NSW public library wiki

• Therese Scott (Ashfield)
• Eileen Smith (Wollongong)
• Chris Jones (Great Lakes)
• Kim Tattam (Great Lakes)
• Sally Webster (Great Lakes)
• Helen Cowen (Wingecarribbee)
• Cathy Johnston (Tamworth)
• Charina Kofod (Holroyd)
• Frances Riva (Ashfield)
• Jill Webb (Marrickville)
• Dianne Daniels (Marrickville)
• Leanne Webster (Kiama)
• Karan Oldershaw (Kiama)
• Kathleen Arundell (Leichhardt)
• John Martin (Auburn)
• Andrew Allan (Canterbury)
• Fay Gilliver (Bankstown)
• Ellen Forsyth (State Library)
• Fran Inkster (Manly)
• Ruth McJannett (Wollongong)
• Joan Ruthven (Marrickville)
• Dallas Curry (Marrickville)
• Bob Diracca (Randwick)
• Merilyn Hills (Hornsby)
• Cynthia (Hornsby)
• Jane Greville (Ryde).

Introductions

Positive responses received for Nancy Pearl’s training days in December 2006. Tamworth compiled reading suggestions from Nancy’s list, used ‘doorways’ strategy to encourage reading and change how people do things. Auburn also used the doorways analogy to reading.

Manly discussed in their book group contemporary Australian fiction and ‘books you’d recommend to read again’. Doorways are a good strategy to use to find out why you love books. See below.

Doorways into reading

• Make sure there are some nf titles/authors
• Check spelling

Books with CHARACTER as the major appeal

• Dorothy L Sayers
• Elizabeth George
• Anne Tyler
• Barbara Kingsolver
• Maeve Binchy

Books with SETTING as the major appeal

• Dirt Music – Tim Winton
• Lonesome dove
• Terry Pratchett
• Ian Rankin
• James Mitchener
• Brontes
• Alexander McCall Smith
• Tracey Chevalier
• Historical fiction
• Fantasy

Books with STORY as the major appeal

• Matthew Reilly
• Connie Willis
• Stephen King
• Charles Dickens
• Armchair adventure

Books with LANGUAGE as the major appeal

• Isabel Allende
• The English patient
• Possession – AS Byatt
• Tim Winton
• John Steinbeck
• Jane Austen
• Terry Pratchett
• Christopher Moore
• Umberto Eco
• James Joyce
• Nabakov
• Philip Roth
• Poetry

Books with All four Appeals

• Harry Potter
• JRR Tolkein

Ellen suggested we email Nancy our thoughts on her training. Her books are: ‘Book Lust’, ‘Book Lust 2”, ‘Book crush’ (for teenagers) will be out soon.

Tamworth reported their science fiction group has disbanded because of some personality differences. Science fiction fans would only read that genre, not fantasy. Joyce Sarricks has written some useful books on readers’ advisory services. Literature map creates maps based on input: http://www.literature-map.com

We mentioned the knowledgeable Tim Martin from Infinitas Bookshop who spoke at the seminar in March. The read @ your library science fiction bookmarks have some good suggestions for reading.

Ellen told us that a small group of libraries met last year about potential progress to be made with readers advisory and services to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) clients. The points raised were given to the multicultural working group. They are doing reading lists in a range of languages including: Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish as the starting languages as many libraries stock books in these languages. Aiming to produce classics reading lists in particular languages.

The Rachel van Riel training touched upon the importance of reading outside your comfort zone. Which methods have worked for the group? Leanne mentioned that HLS patrons have enjoyed the wrapped ‘surprise’ book in their delivery. Others mentioned using the term ‘suggested’ instead of ‘recommended’ as Rachel mentioned that it is unwise to recommend something as they may not like it.

Staff picks lists encourage patrons and staff to read outside their normal reading patterns. Regarding Home Library patrons, one library encouraged patrons to comment on their selections and what they thought of the ‘surprise’ books. It seems to have widened HLS reading choices.

