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**NSW Readers' Advisory Working Group meeting minutes**

25 November 2008, Ultimo Library

Thanks to David Sharman and Vassiliki Veros from City of Sydney
Library.

Chair: Vassiliki Veros
Minutes: Therese Scott


====1. Attendance:====
  * Vassiliki Veros (City of Sydney)
  * Ellen Forsyth (SLNSW)
  * Therese Scott (Ashfield)
  * Jenn Martin (Auburn)
  * Charina Kofod (Holroyd)
  * Christina Steiner (Parramatta)
  * Sarah Wild (Leichhardt)
  * Natalie Gray (Rockdale)
  * Jane Greville (Ryde)
  * Martin Mantle (Armidale)
  * Kate Nalder (Tamworth)
  * Barbara Moss (Strathfield)
  * Laura King (Strathfield)
  * Yan Zhang (Parramatta)
  * Merilyn Hills (Hornsby)
  * Sue Leverington (Port Stephens)
  * Tonia Bishop (Newcastle)
  * Ken Klippel (Marrickville)

====2. Libmark Seminar====

//~ report from Therese Scott//


  * From hearing about what they are doing in Victoria, a lot of it being similar to us, we need to ‘tell our stories more : promote what we are doing.
  * After this meeting Jenn Martin created a ‘Good practice’ section for us to add good news RA stories.
  * More collaboration with Victoria and other states would be worthwhile.
  * ‘Reader development’ is the term used in UK and Victoria.
  * ‘Readers Advisory’ is the term used in USA, Canada, most of Australia and New Zealand are somewhere in between.
  * To our group RD sounds slightly patronising while RA is more respectful
  * Our group should approach Queensland, W.A., Northern Territory regarding collaboration. We could have an online meeting.
  * Members of our group should put their great initiatives on flickr.
  * Hard to find the time to say what we are doing as we are busy doing it.
  * Outcomes from Rewarding Reading training are always positive.
  * Good to have a strategy for Readers Advisory (see Eastern Regional Libraries in Victoria website)
  * Library Journal Oct 15 2008 great article on the RA interview.


====3. Ideas for Readers Advisory seminar March 4 2009====
Ellen Forsyth

  * Have covered the genres of Romance, science fiction. Any other genres we should focus on for a theme?
  * Non fiction RA and crossover with reference.
  * Memoirs and biographies are very popular in our libraries.
  * Patron Picks : those patrons who read in these genres: they might like to speak as per last year’s seminar.
  * Secondary RA work : parents ask for books for children or husband coming in for wife, child/asking for homebound parent.
  * Profiles for HLS patrons ? Do they follow Nancy Pearls gateways?
  * Please send HLS profiles to Ellen.
  * Email will be sent to Reference PLN list : volunteers to speak in these areas.or if you think of someone : library or non library to speak to these issues, email suggestions to Ellen.
  * Sue Leverington from Ports Stephens said they now have a First Friday Book Club which is sponsored by Brumby’s. They read one book for each meeting. The Book Chat groups met for 2 years and were not really successful.
  * Whereas Ultimo Library Book group did not want to be restricted to reading the one title.


====4. Ref ex wiki update====

//~Ellen Forsyth//

  * Google analytics have been installed on RA links.
  * There is a 64.07% bounce rate (look and leave site)
  * 2,427 visits in October from 46 countries and territories
  * 2,136 people visited only once.
  * 300 people made return visits including from India, South America
  * It is mostly NSW people on ALIA Read who make up the return visits.
  * This is a starting point for RA statistics. It has only been installed for 6 weeks.
  * It is a tool for staff and is not open to the public.

  * Reference group have been working on a project modifying the ‘Ohio reference excellence project’.
  * Modules 1-6 work and will be linked to State Library website shortly.Thanks to Martin Boyce from Sutherland for the cascading style sheets.
  * Why not take a photo of your reference/local studies area and send it to Ellen.
  * Basic introduction to RA work was flagged as an issue. Refresher course for reference staff needed and RA work was the logical addition. That module would need to be written from scratch.

====5. WIKI update/ demo====

//~Jenn Martin//

Jenn demonstrated the ease with which you can upload to the wiki. You have to be an author first though! so please apply. You can move pages, add pages and add attachments. Feel free to edit existing lists. When creating book lists try and mix fiction and non fiction up.

====6. Weekend Book group query====

Michael Selby from Liverpool asked if the group could advise on when to start a weekend book group : Sat AM, PM or Sundays. We advised Saturday PM after everyone has shopped and had lunch.


====7. What are reading/have been reading:====

**Vassiliki:** 
  * The Guernsey Literary and potato peel society/ Mary Ann Shaffer
  * Into the fire/Suzanne Brockman
  * Yan Zhang: Due considerations/John Updike
  * The private patient/ P.D. James
  * Latest Phryne Fisher mystery by Kerry Greenwood
  * Paul Auster

**Laura:** 
  * Eleven hours/ Paullina Simons
  * Dewey the cat

**Barbara:**
 
  * books on cd by Robert G. Barrett, Kerry Greenwood (Corinne the baker series)

**Sue:** 

  * The blind assassin/ Margaret Atwood,
  * The Call : Oriah Mountain dreamer,
  * New earth: Eckhart Tolle.

**Jenn:** 

  * Slouching towards Bethlehem/Joan Didion

**Tonya:**

  *  Tenderness of wolves/Steff Penney
  * Brass verdict / Michael Connelly
  * Landscape of farewell / Alex Miller

**Ken:**

  * Don Quixote: Cervantes
  * Terminal man

**Kate:**

  * The Gathering : Anne Enright
  * Breath : Tim Winton
  * The curious incident of the dog in the night- time : Mark Haddon

**Martin**

  * The National book club award : J,C , Willett
  * Re-reading various 1950’s science fiction

**Jane :**

  * The host /Stephenie Meyer
  * Wizard of Rondo / Emily Rodda

**Natalie:**

  * Eclipse / Stephenie Meyer
  * The road /Cormac McCarthy

**Charina:**

  * The thief of time/Terry Pratchett
  * Sandra’s book / Tamora Pierce
  * J.D. Robb anthology

**Merilyn :**

The day after tomorrow / Paulsen

**Christine**

  * My sister’s keeper/ Jodi Picoult
  * Sarah: Salvation in death /J.D. Robb
  * Book of longing / Leonard Cohen
  * Buddhism books

**Therese:** 

  * The book thief : Marcus Zusak
  * Waiter rant : A. Waiter


Next meeting : late March/April West Ryde
Thereafter: Port Stephens
Thereafter: Liverpool