Romancing your readers

State Library of NSW 4 March 2008

Talking about books

What the small groups had to say around readers advisory hot topics

During the morning session, participants split into groups and discussed some Readers Advisory hot topics and reported to the whole group.

Please add your expanded discussion points from the morning below.

Book Groups - Hints and Tips

• perhaps have a theme based group, not a specific monthly book, for example, the sea, music, an author. It opens the group up to non fiction, music, poetry and so on. It is also felt that this option can encourage more men into the book group
• give the book group your new releases
• to encourage YA, make sure any book group has pizza!
• encourage the book group to contribute to your blog or wiki (if you are allowed to have one!)
• advertise in your newsletter (if you have one)
• if you have staff lead the group, make sure they promote the rest of the library service to the group at each meeting
• consider the zone concept - gives greater access to books, which can be hard to obtain through ILL when everyone wants the same book at the same time.

Seminar Presentations

Frank Inkster, Manly Library - Readers Advisory Blogs and their content Blogs and their contentThis is a featured page GETTING STARTED: I am working on the premise that you now have set up your blog. You have been through all the technical and managerial torment of getting permission and then the technical know-how of getting under way and being up and running. Ok – so what happens next? Do you sit back and wait for content to magically appear? You may be waiting a long time. Blogging is rapidly developing into a mainstream activity for many Internet users, however there are a variety of styles of blogging - from de facto news sites to marketing blogs, blogs as learning tools, writers' drafting blogs, corporate dark blogs and fictional blogs. So you need to make the style obvious and easy to contribute and welcoming to those you want to contribute. In other words you need to tailor the blog to meet the requirements of your customers. Blogs are socialising cyberspace, with a new range of books coming out to further inform about this phenomenon. The appearance of books on the topic is unusual in itself, as they deal with such different medium. Blogs and their content - Readers' Advisory ServicesUses of Blogs Edited by Axel Bruns and Joanne Jacobs As the first edited collection of scholarly articles on blogging by experts and practitioners in a wide range of fields, Uses of Blogs offers a broad spectrum of perspectives on current and emerging uses of blogs. While blogging is rapidly developing into a mainstream activity for Internet users, the actual application of blogs in specific contexts has so far been under-explored. Because there are a variety of styles of blogging - from de facto news sites to marketing blogs, blogs as learning tools, writers' drafting blogs, corporate dark blogs and fictional blogs, to name a few - it can be difficult to imagine how blogs might be used in particular environments. This book demonstrates the take-up of blogs and blogging for a number uses in industrial and social contexts.

“This is a broad, but deep look at the social, political, business, and academic effects that blogging is having on our society. Highly recommended!”– Robert Scoble, Corporate Blogger, Microsoft Corporation “We blog, therefore we are players in our own future. Jacobs and Bruns have provided an exciting and useful map to the practices, ethics, and potentials of this most encouraging Internet phenomenon. Highly recommended.”– Pat Kane, Consultant, Singer, Activist, and Author, The Play Ethic Don’t forget your Learning Web 2.0 training, as this also has heaps of useful information to get you launched into the blogosphere.

Blogs and their content - Readers' Advisory ServicesBlogs, Wikipedia, Second Life and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, Axel Bruns's far-reaching and conceptually powerful book, From Production to Produsage, captures a shift in cultural logic which is profoundly altering how culture gets produced, how knowledge gets circulated, how reputations get made, and how industry, politics, and education operate. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about Wikipedia, Second Life, eBay, Flickr, Moveon, or YouTube, in short, for anyone who wants to understand the turn towards participatory culture. – Henry Jenkins, author of Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide

If you need some inspiration to get started, there are some sites you might like to take a look at: http://blogs.com.au/ which leads into http://theaustralianindex.com/ Where you can add your own blog: And don’t forget – http://blogs.alia.org.au/

Checking out other blogs helps you to decide on the purpose for your own blog, its style, from, type and appeal and allows you time to consider instances or problems before they may arise. Again the Learning web 2.0 training is very useful here, especially the reference to IBM code of ethics for on-line behaviour.

Posted in Blogging for Education, General on August 3rd, 2005, was a lovely quote that I wanted to share: “I’m no stranger to trying to set up freely available online services for people to use… I’m also no stranger to watching as a couple of people drag their feet in, have a look around and quietly disappear. As a well respected edublogger once suggested to me, we’re often guilty of designing a nightclub for what is really a pubfull of people, and while a pubfull can be great fun in a pub… in a nightclub it feels worryingly quiet.”

