staff workload, there was enthusiasm and a staff competition to come up with a catchy name for the project was run: “Book Connect” was the winning title.
• § The form was designed in RefTracker, with a focus on short, open-ended questions. The commitment from staff is that form would be responded to within one week of being submitted with five suggestions: titles, blurbs and links to the catalogue.
• § The launch had an emphasis on summer reading and resulted in nineteen requests over two months. There was lots of positive feedback from patrons who appreciated the service as well as staff who were able to improve their Readers’ Advisory skills.
• § The service was relaunched after the library’s shutdown to compensate for people not being able to browse under the new restrictions. There were 143 requests in five weeks. In this “COVID-19 model” staff would not just suggest five titles, but they would put aside ten titles which then became available as part of the general Select and Collect service (though titles were limited to what was available).
• § There was a concurrent effort to promote the eCollection through the publishing of themed lists during lockdown. Staff also reviewed eResources.
• § This offering will now be a permanent service, with more staff wanting to contribute.
• § At this stage there are six staff working on the trial (from Readers’ Advisory Working Group). It was very hectic during the lockdown, but it was widely acknowledged that it was not a normal time. About ten staff are regular contributors to the service now which ebbs and flows, often dependent upon promotion of the service.
• § At this stage, staff are sharing resources and enjoying the collaboration with each other. There might be more formal Readers’ Advisory training in the future, at the moment training is peer consultation, reviewing NoveList and doing practice runs with old requests.

Anneta Argeitis (Hornsby Library) slides are here

• § A form-based Readers’ Advisory service – Librarian’s Choice – was introduced during the lockdown. This new service promoted with the pick and drop service.
• § Librarian’s Choice was available to all members, including new members. People could join online, and a digital membership would automatically bring eligibility to access this service.
• § The form is basic, with people given an opportunity to say what they liked to read. There were a few simple questions: what I like / what I don’t like / what I have read in the past. A maximum of ten items would be made available, with delivery also available during the lockdown.
• § There was great feedback. About six of staff members looked after the program, processing between five and ten requests per day. Over the lockdown there were approximately 900 items selected for 217 patrons (68% of the patrons using the service were adults).
• § A deliberate effort was made to try and introduce patrons to books outside of their comfort zones. Staff also reported improved Readers’ Advisory skills and use of NoveList and goodreads as well as promoting the service through blogs and Instagram. It was great. The service is still processing three to four requests per week.

Amy Heap (Riverina Regional Library) slides are here

• § It was noted that different branches had different lockdown responses.
• § The library started doing branch specific form-based Readers’ Advisory service well before the lockdown, but this service was promoted because internal delivery was not an option as a result of the health order restrictions. Selections of books was centralised, then the individual branches did the picking for patrons.
• § A delivery service was offered to some villages. Patrons who used the mobile library were contacted and could select specific titles or have the Readers’ Advisory selections.
• § One, very interesting point, was that many people were so used to browsing in the local branch that they did not have the language to ask for what they wanted; there was no general literacy for terms genre and sub-genres.
• § There are two staff administering the service which is generally low effort until there is a “rush”. The service has been around for a while but was not heavily used. Mobile customers particularly happy with the service combined with the delivery option.
• § There are plans to trial a similar service. There will be a “Grab Bag” service which will see staff select five items available from a branch. The branch will then pick the items, pop these in a library bag and then call the patron.
• § Though uptake is not high, the people using the service like it and are very appreciative.
• § A long list of genres is available to use as a prompt for people. The form is available online and as a print out for patrons who prefer to complete a hard-copy form.

Indyreads Update

• Amy Heap gave an update on Indyreads Lots of really good simultaneous downloads (having spent lots of money on Belinda, now using the free and new titles). Some problems with the app for android, these have been resolved.
• It is not immediately obvious how renewals work, with no indication in the resources. Renewals can be made. When an item is due in three days, a renew option becomes available.
• It was noted that a big batch of collateral – for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – to promote the service will be available soon.
• It was also noted that more titles – between 600 and 800 – are coming to the carousel soon. Many of these new titles will be from Affirm Press, NewSouth Books, University of Queensland Press and Library Journal.
• At this stage, it is not that easy to browse and search, but improved options are coming.
• Ellen Forsyth advised that a basic search, for example “Readers’ Advisory”, showcased good resources. Do keep giving feedback on the service though; Indyreads is to be thought of like a Library Management System: help is needed for constant improvement.
• Ellen Forsyth also suggested that Indyreads is for patrons and for Professional Development. Have a look at the “random reserve” feature as part of playing around and experimenting. There are also lots of audio options.
• It was suggested that an Indyreads Update be a standing item.

Other Business

A Service for Teenagers

Amy Heap reported on a new service for teenagers coming soon to Riverina Regional Library. Teenagers will soon be able to borrow the full series of “something”; often no single branch library has a complete set of a series. Boxes will be promoted and sent out to a branch for borrowing. Extended loan periods will be set for this service which has been called: Teen Series Binge.

Next Meeting

Ellen Forsyth suggested that another Meeting be held in a few months. It is likely that this Meeting will be held online.

Annual Seminar

Ellen Forsyth advised that a venue has been booked at State Library of NSW for the Annual Seminar in March 2021. It is uncertain what the 2021 Seminar will look like at this stage. Planning for onsite and online options will commence soon.

The Meeting Closed

The Meeting closed at 11.47 am on Wednesday, 19 August 2020.

RF: 24AUG20

link to original google doc with minutes