RA Seminar notes
Last week I was lucky to go to the RA seminar at the State Library with Sophie, Tynelle and Becky.
I took copious notes because I am also doing this subject at TAFE and was asked to share with the other students. Here are my notes if you'd like to have a browse. I've added the links to all the sites mentioned at the seminar. One link I didn't add was for a booklet given out at the seminar from Novelist. You can access it online and download it. It has a very comprehensive list of book appeals.
https://www.ebsco.com/promo/novelist-the-secret-language-of-books?_ga=1.226733981.1241209583.1458545785
It was a very good day and included a nice lunch. Thanks for the opportunity to learn new things and develop some new skills. Ingrid
I took copious notes because I am also doing this subject at TAFE and was asked to share with the other students. Here are my notes if you'd like to have a browse. I've added the links to all the sites mentioned at the seminar. One link I didn't add was for a booklet given out at the seminar from Novelist. You can access it online and download it. It has a very comprehensive list of book appeals.
https://www.ebsco.com/promo/novelist-the-secret-language-of-books?_ga=1.226733981.1241209583.1458545785
2016 Readers Advisory Seminar
State Library NSW
March 23rd 2016
Literary Fiction and Western
Presented by Joyce Saricks author of:
Readers' Advisory Service in the Public
Library
Published by American Library Association,
2005.
Joyce Saricks talked about both Literary
Fiction and Westerns. She spoke well about both genres with understanding and
enthusiasm.
The links below are for the notes provided
on the day. These notes are very comprehensive; please take the time to read
them.
Literary
Fiction
Appeal of Genres that Appeal to the
Intellect
(Literary Fiction, Mysteries, Psychological
Suspense, Science Fiction):
Complex puzzles, ideas, and relationships
challenge a reader intellectually. Provocative issues and positions force
readers to consider carefully, to view
the world differently.
Compelling pace drives these novels,
sometimes more leisurely, sometimes
adrenaline-fueled.
Tone is often unsettling.
Westerns
(Westerns, Fantasy, Historical Fiction)
Settings—whether real or imagined—and
background details matter.
Often slower paced to accommodate extensive
details and world building.
Stories may build on historical characters
or events or retell familiar
Tales.
Timeless—or out-of-time quality. Don’t date
as quickly; classics remain
popular.
Joyce linked the two genres and came up
with a list of titles that combined the two genres. Although this is included
in the notes I thought I’d add it here.
Peter
Carey (True History of the Kelly Gang),
Annie
Proulx (Close Range),
Larry
McMurtry (The Last Kind Words Saloon),
Mary
Doria Russell (Epitaph),
Philipp
Meyer (The Son),
Ivan
Doig (English Creek),
Cormac
McCarthy (No Country for Old Men),
Lin
Enger (The High Divide)
An interesting point for me was that Joyce
was looking for Australian westerns. Do we have such a genre or would we call
it “pioneering stories”, “stories from the bush” or perhaps “settlers’
stories”? Another interesting point that
was discussed with a colleague was the difference in our indigenous history and
the treatment of this. Has the treatment
of and attitude toward indigenous peoples changed with the retelling of these
stories over time?
Snippets
and Bit and Pieces from the rest of the day.
Evaluating
Readers Advisory
·
Use data from Enquiry
Completion Rate to see if RA needs training
·
Look at Council’s
goals/strategic plan, how does RA fit in?
·
RA includes not only the
interview but
Þ
Online information
Þ
You might also like links in
catalogue
Þ
Displays of genres new items
Þ
Social media
Ø Facebook
Ø Twitter
Ø Instagram
Ø Tumblr
·
Look at other libraries RA to
determine best practice e.g
Þ
Minnesota http://www.mnlibraryassociation.org/?page=RART
Þ
Christchurch https://cclblog.wordpress.com/tag/readers-advisory/
·
Share RA activites
Keeping
up with what’s hot
·
Readers Advisory wiki http://readersadvisory.wikifoundry.com/
·
Early word http://www.earlyword.com/
·
Love reading UK http://www.lovereading.co.uk/
·
The Book House http://ww2.thebookhouse.com.au/default.asp
Þ
You need to be a member or your
library does…
·
Good reading magazinehttp://www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au/
·
Novelist
·
Goodreads annual listshttps://www.goodreads.com/list/show/47649.Best_books_of_2014
·
Twitter-subscribe to publishers
and read their posts
·
Facebook groups for genre
readers
·
RA for all by Becky Stratford http://raforall.blogspot.com.au/
·
Bookriot podcastshttp://bookriot.com/category/podcast/
·
Fantastic Fiction https://www.fantasticfiction.com/
Best advice-Use twitter, look at publishers
every couple of days to see what’s being released!
Library
Reads Initiative
·
http://libraryreads.org/ is an American
site. An Australian one is being developed by Megan Mutch and Melanie Tolnay
called Librarian’s Choice. This is NOT the
link
as it is not
quite ready yet.