GETTING THAT CONTENT: Generally Library blogs are usually an online journal tool and can be used to record individual or group experiences, observations, reflections, impressions, opinions, questions and research notes across a range of subjects. Blogs allow the author to display postings in chronological order. A blog allows other participants to comment on postings, creating a networked community of contributors with similar interests. I recommend that you incorporate blogs as an elemental part of your work Don’t reinvent the wheel – things that you are already doing for work can usually be easily adapted to include on the blog. You need to get into the habit of producing content for your blog and encouraging other contributions. To do this consider what you want to include on your blog and what you normally do in the course of your library work. CONSIDER – Marketing Information Social interaction Book lists Award winners Topical events Book groups Author talks What’s on Book reviews Library news Community information Staff movements New acquisitions Tie up between books & movies Target people to contribute

Encourage contributions but do not be prescriptive Blogs are good for: personal expression & exploration. Let people approach contributions in ways that fit them. Look for variations on a theme from several contributors and never, ever, mention number of words!

You should use blogs for what they are good for Blogs are by no means the answer to everything, they are very strong alternative communication tools but if you want to build quizzes, run polls, have near-synchronous conversation, do listserv-y kind of discussion or strictly manage just about anything then you’ll probably want to look at another tool. Use blogs to assist people to publish articles, represent themselves online, interact with their peers as part of an organic community and manage their own digital content and identity.

Use proven and effective blogging tools – When you decide to set off on your blogging journey don’t, please don’t do it with some ‘tacked on solution’ to a large and established Management System. Blogs are just as complex as any other form of software and you want to get the tools off people who know what they’re doing.

Overcoming Bloggers Block Writing regular pertinent blog posts is an area that most bloggers struggle with from time to time. The common ailment of writers block or bloggers block as it is generally known in the blogoshpere can strike at any time and generally when you least expect it to. If you keep in mind that a blog is a personal promotional tool for your website and that it should allow your readers to get to know a little about you, then allowing your blog to ‘feature’ your voice should help alleviate some of the bloggers block that is bound to occur. Do you promote affiliate programs on your website? Then why not blog about these and you may generate some income at the same time. Share a new product with your readers or give an honest review of an existing one. You could offer advice and tips on how to use certain products from your affiliate arsenal. Either way affiliate programs offer ample opportunity to post to your blog. Subscribe to a favourite news source within your chosen field. Use RSS feeds, info from AliaRead or just read everything Ellen, Mylee and the gang send you. Whenever an exciting news story breaks, - latest award winners, trend etc. blog about it! Your readers will thank you for always providing the up to date, timely information they are seeking. Remember to promote your website via your blog posts as well. New products, articles, reviews and special offers will all encourage your blog readers to visit your library site more often. Use seasonal holidays and special occasions to your advantage. If Christmas is around the corner make a list of Christmas related points that are pertinent to your blog readers and create a series of blog posts for them to enjoy. Continue to use your blog as a way to really interact with and get to know your website visitors and coming up with topics to blog about should become easier.

Timing Building a steady and reliable blog readership requires the blog to be frequently updated. This can often be thought of as a hassle. However, you do not have be a slave to your blog. Write your posts according to whatever schedule you prefer to keep (note a schedule implies doing some writing) and then post them on the dates and times you prefer. Some blogs have a function that will automatically post saved instalments, where you can set the date to be uploaded.

GETTING READERS: Don’t forget to advertise your blog and provide on-line links to it. Keep the content turning over, and up to date. Post as many external contributions as possible. Hopefully there is a flow-on effect from your blog.

