Table of Contents
NSW Readers' Advisory Working Group meeting minutes
15 August 2017, Rockdale Library
Acknowledgement of Country
1. Present
Alexis Armytage - Northern Beaches, Christine Howard – Randwick, Vicky Hodgson – Canterbury-Bankstown, Patra Petrohilos – Woollahra, Jenn Martin – Woollahra, Louise Quirk – Waverley, Ayse Ersoy – Waverley, Monique Akauola – Sutherland, Amy Heap – Riverina Regional, Natalie Funston – Bayside, Lisa Pigna – Canterbury-Bankstown, Vanessa Henderson – Ryde, Therese Scott – Ashfield/Inner West, Ellen Forsyth - State Library of NSW
Online: Taryn, Cynthia, Shiralee
2. Apologies
Joan Ingram, Eric Dodson, Christiane Birkett, Kerry-Ann Prideaux, Robyn Menzies, Karen Redlich, Rita Gerskia, Helen Cowan
3. What have you been reading?
In small groups and in 25 words or less: what are the key appeal characteristics and how would you suggest this to a client?
Amy: Started early, took my dog by Kate Atkinson
◾ Dark/gritty
◾ Setting/language
◾ Interesting characters
◾ UK Settings
Natalie: Last seen in Lhasa by Claire Skoble
◾ Set in Nepal
◾ slow paced
◾ long time frame
◾ slower lifestyle
Lisa: Ned Kelly: The Man Behind the Mask by Hugh Dolan
◾ graphic novel
◾ Visual
◾ history of Ned and family
Vanessa: Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
◾ Like an Ikea catalogue, with horror and humour
Therese: Me and Mr Booker
◾ Great introduction
◾ Language as doorway
◾ Relationships
Alex: Books for reluctant readers- Atticus Claw Breaks the Law by Jennifer Gray (author), Mark Ecob (illustrator)
◾ Good for both genders
Vicki: Australian rural romance
Christine: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
◾ Modern India
◾ call centres
◾ reminded of A fine balance
◾ Language as doorway
Patra: Fear by Dirk Kurbjuweit
◾ Translated
◾ Set in post war divided Germany
◾ Setting/plot
Jenn: Dangers of truffle hunting by Sunni Overend
◾ Contemporary
◾ setting
◾ Closer to romance
◾ Food/wine
Lou: Hippy Days, Arabian Nights by Katherine Boland
◾ Set in Bega
◾ memoir
Asha: The grand experiment by Anouk Ride
◾ Western Australia
◾ Inspired by seeing a drawing of two Aboriginal monks in New Norica
Monique: The beach by Alex Garland
◾ Backpackers in Thailand
◾ Story pacey
◾ first person
◾ Dark elements
4. How are people using RA generally, at their library?
Rockdale
◾ Book bingo – summer reading for adults
◾ Staff suggested titles for the squares
◾ Some book clubs using this book bingo to guide their reading
◾ Riverina Regional Library will be doing book bingo next year
Campsie
◾ Little Free Library Hurlston Park – managed by the library
◾ Recording statistics
◾ Donated materials
◾ Note these are book depots
Ryde
◾ RA session training and displays (seethis,this,this,thisandthis)
◾ Thinking about the traits of a western, and match to things they like (and used material from the 2016 readers advisory seminar)
◾ Selected Westerns because people said they did not read this genre
◾ Importance of sign audit as part of RA
◾ Signs can be overwhelming for people with autism
Riverina Regional Library
◾ Reading for wellbeing lists – following from online course last year and list on website
◾ Note new online course starting 30 October this year
Inner West
◾ Read the book see the film – on display
◾ Screen at library with people adding what staff are reading/watching/listings – named staff and what they are reading and watching, changes every two weeks
◾ Monthly/2 weeks change
◾ Read watch display on digital sign and on display
Campsie
◾ Touch table – library promotion including RA
Randwick
◾ Collection called hidden gems, purple stickers, chosen by staff on catalogue, own section, permanent section, see this and this.
◾ Collection highlights rotates quarterly as separate section, currently Asian writers, one bay with orange stickers on spine.
Ryde
◾ ‘a mile in our shoes’ display – shoes and biography display
5. Read Watch Play on social media
Are you following and are you sharing?
How will you use the #RWPchat themes in your library?
◾ #rwpchat themes
◾ Display on screen
◾ Have had some display
◾ Looking at themes for 2018
◾ Discussed display screens, displays
◾ Discuss at team meetings
◾ Round the table what people are reading
6. Non-fiction RA
How do you do this? How are you connecting Makerspaces/code clubs to non-fiction RA? Linking maker/coding with reading and also things like the Book to art club.
Sutherland
◾ 3D printing emblems for events
◾ 3D printing swizzle sticks for literary mocktails events
◾ Examples on Instagram account
Woollahra
◾ linking coding and games in reading, mainly in programs
◾ RRL book talks at other events – short book talks, pick a few items – make items available Many libraries combine the displays/non-fiction and fiction. Need for more non-fiction as well as great inclusion of non-fiction in displays. Ryde Bookends to promote the collection location for children, dinosaurs etc Shiralee
Mostly are one on one with non-fiction readers advisory Can take trolley of things to events – topical material for events Lists can encourage reading
Taryn -Biographies popular
Have a look at the videos of the readers’ advisory meeting at Wagga Wagga as there are some relevant points – minutes and videos are here
Randwick
- Display of new non-fiction at the front of the library, challenge to keep the display full
Ashfield
- Non fiction promoted in newsletter – Ashfield Library Gazette Includes bookmarks like popular science and maths Ideas of topical displays for non-fiction – science week etc Most author talks are nonfiction, works well for comments.