Comics
COMIC-GONG
Comic Festival at Wollongong hosted by Wollongong library
·
Builds community
·
Expanded collection
·
Increased loans
·
Strong library media support
·
Increased number of patrons
·
Cosplay, artists, youth
services, demonstrations, merchandise.
·
Library controlled therefore
“free” and has a strong library presence
·
One day
Sydney
Comic Conversation Developed by Ashfield library
·
2015 6 libraries participated
·
2016 14 libraries will
participate
·
One week in school holidays
·
Workshops, Creator trail,
Artists,
·
Marketing will be better
Community
Reading Programs
·
One Book One Wagga
·
One Book One Region (Tamworth)
Genre
Labels to consider
·
GLQBT
·
Rural Romance
·
Chick Lit
·
Paranormal
·
Aboriginal
·
Local Author
·
Gentle Reads
Þ
Can we label too much?
Þ
Cross over genres?
Þ
Insult one genre reader by
labeling incorrectly?
Þ
Subjective view?
Þ
Catalogue support?
Shoalhaven
Library
“So you think you can print in the blink of
an eye
So you think you can scan and email that
guy?
Oh Baby…Yes you can work this baby”
·
Positive feedback from video
·
Increased membership and loans
·
Increased hits on other
Shoalhaven videos on youtube promoting reading and library activities.
Judy
Atkinson RA for children
This was streamed on Youtube you can
listen. (The video component did not work and it’s a still screen. Do not be
discouraged the information is very good.)
Reflection on the 2016 readers’ advisory seminar
Becky, Tynelle, Ingrid and I recently attended the latest readers’ advisory seminar on genre fiction at the State Library of NSW. The seminar specifically focussed on literary classics and the ‘western’ genre (which was voted to be the genre least known about for NSW librarians).
The seminar featured an in-depth discussion by Joyce Sarricks on the specific characteristics of the western genre (i.e. slower pace, sense of timelessness, strong association to the landscape) as well as the reoccurring themes (man vs land, civilisation vs anarchy etc.) and style of language used (often quite heavy jargon but also colourful and sometimes poetic).
Sarricks discussed the idea of the demise of the ‘western’ genre but also how it continues to be reappropriated into alternative genres. For instance, often historical novels will interweave characteristics unique to the western genre. Similarly, within an Australian context, the genre of ‘chook lit’ combines romance with an Australian style of the western ‘cowboy’ (in the form of an Australian farmer). I found this idea really interesting and it made me reflect on how the western genre will continue (or not?) to adapt to the changing needs and reading trends of its audience over time.
Sarricks also briefly discussed the characteristics and attributes associated with a ‘literary classic’ including the inclusion of: multi-layered and complex characters, often a dark tone, experimental style and language, often a slower pace and a strong sense of time and place. Literary classics discussed included: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and the adventures of Huckleberry Fin by Mark Twain.
Further, the seminar provided insight into the reader advisory programs adopted at other NSW libraries. This included the pop up library event at Willoughby Library, Comicgong at Wollongong library and the ‘one book, one Wagga’ program at Wagga Wagga library. I found this to be the highlight of the seminar as it allowed for the sharing of ideas, networking with other librarians and examining future ideas that could be applied at Sutherland Shire Libraries.
Big thank you to the reference team for sending me along and to Tynelle, Becky and Ingrid for answering all my questions!
Sophie
The seminar featured an in-depth discussion by Joyce Sarricks on the specific characteristics of the western genre (i.e. slower pace, sense of timelessness, strong association to the landscape) as well as the reoccurring themes (man vs land, civilisation vs anarchy etc.) and style of language used (often quite heavy jargon but also colourful and sometimes poetic).
Sarricks discussed the idea of the demise of the ‘western’ genre but also how it continues to be reappropriated into alternative genres. For instance, often historical novels will interweave characteristics unique to the western genre. Similarly, within an Australian context, the genre of ‘chook lit’ combines romance with an Australian style of the western ‘cowboy’ (in the form of an Australian farmer). I found this idea really interesting and it made me reflect on how the western genre will continue (or not?) to adapt to the changing needs and reading trends of its audience over time.
Sarricks also briefly discussed the characteristics and attributes associated with a ‘literary classic’ including the inclusion of: multi-layered and complex characters, often a dark tone, experimental style and language, often a slower pace and a strong sense of time and place. Literary classics discussed included: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and the adventures of Huckleberry Fin by Mark Twain.
Further, the seminar provided insight into the reader advisory programs adopted at other NSW libraries. This included the pop up library event at Willoughby Library, Comicgong at Wollongong library and the ‘one book, one Wagga’ program at Wagga Wagga library. I found this to be the highlight of the seminar as it allowed for the sharing of ideas, networking with other librarians and examining future ideas that could be applied at Sutherland Shire Libraries.
Big thank you to the reference team for sending me along and to Tynelle, Becky and Ingrid for answering all my questions!
Sophie
Impact of Website Home Page Promotion on Email Signups
I was wondering about the effectiveness of the main promotion feature on the home page of the Library website so I started digging in to the data to find out.
The Lowdown on Language Searching in Encore
Some notes for those who have attempted to search the library catalogue for items in specific languages.
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