In an article about increasing traffic to your website, blogs were number 5 on the list. 10 Ways To Increase Traffic To Your Website Gaining website traffic does generally take some time and effort on your behalf, but it doesn’t always have to be expensive and quite often it can even cost nothing. There is an abundance of so called traffic generating websites that usually charge fees for their services, don’t get lured in by their promises as they could turn out to be a very costly mistake. Here’s 10 ways that will assist to increase traffic to your site: 1/. Article Marketing: writing your own unique articles about topics within your niche and including a link to your website can dramatically increase your traffic. Webmasters are hungry for content to use on their websites, blogs and in newsletters. Free reprint article directories provide this much needed resource. 2/. Newsletter: keeping in regular contact with your mailing list via a newsletter or ezine can increase your traffic if you include articles that link back to your site or make special offers that are also only available by visiting your website. 3/. Message Boards: use message boards to build your expert status in your field. Many message boards allow members to include website links in their signatures. This offers one way of free promotion for your website every time you post to the board. 4/. Keywords: by doing keyword research and trying to figure out the search terms visitors are using and then including those search terms within your website can increase the level of traffic coming to you from search engines. 5/. Blogs: are a great relationship building tool and the fact that they are generally regularly updated makes search engines return to them over and over. Be sure to include links back to your website within your blog posts. 6/. Affiliate Programs: establishing an affiliate program to your digital or tangible products website will give you an array of online sales reps promoting your products and website. 7/. Viral Reports: people use the internet to find information, why not provide that information in the form of a short report and allow others to forward it to friends, thus making the report viral. By ensuring that you include links to your site within the report you should see some extra traffic generated from it. 8/. Interviews: being a guest on the new and popular internet radio shows and podcasts is just another way to establish your expertise and raise the profile of your website. 9/. Press Releases: are an inexpensive, effective way to promote your site to the media. If your website genuinely has something to promote and the release is not just a sales pitch. 10/. Teleseminars: holding a teleseminar or conference call covering a hot topic within your niche will create buzz and excitement and stimulate extra traffic. There you have it, 10 ways to increase traffic to your website and all of them are relatively inexpensive to implement.

EXAMPLE: MANLY LIBRARY’S BOOK BLOG (provided by Anne Johnson, Novel Ideas Blog Administrator & Head Cataloguer at Manly Library) http://blogs.manly.nsw.gov.au/novelideas/

The main aims of this blog are to: 1. Get staff talking (and excited) about books they’ve read. 2. Be a handy reference for recommendations and a clearinghouse of RA links for staff on the desk. 3. Provide a specific online community relating to our library – one that will get revisited by the public.

The third aim is probably the most important. There are many places where people can go to read book reviews on the internet. There are also many that people can contribute to (e.g. Library Thing). But what the blog provides is something specific to Manly Library. A local community. There are numerous huge online communities that people can become involved in, but this is smaller, more personal, and local. It is different from what is offered elsewhere, and perhaps goes against the ‘bigger is better’ networked world idea. But it makes sense for us, because we are targeting our local community, and we want to provide them with information about us in a place that they want to visit again and again. In terms of content – if the blog was only providing library news, I can’t imagine that many people would become involved with it. But because we’re offering them a place to comment and write their own content they are more likely to visit again, or subscribe to our RSS feed. It’s ‘pull’ marketing instead of ‘push’.

To get content for the blog I ask for staff to write a little something about books they read, that they’d like to recommend. I also use an RSS reader and recycle posts and get ideas from other blogs. The blog is linked to the library website and we’ve been getting approximately 300 hits per month. The public are invited to contribute and send their reviews by email. We’re also sending out brochures with our book club kits on which reviews can be written and returned with the book.

Philippa Johnson, Gosford Library - “Off the Shelf” Readers Advisory website

• Background
• created in June 2007
• reason for creating the site came from 2 areas
• Readers advisory training for staff, wanted a central point for all RA tools and resources
• Seeing other blogs at reference seminar inspired us to create one of our own, but we struck various problems and decided to go with a website as an interim measure

Positives

• Brought together several sections of our website which had previously been separated.
• Author lists in various genres
• Book club information
• “Bestsellers”
• NoveList database
• Increased number of lists available
• in “niche” genres eg. Vampire romance
• in themes as well as genres
• Co-operative effort of many staff
• Submitting book reviews
• Submitting themed guides
• Creating author lists
• RA training sessions inspire new contributors!
• Higher level of interactivity
• Open URL link to WebOpac - every book listed on the site is available in our library and customers can instantly see if the item is in or out
• Link for customers to email their reviews
• Links to other websites as springboard to WWW

Negatives

• Only one staff member currently with access to update the site
• Limited as to format and design of site by Council restraints
• Moderate use of site by staff, small number of customers using and contributing at this stage
• No ability to tag or search reviews

What's next?

