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

21 October 2015, Lane Cove Library 

**Chair: Eric Dodson** 

Acknowledgement of Country

====1. Present====
Eric Dodson (Lane Cove), Ellen Forsyth (State Library NSW), Kerry Ann Prideaux (Burwood), Rebeccah Vick (Pittwater), Katherine Mitchell (Paramatta), Lim Goodzari (Canada Bay), Jenny Nicholson (Kogarah), Cathy Rintar (Blacktown), Liz Agnew &amp; P Huan (Stanton), Margaret Gibson (Blue Mountains), Michelle Cairns (Ku-ring-gai), David Hay (Waverley), Lisa Pigna (Canterbury), Monique Akauola (Sutherland), Sue Hamling (Gosford), Renee Fittler (Ashfield), Leonie Jordan &amp; Stephanie Hodgson (Auburn), Melanie Mutch (Hornsby), Robyn (Hawkesbury).

====2. Appologies====

====3. What RA initiatives are in place at our libraries?====
We have updated the information about Read Watch Play on the wiki - have a look http://readersadvisory.wikifoundry.com/page/Read+watch+play.

Some of the [[https://www.flickr.com/photos/nsw_risg/albums/72157664265992401|resources discussed in this meeting are viewable on Flickr]]
    
**Ku-ring-gai**

    * Initiating a new book club for younger readers called ‘Last Chapter.
  
**Ashfield**  

     * Have been updating the reading lists on their website and have printed some high quality bookmarks that were designed by external professional graphic designers. New lists that will be coming soon are: ‘in translation’, ‘asian authors’, ‘LGBQT’ and ‘Picture books’
      * International games day on November 21 is an opportunity to showcase RA for games, from computer games, board games, books with and about games, and books of puzzles.

**Auburn**

* Have launched new book groups for Chinese and Turkish language speakers in their community.

**Campsie**

*  A Nepalese cultural day featuring Nepalese resources borrowed from the State Library. It is hoped that the interest will lead to the development of a new collection at the library. A tip is that CALD community members will respond very well to visual prompts, such as their flags, displayed in the library.
* When an author passes away, it is a good time to consider a display of their work, as customers are often looking for them.

**Hawkesbury**

* Staff are required to contribute a new shelf talker every month. They are very brief and include Author/Title and a brief teaser – what makes this book fabulous?
  
**Lane Cove** 

* The new book display is highlighted in the most recent library newsletter. 
* Printed lists of new items in the collection are very popular. 
* They have just launched a collection of book club kits.

**Riverina Regional Library**

* Has reading lists on its Pinterest account.

**Warringah** 

* Has a successful display of Staff Picks. Items have a sticker placed on the front cover, are displayed on a quick choice stand at the front of the library and are given a 650 tag to make them easy to retrieve from the shelf to top up displays. Customer feedback is very positive, and circulation is over twice as high as it is for the rest of the collection

====4. Read Watch Play====

*  If you use the #RWP tags as part of a display or library promotion, send photos through to the RA steering group to share, or post it directly to the wiki.
 *     The group is trialling beginning the Twitter discussion at 11.00am, to allow more participation.
 *     Will also be posting on Facebook during the Twitter chat to encourage participation from people who prefer this platform. If you use Facebook for #RWPChat, please send screenshots, statistics or feedback through to the steering group.
    
**Auburn**
 
* Using the RWP themes for a general book discussion group. This is promoted with a display of reading material related to the theme.
     
//Ideas for #technoread://

Steampunk, a promotion of eBooks and resources, workshops introducing the community to new social media platforms, how to use technology for family history research (find my past etc).
    
//Ideas for #sweetread://

Takea photo of your sweet afternoon tea with the book you are reading and sent the photo to the RWP Instagram, look at an antidote to sweetness with books like ‘I Quit Sugar’


====5. Top tips for high eBook circulation.====

Investigation has shown that NSW libraries with the highest eBook circulation use a number of these tools to promote their collections:

  * Catalogue – eBook titles are clearly visible in the library catalogue
  *     Staff are well trained, and this training is updated regularly
  *     Staff will help customers load content onto their device in the library
  *     Offering assistance with eResources is a performance measure

//Other tips//

  *  Kathleen Alexander from the State Library NSW can bring kits of different devices as a staff training opportunity.
  * Canada Bay have created a You Tube video showing customers how to load the libraries eBooks. This video is embedded on the library website.
  *     Don’t be afraid to admit you aren’t familiar with a particular device. Say something like ‘Let’s work this out together.


====6. RWP Tumblr====

We are always looking for content for the RWP Tumblr. Each post relates to the monthly theme and is in the form of ‘If you like…try…’ If you have ideas, please send them through to Melanie Mutch at Hornsby, or post them directly to the new page we have created on the wiki.
Even if your library doesn’t use Tumblr, these slides can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest on your website or displayed on a digital screen in your library.

