Smart Bitches. . .

In the quest to lean about all things romance, this blog became quite well known to me over the past few months - http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/

My co-worker first brought it to my attention as we have seen a huge up-tick in the circulation of bodice-rippers in electronic format.  My co-worker is the head of selection and says that if it has a duke or lord in the title, it is going to be big with readers.  These books are far less modest that they were even 5 years ago, combining a historical context with the eroticism of "Fifty Shades of Grey." Erotic romances are also quite popular and sure-fire bets when it comes to circulation.

While popular, these books are eschewed by library journals who favour literary and award-winning works.  Good smut is hard to find!  Enter the writers for this blog, who have actually been slaving away for ten years to bring romance content to those involved in readers' advisory.  Sarah Wendell maintains her position as co-creator and she has authored a few books on the topic.

The blog features reviews and alerts for items which sit clearly in the romance genre.  There are few sites that focus exclusively on this genre and provide information for library staff and readers' advisors.  As a selector, it is a useful tool to identify what may be flying under the radar of the library journals but what readers are clamouring to get their hands on.

RWA Librarian of the Year

I am busy planning our annual readers' advisory event and the committee has selected "romance" as the theme of the event.  Librarians are often loathe to admit that readers enjoy romance more than any genre that we stock on our shelves.  The Romance Writers of America offer a very informative website which provide background on the genre, information about writers and the industry.  It is a key resource for library staff who serve romance readers.

Various industry surveys return the same information year after year which puts romance ahead of sales in any other genre.  The Romance Writers of America present this statistical analysis on their website as well.  Romance is firmly in the driver's seat of increased e-book sales with many readers preferring to indulge in romance inconspicuously on the e-readers, tablets or smartphones.  This was one of the main drivers behind our desire to investigate the trend.

Lisa Schimmer, senior cataloguer at Novelist, is the 2015 RWA Librarian of the Year.  She was selected for her work which improved the cataloguing of romance novels, making them more accessible to readers and library staff who use the Novelist database.  Lisa will be able to offer library staff a unique perspective on finding and categorizing romance novels.  It is important that libraries are aware of trends in the industry and individuals who are working hard to make serving readers easier.  The committee is hopeful that Lisa can join our event.

The committee has also agreed to read and provide annotations for five romance novels as per the committee's regular practice.  Groans all around!

What We See When We Read

I was finally able to get a copy of Peter Mendelsund's "What We See When We Read."  Peter appeared at the 2015 "RA in a Day" event organized by OPLA's Readers' Advisory Committee and he was a dynamic and absorbing speaker.  He was quite humble about his work at Knopf and his books but he should not be because I could read his books and listen to him all day.

This book is really just a meditation on something that we can never know because "what we see when we read" is as individual as each human and each reading experience.  Readers may think very little about the reading experience as it is an ethereal and ever-evolving notion.  Mendelsund tries to recreate the experience in the format of his book that reads likes a philosophic treatise that has been smoking up in an alley.

He looks at concepts like character and setting and tends to focus a lot of his consideration on a few classic texts like Finnegan's Wake, Anna Karenina and Moby Dick.  Readers who have read those texts would gain an additional layer of insight but is not 100% necessary.  I followed his thoughts and assertions despite not having read Tolstoy.  Considering Nancy Pearl's doorways, this book is firmly behind the language door as it reads lyrically and with profound humour and humanity.  (Am I gushing?)

Ultimately, Mendelsund suggested that reduction is what we see and that reduction is the currency of human experience.  We can never take in everything, so we take in what we can or want to see.  Reading is a sum of our own experience, knowledge and education and no one reads a book in the same way.  The book celebrates our own individuality and paints a cast landscape in the books we read which can never be fully known.

I suggest this book for every readers' advisor to understand the reading experience from a completely new perspective.

Books and Brunch

It is never a unpleasant Sunday spent in a room as beautiful as the one pictured above.  This is the Sovereign Ballroom in the King Edward Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  This hotel is part of Toronto's history and is well worth a visit or an overnight stay, if you can afford it!  The hotel is famous for a very luxurious Sunday brunch which will give you a chance to sit in the ballroom and enjoy the atmosphere.

I attended an event on Sunday, March 1st at the hotel called "Books and Brunch" which is hosted by Ben McNally and his bookstore.  Details about brunch events are posted on his website and occur ever few weeks.  The cost is $50 which includes a full brunch and attendance at the event and the tickets can be purchased at the store or online.