• Blog
• Move site to a blog
• IT concerns
• Marketing the blog to customers - have marketed current site only through word of mouth and printed author bookmarks

Jenn Martin, Auburn Library + Merilyn Hills, Hornsby Library - Wikis: e-collaboration and improving RA Services

Romance reading list

• Ahern, Cecelia Mrs Whippy This very short novel is a great fast-paced novel. There is good personal growth in the main character and a number of others and of course a happy ending. Realistic but romantic without the tedium of repetative introspection.
• Ahern, Cecelia P.S. I Love You A poignant story with both happy and sad moments. Interesting to see how it was changed for the movie.
• Bagshaw, Christie Devil you know Witty dialogue Brown, Sandra Thursday's Child “Sexy, funny and wonderfully romantic”
• Byatt, AS Posession: A romance A very literary, romantic mystery. Wonderful characters and very thought provoking. Beautiful language. For people who like a challenging read.
• Cabot, Meg Queen of Babble in the Big City It is a light, entertaining read - perhaps more chick-lit than strictly romance. Looks at the 'in between' time of the heroine's early twenties as she struggles to establish herself in her career and relationships. A good choice for readers who have outgrown the Princess Diaries.
• Capella, Anthony The Food of Love It is a light romantic comedy set in Italy with wonderful detailed descriptions of Italian food. It is about two friends, one is a good looking waiter, the other an interesting looking talented chef. The chef helps his friend seduce a visiting American girl with a seductive menu but things become more complicated as the friends strive to keep the charade going and of course things fall apart when they are found out, but by then the chef has fallen hopelessly in love with the girl.
• Carpenter, Teresa Baby twins: parents needed This Harlequin Mills & Boon would be ideal for a busy person needing to fulfil the desire to read something - this was my first Mills & Boon and I could see the distinct 'formula'; my friend was reading Mills & Boon whilst she was breastfeeding her baby - her reason was that she could pick the book up and stop at any time and still be able to follow the story. She's right - there are people who will devour these stories and within hours - I was able to pick up/put down as required and not lose track of the story in my busy schedule.
• Cole, Kresley Wicked deeds on a winter's night This is a paranormal romance. It is a light read and part of a series so you know there are more books to read! It is the story of the romance between a werewolf- Bowen and a powerful witch in waiting Mariketa, whose kinds are sworn enemies.
• Cox, Josephine Lovers and liars it is easy reading, good story and should appeal to most people Du Maurier, Daphne Rebecca Great, old fashioned romantic suspense. This is a good novel for someone that enjoys romance and mystery. The name of the heroine is never mentioned and yet you feel you know her well!
• Gabaldon, Diana Outlander series I read a lot of romance before the seminar, most of it great fun, but even a day later, I cannot remember the author or title. So I go back to my all time favourite, the Outlander Series (6 books) by Diana Gabaldon. These are cross genre, but to me it is the romance that is the centre of the book, it also has history, suspense, paranormal, action, heaps of characters, sex, violence and kept me so intrigued that I had to read all books in the series and am still waiting for the next one, that may never come.
• Goodman-Davies, Mara When Harry Hit Hollywood. This book is not for the person seeking a very typical romance or, for the reader who wants a 'no sex' type romance. Plenty of Hollywood names are dropped, clothes are mentioned by label and the main characters are a little stylised. I must admit I skimmed some of the story as it was slightly predictable but … having said all that it was a fun read and one I would put into the “beach read” category.
• Goudge, Eileen Otherwise engaged This novel has two heroines and an unusual twist because of the relationship between them and their lives. This novel is written for an older reader who is considering the possibilities of a 'seachange' or 'treechange'.
• Hampson, Amanda The olive sisters Set in Australia, good characterisation, interesting storyline spanning three generations, but not too intricate. A story about real people, their lives and true loves.
• Heyer, Georgette The charity girl A very light historical tale but description of manners, fashions, types of carriages etc are delightful.No brain strain and a smile on your face at the end. Heyer, Georgette Reluctant Widow This is a delightful piece of escapism with the language and gentility of another era. The hero is dashing, the heroine feisty and all ends well.
• Jane Austen Northanger Abbey It’s a boy meets girl- with a twist on gothic horror thrown in. The language may at times be a bit frustrating for some readers… but persist, remember it was first published in 1803. There are laugh-out-loud moments in the book as Austen has a real go at the prevailing fashion of the time -the gothic novel. Northanger Abbey is perfect novel to suggest or those who have not read Austen before; it’s not her best, but it’s a small taste from her plate and can be savoured in an afternoon.
• Kelly, Cathy Lessons in heartbreak I love romance books with more than one plot and this involves a couple of different relationships
