Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library (Ala Editions) (Paperback)

by Joyce G. Saricks (Author), Nancy Brown (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Saricks' name is familiar to many public librarians, thanks to her extensive experience conducting workshops on readers' advisory service, her columns in Booklist, the previous two editions of this book, and her other book, Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (ALA, 2001). This new edition is a complete revision and can be useful both as a textbook for library-school students and a training manual for library staff. The definition of readers' advisory service has been expanded to include nonfiction as well as fiction. Online tools for identifying and evaluating titles to suggest to today's new adult leisure readers are described, in addition to the tried-and-true print sources. The value of personal reading suggestions from staff and patrons is addressed. Topics for discussion and techniques for marketing good reading material are offered.

The readers' advisory interview chapter, which likens it to a reference interview and stresses the important distinction between recommending and suggesting, should probably be required reading for all library staff. Chapter 7, "Training," provides a checklist for novice librarians and ongoing training activities for experienced readers' advisors. Appendixes include a popular fiction list, a popular nonfiction list, "Sure Bets," and "A NoveList Author Readalike." The bibliography lists print sources and Web sites. A priority for all libraries involved in readers' advisory. Sally Jane
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review
"When a reader asks you for a 'good book, ' are you at a loss for words or titles? Or can you recommend a genre that you personally dislike or don't read? Now you can do these things and more with this expanded and updated work."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: American Library Association; 2nd edition (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0838907113
• ISBN-13: 978-0838907115
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,773,074 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful resource, June 1, 2000

By	Jerrianne Rain (Indiana) - See all my reviews

An expanded and updated version of her 1989 title, this book describes the past and present philosophy of readers' advisory service in public libraries. Sarick offers many training ideas for librarians interested in learning how to perform the service. She gives guidelines on how to conduct the readers' advisory interview, which she describes as a conversation about books between a patron and the librarian. One goal of the readers' advisory interview is to demonstrate that the conversation should be viewed to be as important a library service as is answering reference questions. I found that one of the most interesting chapters was on defining the book's appeal to the reader, the basic elements of which are pacing, characterization, story line and setting. The author devotes an entire chapter in this version on how to articulate those elements, to get the reader to describe what it is about that book that makes them want to find a similar one.

Part of the staff at the Downer's Grove Public Library, Sarick helped to create their readers' advisory service in 1983. The author achieves her goal in this book of introducing the materials, skills and philosophy of readers' advisory service.

This book will be a very useful training tool for libraries and librarians interested in learning how to provide readers' advisory service in their libraries. Many specific examples of authors, titles and genres are described within the text, and a list of popular authors within each genre is included.