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.

Audio Appeal

What makes an audiobook appeal to a reader? As a reader who goes through quite a few audiobooks, I find that certain factors make me more enamored of certain books, adding to the appeal of the book in new ways.

Series
For me, series often come to be associated with the reader's voice, and I prefer the audiobook format for certain series as a result.
Ralph Cosham's voice is Armand Gamache and the other characters in Louise Penny's mystery series set in Quebec. His voice is the perfect mix of authority and gentleness that is the essence of Gamache. The other voices, conveyed through the smallest differences of inflection bring the other characters to life, from the abrasive poet Ruth to the calm and insightful bookstore owner and psychologist Myrna.
Dick Hill is Jack Reacher in Lee Child's thriller series. His voice is calm, sure of himself, yet not arrogant. It is strong, intelligent, and can slide into sexy as easily as Reacher dons a new set of clothes.
Jayne Entwistle is Flavia de Luce in Alan Bradley's mystery series. She conveys the quirkiness, intelligence, of the child perfectly. Her supporting voices for characters like calm, quiet Dogger, and silly yet solid Mrs, Mullet convey their natures to a tee.

Range of voices
For other books it is the wild range that a single reader can bring to a book to convey different characters.
Simon Vance does wonderful things with his voice in Jasper Fforde's Nursery Crime mystery series to bring the wide variety of characters to life, ranging from wild Punch and Judy, to gruff bears, to aliens.
Laurel Merlington in Margaret Atwood's Penelopiad brings not only the voice of Penelope, but also the other maidens, to life in unique ways.
Stephen Fry brings us Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect along with the many characters they encounter along the way in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Evocative voices
Sometimes it is the fit the author makes of his or her reading to the book that makes it special.
Mark Bramhall, reading The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin does an amazing job of storytelling, using slow speaking, pauses and other means to bring the story to vibrant life.
Sunil Malhotta brings the perfect voice to Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, emotional yet never jarring.
Sissy Spacek reads the classic To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee in such a way that you are in the story, feeling what Scout is feeling, experiencing what she is experiencing.
Cassandra Campbell reading The Jewels of Paradise by Donna Leon has the loveliest Italian accent that makes you feel like you are in Venice living the story of Caterina.

Authors as Readers
Books read by the author also have a different sense that makes you listen more closely
In See Now Then by Jamaica Kincaid which has her using inflections, pauses, and a particularly non-emotional voice for very emotional scenes that add an intensity to the book.
Sidney Poitier's Life Beyond Measure, written as a series of letters to his first great-granddaughter has a more intimate feel with his reading than it would in another form or with a different reader.
Joshilyn Jackson's Backseat Saints comes alive with her sassy, twangy voice which exemplifies the daring story of Ro Grandee as she escapes her life to create a new one through delving into her past.
Winter Journal by Paul Auster is a memoir made all the more special and intimate with the author reading it making the emotions described real.

Multiple voices
Sometimes two or more voices can bring a different feel to a book.
In Richard Dawkin's memoir An Appetite for Wonder, the author reads the majority of the book himself, but the diary entries from his parents are read by Lalla Ward and bring a true sense of another viewpoint.
In Gone Girl, Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne become the voices of Amy and Nick, taking turns telling their disturbing story. The use of two voices here made the reality of two versions of a story stand out in an amazing way.
One Good Dog by Susan Wilson has two readers, Fred Berman and Rick Adamson for the voices of Adam March and the dog Chance, and this makes the two characters who become so important to each other distinct and individual.

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What makes an audiobook appeal to you?

Shelf Inserts

 These shelf inserts are available from Carr McLean.  They fit most standard shelving that is 34 3/4 inches long and offer a 7 3/4 and 9 1/2 inch depth.  Clear acrylic, the inserts are compatible with any coloured shelf and instantly offers a clean and accessible display option.  At $62 CDN for the narrower depth and $74 for the wider, these are affordable in smaller quantities for most libraries.  The inserts are also available in double-sided versions for table tops.

At my library, 40 inserts were purchased to provide the entire youth section with more accessible display shelving.  As pictured, books were moved  to insert the display stand in the middle of the bay, at "grab it" height.  Previously, wire book stands were used to display items at the top of the bay and that was not as effective as youth rarely removed the books from that area.

These inserts assist with passive readers advisory and promotion of books to the youth audience.  These inserts will be tested in this area for implementation in other areas of the collection.

If purchasing these items are not possible, items can be displayed at a more accessible level for customers to reach using other less- expensive methods.

Links:

http://www.carrmclean.ca/CategoryGroupBrowser.aspx?CategoryID=684&GroupNo=16416

http://www.carrmclean.ca

Bookmarks

Few magazines offer readers' advisors as much insight into your readers than Bookmarks magazine.  The magazine's audience is avid readers and it provides brief and useful information to make informed reading choices.  Although it is great for library staff, the glossy cover is intended for purchase by readers on local newsstands.  Canadians can receive a subscription and it is available at a much lower cost than professional journals.

The magazine is available bi-monthly and follows a familiar format.  The first section includes the top ten picks from all books reviewed in the issue.  "Coming Soon" gives readers a look at forthcoming books and movie tie-ins.  The magazine invites readers to contribute through booklists, description of their book clubs and reading suggestions.  Two or three longer features are included and focus on a particular writer or a type of literature.  Finally, the magazine includes a large number of reviews.  The titles are reviewed by Bookmarks staff writers and reviews from major publications are also included for comparison.

The reviews offer a brief summary, some information about appeal factors and a lot of read-alikes.  All genres are covered, books for young adults and non-fiction are also reviewed.  The coverage is timely with books that will have received marketing and media coverage.  The books are usually widely available at bookstores and libraries.

Readers' advisors will find this publication very useful to them as it will greatly assist with the development of collection knowledge, especially new books that customers will be asking about.  The format is accessible and easy to use.  The magazines themselves will serve as a resource for continued use as a tool to aid readers.  For small libraries, it is an economical choice that should be considered in lieu of more expensive print reference books.

Link: http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/

First Things

Good readers' advisors need always to be respectful of their readers.  

S. R. Ranganathan's 5 laws of library science are equally important for serving readers.

1. Books are for use.

Books are not decorations.  They need to be read and they need to be used. If books are not, they need to be weeded to make space for those that are.

2. Every reader his or her book.

Respect the reader in his or her choices to read or not read books in your collection.  They know best what they enjoy and are interested in so listen to them.

3. Every book its reader.

Library staff need to provide access to a variety of library materials for all readers as every book will engage some reader.

4. Save the time of the reader.

Be knowledgeable and efficient when helping readers.  Be genuine in your service and share what you know.

5. The library is a growing organism.

The reading experience is ever-evolving and library staff need to be flexible and offer service to all readers in any format.  

This blog will build on these 5 laws and focus on adult readers' advisory skills in public libraries.  Reading is advised for all public library staff who serve readers to find their next great read.