• kelly, sheelagh Secrets of our hearts I think this would be good for someone on our Home Library Service or elderly people who don't like a lot of explicitly explained sex. The characters were strong, ordinary people and it had a happy ending! LENNOX, MARION Sizzle, seduce & simmer Like alot of women I am pressed for time, along with working full-time, family and uni studies there's little time for leisure. So this is a great very short read. Having a collection of short stories that you can put down or get through very quickly. It's also got a heap of great recipes that you can get stuck into, or dream of the opportunity to have the time to cook. And best of all its by Australian authors.
• Lindsey, Johanna Prisoner of my desire A very sensual, descriptive historical romance with strong characters and a happy ending. Lively, Penelope Consequences This book was about the love/life stories connecting 3 generations of women, the settings were good and I loved the characters. I like my books to have depth - so I don't read 'Mills & Book' type romances. McCaig, Donald Rhett Butler's people Never thought any author could replicate the passion between Rhett and Scarlett and that period of time but McCaig did it for me. Romance , intrigue, heartbreak, it's all there!
• Moyes, Jojo Silver Bay A good title for someone looking for an Australian background to their romantic fiction. Characters are fairly well drawn and there is some degree of tension and uncertaintity about the outcome, with several false leads. This means that it is not predictable, though of course ultimately there is a happy ending. However this is not clear until the end, which is refreshing.
• Niffenegger, Audrey The time traveler's wife If you like time travel and romance, this is a great mixture. Definitely a romance, but also an enjoyable read, funny and tragic at the same time. Apart from the love between the two main characters - this may not qualify for Romance because there is no happily ever after but it's the closest I could bring myself - this book is built on an interesting premise - that of a man with a genetic abnormality that causes him to travel in time. It can be a bit confusing at first as the reader jumps from one character to the other, each at different ages, one not in chronological order but it is worth sticking with. Also, Henry, the main male character is a cool Librarian.
• Ninn, Anais Delta of Venus Well it's literary erotica. I tried to read conventional romance… I really tried!! But this is the closest I got that I actually enjoyed. Phillips, Erin Research for romance simple story, no sex, good for teenagers
• Pozzessere, Heather Graham An angel's touch This is definitely for someone who wants a feel good novel about realtionships with a touch of humour. It has all the right ingredients for a romance novel, true love with just enough detail, not very long and ends happily. It even has a nice sprinkling of miracles.
• Raye, Kimberly Your Coffin Or Mine? (Dead End Dating, Book 3) Fans of paranormal romance might like to give this series a try. Lil Marchette is the owner of the dating agency “Dead End Dating” and the no.1 dating expert for vampires. She is also the only dating expert for vampires, but that's beside the point. She is an optimistic character, who believes that true love is waiting for everyone. If she can earn some money towards a new Chanel wardrobe while she helps you find your true love, so much the better. My favourite part of this series is Lil's interactions with her family. 400 years worth of parental disapproval and meddling, surely qualifies Lil for sainthood. The side storylines of the romance in progress of Lil's various clients are also entertaining reading. I suggest this to anyone who isn't completely turned off by the thought of vampire romance, and who prefers their reading to be entertaining and funny.
• Redmayne, Ann The Last Bridge if you hate character development and long descriptions of scenery this is the book for you, the main character has 3 major life events by page 8! Robb, J. D. Innocence in death This is a romance novel for people who don't read romance novels. The main story is the mystery but the romance and relationship of the key characters is really crucial to the plot.
• Roberts Nora Night shield loved the description of the characters and how they fought their attraction. Could picture the whole book in my head. Also nice family /character description and great sex scenes not vulgar Roberts, Nora Northern Lights Romance sound with a happy ending (essential to me) but equally important the characters were well developed.Big importance to me : the book has a second genre: mystery.
• Roberts, Nora Blood Brothers (The Sign of Seven trilogy: book1) Hinting round the fringe of Paranormal Romance, this tale has all the elements of a classic Robert's romance trilogy - leaving you wanting oh so much more (Bk 2 due out May 2008 and Bk 3 due out Dec. 2008). We have 3 modern day, successful men. Reluctant to love for fear of the jeopardy their loves will be placed in as a result. We also have 3 very modern and strong women who are unafraid to face their fears and willing to trust their instincts. It's a great combination and an enjoyable ride. For Robert's fans it is akin to her previous trilogies: The Circle and The Key. For new readers it provides a great taste of romance in the 21st Century. Shreve, Anita A Wedding in December This novel has quite a few interesting characters that all were connected to one fateful evening.It tells of how people's lives are often not quite as fantastic as they appear to be.
• Steele, Danielle The Gift Easy reading. Don't need to concentrate too much on the characters. Fairly short. Happy ending.
• Trigiani, Adriani Big Stone Gap Lots of wonderful, eccentric supporting characters, a little bit of romance and an interesting storyline.