//#technoread//

If you like //Jane Eyre// by Charlotte Bronte, try another story exploring rural technology like:
  * North and South/ Elizabeth Gaskell
  * Tess of the Durbervilles/ Thomas Hardy
  * Lady Chatterley’s Lover/ D.H. Lawrence
  * Crime and Punishment/ Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  * Middlemarch/ George Eliot
  * Far from the Madding Crowd/ Thomas Hardy

//#technoread//

If you like //Ready Player One// by Ernest Cline, try another story set in the gaming world like:
  * Mogworld/ Yahtzee Croshaw
  * More than this/Patrick Ness
  * Erebos/ Ursula Poznanski
  * Tron (movie)
  * In Real Life/ Cory Doctorow
  * Scott Pilgrim/ Bryan Lee O’Malley

//#Sweetread//

If you liked //Jam// by Yahtzee Croshaw, try another horror story of confectionery gone awry, like:
  * Hansel and Gretel
  * Odd Thomas/ Dean Koontz
  * NOS4A2/ Joe Hill

#sweetread (Cozy Culinary Mysteries)
  * Nightmares can be murder/ Mary Kennedy
  * Key Lime Pie Murder/ Joanna Fluke
  * Earthly Delights/ Kerry Greenwood
  * Sweet revenge/ Diane Mott Davidson
  * Tea Shop Mysteries/ laura Childs
  * Catered Christmas cookie exchange/ iris Crawford
  * Small Plates/ Katherine Hall Page

====7. Key Issues and Challenges in Readers Advisory====
The following issues were mentioned as common barriers to providing a quality Readers’ Advisory service:

      * Permission to use social media
  *     Motivating and engaging peers/library staff
  *     Staff culture – RA should be non-judgemental and offered by all staff
  *     Understanding that RA techniques can be applied to the whole collection
  *     Finding time/ making RA a priority 



====8. Around the room what people have been reading and how would you suggest to a reader?====
//Winter in Ma//drid/ S.J. Sansom – Historical Fiction, war setting, bleak tone.

//Voss/// Patrick White – Australian historical fiction, beautiful and dense language, literary fiction.

//The Girl in the Spider's Web// (Millennium Trilogy #4)/ David Lagercrantz – would happily suggest to a fan of the first books in the trilogy.

//Winesburg, Ohio/// Sherwood Anderson – a gently written book, with a kind tone. Suitable for fans of Anne Tyler.

//H is for Hawk/// Helen MacDonald – for fans of memoir, nature writing, a beautiful exploration of grief
New Scientist Magazine – has a range of information, themed issues, it debunks popular myths, story oriented.

//You can buy happiness and it’s cheap// / Tammy Strobel – about the process of decluttering.

//Princess in Black// / Shannon Hale – JF - an alternative to the traditional princess story.

//The Penderwicks on Gardam Street// / Jeanne Birdsall – JF, a contemporary book for fans of Enid Blyton.

//The Husband’s Secret// / Liane Moriarty – a relatable Sydney setting, a fun read but deals with serious issues beneath the suburban veneer.

//The Clifton Chronicles// / Jeffrey Archer – a series of short novels, a family saga. Good for people who don’t want a physically heavy book.

//The Woman who walked in Sunshine/// Alexander McCall Smith – a pleasant, uplifting read.

//Stay// /Jesse Blackadder – a JF novel for fans of animal books like those written by Jackie French or Margaret Clarke. For readers who enjoy real life stories and learning through fiction.

//Fergus Crane/// Paul Stewart – a fantasy adventure story for 8-10 year olds.

//A Cake Shop in the Garden// / Carole Matthews – a light, romantic read. A good change after reading Helen Garner’s //This House of Grief//.

//Deadline// / Sandra Brown – romantic suspense. For readers of Andrea Kane, Nora Roberts or Tami Hoag.

 //Ancient Future// / Traci Harding – A time travel fantasy. Suggest for fans of Dr Who.

//The Bees/// Lailene Paull – an easy read, suitable for YA readers.

//A parcel for Anna Browne/// Miranda Dickinson – for fans of Katie fforde and Carole Matthews.

//Odd Thomas/// Dean Koontz – a lighter book than some of the authors other dark horror novels, the protagonist is a strong character and an anti-hero. The first in a series.

//Night Eternal// / Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan – a classic vampire horror story with a twist.

//Open// / Andre Agassi - not just for tennis fans, this is an interesting exploration of a man, and would be good for any fan of memoirs.

//Rush, oh!// / Shirley Barrett – Australian Historical fiction set around the whaling industry in Eden. A poignant and funny story of love and misadventure.