Chris suggested that we record comments about books from our book groups. Rachel van Riel mentioned getting readers involved by having a patrons' picks noticeboard, encourage patron reviews being posted to this board and to websites, putting smiley and non smiley bookmarks in books they read and more.

Opening the book

Booklists of books patrons and staff liked and disliked are worthwhile.

Charina mentioned that Holroyd Library’s newsletter had a genre discussion on the theme of ‘war’ as to the links between western and science fiction genres as all have elements of war. Has put this list on aliaread after meeting. Fran mentioned that reading outside the comfort zone came back to your mood and said that saying to patrons ‘are you in the mood for…….<insert genre or author names> can work.

Please note the date has changed to Tuesday 20 November November is read @ your library month and the readers’ advisory group would Like to make it an annual celebration along the lines of Library Lovers Day.

• Some suggestions for the day include ‘Borrow a crime reader’ (or other genre) as Richmond-Tweed are doing (although there program is more like borrowing a homeless person, single mum etc.)
• Various genre readers could get together for their own book group. The aim would be to make it more a readers' day and involve them in the experience. Themed library displays featuring ‘real’ readers and their favourite books are another idea. Our group would need to work with the marketing group on this project.
• The day was going to be Tuesday 13 November but was changed after the meeting to Tuesday 20 November.
• Simultaneous book club/book discussion was also suggested; use locally based people/readers/celebrities for the promotion, including Mayors and senior Council staff. Jenn, Cathy and Helen volunteered to get some ideas together by July. Any other volunteers gratefully accepted.

Merilyn talked about the Novelist database as an aid for readers' advisory work. It is useful for young adults and for those patrons who have read everything. You can set up your own personal lists for what you have read and what you would like to read. There are lots of tips on bookmarks, displays, promotional materials which can be used for free.

Hornsby gave their book club a demonstration of Novelist. It has a browse list where you can enter the plot description, especially when they patrons have forgotten the title, lists award winners. You can read what the Novelist team have read and widen your reading choices.

Many libraries currently use electronic resources for Readers Advisory work, including Literature-Map.com Jenn noted that Novelist has multiple purposes so is good for staff and patrons. There is a professional aspect to many of the articles and its slant is American.

Ellen suggested we consider the feasibility of contributing Australian data to the database. It would be worth seeing if they agree. Our group could start this process. Merilyn volunteered to follow up on this proposal.

This is a blog for the reference and information services group http://www.nsw-risg.org/weblog/. The Readers Advisory working group is a working group of this main one.

For an online group to be active you need 300 people in an online group to have 3 people who are active. (This is based on the 90, 9 rule Simply put, the rule states that in a typical online community, 90% of the users are lurkers, 9% are occasional contributors, and only 1% are active contributors (see http://agiletesting.blogspot.com/2006/10/90-9-1-rule-and-building-open-source.html) for more information.

Aliaread attracts lots of interest from NSW and Vic, some from Qld. The proposed blog would be NSW based. It is a way of collating the ideas that come out of aliaread eg: cry worthy books. Readers may contribute as well. Charina and Merilyn volunteered to investigate setting up a wiki.

The first readers’ advisory seminar received very positive feedback. Attendees found it positive, constructive and enthusiastic. They also came up with good suggestions for next year’s seminar. They loved hearing from public librarians.

Cathy Johnston (Tamworth) Jenn Martin (Auburn) Helen Cowen (Wingecarribee) Jane Broadbare (Mosman) Jane later withdrew due to work commitments.

If anyone else who could not attend the meeting would like to be on the committee, please email thereses@ashfield.nsw.gov.au

Ellen thanked Therese for her work in starting the group and Therese reciprocated her thanks to Ellen and State Lib.

General:

• Searching the Secret River : Kate Grenville
• Stop that girl : Elizabeth McKenzie
• The Kite runner: Khaled Hosseini
• A Fine balance : Rohinton Mistry
• Mapping Mars : Oliver Morton
• Usborne stories from Shakespeare
• They’re a weird mob : John O’Grady
• The year of eating dangerously : Tom Parker Bowles