The event I attended included the five finalists for the RBC Charles Taylor Prize which is awarded for excellence in non-fiction writing.  This event was held about 48 hours before the winner was announced so it is really a premiere event for the public to interact with the nominees and hear about their amazing books.  Plum Johnson, David O'Keefe, M. J. Vassanji, Barbara Taylor and Kathleen Winter presented excerpts from their works and spoke about the writing process.  These books were all fascinating and great examples of narrative non-fiction which would be popular with readers.

Attendees can purchase the books and have them signed by the author at the event.  It is a fabulous opportunity to get up close and personal with great Canadian authors in an impressive setting from Sunday brunch.  I am glad I could finally arrange to go and I would do so again.

Based on the Book

Anyone working in a library will tell you that books which are made into movies are popular with readers.  You will see long holds lists for books that have been just been made into movies, no matter how old the book it.  Woe is the acquisitions department when a blockbuster film is based on a book that is no longer in print or wide distribution.

At my library, we have a "Raves and Faves" program which features sure-fire reads in greater quantities which are often displayed near the entrance so that customers can quickly grab a great read.  We included "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed and "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova.  Needless to say, both titles quickly exited the library to fill holds.

A display of books and the films they are based on is a quick win for your collection as readers and watchers will be intrigued to see these collected together.  Good readers' advisors probably do not need a lot of aids to find these quickly but there are a lot of resources out there to find these items.

Mid-Continent Public Library offers 1450 book titles and the movies they inspired.
http://www.mymcpl.org/books-movies-music/based-book

Bookreporter does a great round-up of films in theatres which are based on books
http://www.bookreporter.com/features/books-on-screen

EarlyWord will give you a heads up for recent films being released which are based on books.
http://www.earlyword.com/books-to-movies-upcoming/

Online Readers' Advisory Services

Canadian public libraries are becoming more and more interested in their readers.  Cultivating good relationships with readers can translate into more library support through book usage.  With a rise in use of e-collections, libraries have to offer readers' advisory services in new ways that make them convenient for readers to use.  Providing reading suggestions can spread a readers' interest across the whole collection drawing attention away from popular titles.

Personalized book lists or reading suggestions are old ideas in the readers' advisory cannon but they are experiencing a resurgence in interest, both for libraries and readers.  Many libraries are offering web-based forms which allows readers to receive reading suggestions.  Here are a few successful services which may serve as a model for service in your library.

Kingston Frontenac Public Library's 3 for 3
http://reads.kfpl.ca/3-for-3/

This service allows readers to send the three authors or titles that they have read in the past and enjoyed to receive three new titles or authors to try.  Readers are encouraged to identify appeal factors for the books they enjoyed to provide something for the advisors to consider.  Readers will receive a response in a week.  Be sure to check out other lists and posts on their KFPL Reads site.

Toronto Public Library's Ask a Bookhead
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/books-video-music/books/booklists/

If you click on the green button at the top right hand corner of the page above, you'll be taken to a chat page where you can ask readers' advisory questions.  Library staff answer these questions on a daily basis and the information is available for others to read.  This service is one of a whole suite of services available for readers.  Check out Book Buzz, Toronto's online book club, for additional resources.

Vancouver Public Library's Books Just for You
https://www.vpl.ca/survey/index.php/72586?lang=en

Vancouver offers a traditional looking form for readers to complete for advisory services.  This is just one part of a fulsome offering of services for readers.  There is no additional information about how quickly you may receive the suggestions or how many titles/authors you may receive in return but it looks like you won't be disappointed.

Edmonton Public Library's Personalized Book Lists
http://www.epl.ca/services/personalized-book-list

Like Vancouver, Edmonton allows readers to complete a formal request for advisory services.  Book lists and other resources are available as well.  Check out their online chat!

Ontario Library Association - 2015 Superconference

The annual Ontario Library Association conference was held in Toronto from January 28 to 31.  This conference gives library professionals and other library workers an opportunity to meet and attend relevant workshops.  The content is varied and sessions include content for academic, special, school and public libraries.

In terms of readers' advisory content, there were some sessions which provided some training for library staff.  The Dewey Divas and Dudes offered reading suggestions for |LGTBQ teens.  Vaughan Public Library staff showcased their focus on developing readers' advisory services (no access to presentation).

With other committee members, I was able to meet with the co-chair of the British Columbia Library Association Readers' Advisory Interest Group.  This committee was developed after discussion with the Ontario Public Library Association's Readers' Advisory Committee.  Our lunch was a good opportunity to discuss readers' advisory issues in public libraries across the country.

As always, the Expo featured many authors and allowed libraries direct access to publishers and suppliers.

Overall, there could have been more readers' advisory content which means that those who have a passion for readers should be developing a session for next year's conference.