Draft program.
Please book here for onsite participation
Please book here for online participation
Please note there is no morning tea break.
9.30 Welcome to the State Library and Acknowledgement of Country – Cameron Morley Head Public Library Services
9.35 Introduction to the day
Part 1 Readers’ advisory interview 9:40-10:45: Chair - Lauren Watkins, Kiama Library
9.40 – 9.50 Readers’ advisory interview – general information, including examples
9.50 – 10.15 In conversation –interviews with readers’ advisory staff (home library, etc.)
10.15 – 10.45 R.A. interviews for young people Bec Shelberg – Stanton Library, North Sydney (includes 10 minutes question time)
Write down 1 - 3 ideas you will be taking back to the office
5-min break - stand/stretch – Note there is no morning tea break
Part 2 Diversity 11:00-12.00: Chair – Yasmin Greenhalgh Stanton Library, North Sydney How to ensure diversity in readers’ advisory
11.15 Presentation from ALIA Disability group readers’ advisory. Social bibliotherapy by Amy at Tamworth Library(includes 10 minutes question time)
11.45 ALIA Disability member Sonya Moon (Libraries Tasmania) about including diversity in readers’ advisory from a mental health perspective
11.50 – 12.00 5-minute talks of readers’ advisory in practice or what people took away from Actively Anti-Racist training
12:00-1:00 Lunch - provided for onsite participants
Optional activity at lunch time – talk to a someone you have not met. Ask them what they’ve read lately. If you get asked – a challenge is to reply with three appeal terms instead of a book synopsis/summary (this is to focus on appeal and not plot)
Part 3 Taking action 1.00 – 1.40 Chair Ita Hanssens, Tamworth Library
1.00 – 1.30 Look at your collection - what work needs to be done to make the collection diverse and displayable Yasmin Greenhalgh Stanton Library, North Sydney (includes 10 minutes question time)
1.30 - 1.40 What to do in a small library to make sure displays include readers’ advisory (non-fiction and fiction) Lauren Watkins, Kiama Library
Part 4 training and resources(1:40-2:40): Chair Ita Hanssens, Tamworth Library
1.40 – 1.45 Jodie Dolden & Lani Kilpatrick-Coles Hornsby on readers’ advisory training
1.48 – 1.53 Gabrielle Cundy Blacktown on Literary Mocktails as readers’ advisory tools
1.55 – 2.00 Jolana from Clarence Library about multicultural loan increase
2.02 – 2.07 Rachel from SLNSW about professional reading group
2.09 – 2.14 Shaye from Albury about their First Nations Collection (Via zoom)
2.16 - 2.21 Danielle from Newcastle Libraries about Young Adult Book Club
2.23 – 2.33 Joanna and Emma from Inner West libraries about readers’ advisory training
2.33 – 2.40 Combined question time
2.40 – 3.10 afternoon tea 30 minutes
Part 5 An overview of readers' advisory resources 3:10-3.45: Chair – Aaron Wilkes Richmond Upper Clarence Regional
3.15 – 3.25 Ngarie from Richmond Upper Clarence Regional Library Cataloguing to include tropes/author nationality
3.25 – 3.30 Ellen from State Library of NSW State library resources available, wiki, email lists online training and plans for 2026
3.30 – 3.45 Resources show and tell
Closing 3.45 – 4.00pm Chair – Aaron Wilkes Richmond Upper Clarence Regional Library
- Evaluation of the seminar
- Follow up meeting in 6 weeks time. 6 May 10-12. Zoom booking are on the wiki and will be emailed out.
Online participants please register for the zoom link.
Travel assistance is available for NSW public library travelling more than 100 kilometres to participate in the onsite part of the seminar.