Woollahra
- Also high percentage of non-fiction displays Promoting collections as part of author talks Can ask authors about what they like reading Ethics centre for possible speakers
Eresources for readers advisory and ebook/eaudio How to link to readers advisory Catalogue links critical
RRL
- Econtent promotion on facebook twitter etc
Sutherland Cookie cutters
- 3D printed and promoted library collection on cooking Nonfiction RA look at both popular and unpopular and have promotion on the website as well as link to promoting library resources and talks Question of how to use music collection as part of RA for non-fiction Lifelong learning – opportunity to plug non-fiction
Bankstown
- Targeted author talks
Discussion of including RA in performance assessment
7. Form based readers advisory
Sutherland Did it for last summer, kept it going Link on line for form and in the library – minimum of 3 but up to 6 or 7 Match query to staff member Some repeat visits
Riverina Regional Library
- Form and responses 5 titles, cover and description and why it matches selection.
- Generally paper and online so suits clients in library and online.
- Form based ra can be time consuming but need to choose how you manage the situation.
- Requirements of email and library card members.
- Sutherland tries for 24 hour turn around, rrl – under a week.
- Promotion of form based RA leads to spikes in use.
8. RA events - what RA events are you running in your libraries, how do you promote them?
Woollhara
- New series of events called culture vulture – like COS.
- Late Night Library Have had spineless wonders.
- Australian ebooks supplier Event with actors reading ebooks (need to pay producer/actor etc).
- Bookclub improv – event with comedians targeted to bookclubs (fees were paid to the comedians).
- Genre debates – has done one so far.
- Also see RA seminars - talk from Therese Scott Importance of using social media as promotion
Ashfield
- Seven deadly sins.
- Author talks and client LGBT readings at the library.
- Series of author events/talks including non-fiction.
RRL
- 10th anniversary celebrations of the reading group.
- 4 celebrations across the area.
- Promotion – facebook, twitter, newsletters, printed information in libraries, fliers (RA – fliers in book club talks, email lists of reading related events).
- Promote across council and with relevant partners
Ashfield
- Emerging Vietnamese writers talk (70 people) worked really well.
- One book one community Ashfield mix fiction/nonfiction.
- Annual Bookmark tied to event.
RRL Culminates in author talks Extra copies includes bookclub kits See also the video of Riverina Regional Library as one book topic was discussed in the afternoon
In the room there was a mix of paying/not paying authors Think through if you need to pay author NSW writers centre as an option for outreach Potential for readers advisory events to be promoted at popup/mobile libraries but also for readers advisory events to be run as part of mobile/popup Importance of outreach
9. Online RA - how do you do RA online - one your website, via social media
Think about form based readers’ advisory (discussed earlier in the meeting).
Instagram as a way of promoting. Instagram examples to consider – look at Clarence Regional Library, the bookmarks and other elements on the Blacktown Library account, Berrigan, Midcoast and more Phoenix Library with #readagain ppl. King County Library with a ebook browsing/lending station in Seattle Tacoma Airport (which is actually in King County). Book reviews on Facebook, example from RRL has a review team combining staff and volunteers from the public. Potential of using Goodreads for the library for example RRL or Midcoast. Re-use Novelist information (this is legal) – subscribe to Novelist newsletters for information about this(and your library already has a subscription via NSWnet).
10. Whole advisory (standing item)
Thinking about reading, watching, and playing examples Suggesting different formats as a way of promoting the whole collection – remember dvds/ebook/eaudio/books etc see this and this and this and this
Consider promoting podcasts. Daly review A couple review movies, books, TV shows and anything else they like! I listened to them for the compare and contrast of the Handmaid’s Tale TV vs. book.
Worst best sellers Reviews of popular books that are generally bad but occasionally good with an RA segment on books to read instead of or as well as.
Missed in history Discussions on interesting moments in history from the origins of SPAM (the tinned meat) to the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
Discussion of need to see browsing/searching options in catalogue before search as basic search box was not alluring – see this for an example
Ebook/econtent promotion in the library for example or and this
11. Literary mocktails
How to use them for RA See drug info- these can be promoted in a library display, or linked to an event like know your standards, or combined with something like Sutherland has planned of 3D printing swizzle sticks
12. Roving readers advisory (standing item)
Part of roving services – see recent reference group meeting for additional information.
- Important to use resources for readers’ advisory.
- Rockdale did rewarding reading training prior to opening the new library and combined this readers’ advisory training with roving training. This worked well for the opening of the library.
- Important to think about the location of OPAC and Novelist access.
- Ryde use Ipad minis for roving (engagement), includes LMS, Novelist/Goodreads and other relevant links/apps on the ipad.
Thank you to Rockdale for hosting the meeting.
13. Points for communication (what summary of the meeting goes out with the minutes)
- Consider form based readers advisory a way of providing services With non-fiction readers advisory consider participating in the reading for wellbeing course online https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/literature
- Think about linking readers advisory to other programs such as making Promote readers advisory online and in the library Check out the read watch play themes for 2018 https://readwatchplay.wordpress.com/monthly-themes/
Next meeting November at Hornsby