Readers' Advisory

Readers' Advisory: The art of connecting a leisure reader with a book or books she will enjoy.

There's a great article about Readers' Advisory on Booklist Online, read it here.  It includes interviews with Readers' Advisor librarians and tips on how they do what they do.


Becky Spratford's 10 Rules of Basic RA Service


Online Resources no Readers' Advisor should be without:

Becky Spratford's RA for All blog - great articles, reviews, and lots of links to other sources by a readers' advisor librarian and instructor.

Amazon.com - professional and reader reviews, plot summaries,  possible read-alikes, publishing date information (great for new/upcoming books).

Kent District Library (KDL) What's Next database - excellent resource when your patron needs to know what came before or after the book in their hands.  Easy to print lists.

Goodreads.com -social networking site, great reader reviews.

Fantastic Fiction - comprehensive database of fiction authors and titles,  titles are broken down by series and listed in order, includes links to author pages and author recommendations.

Stop You're Killing Me - exhaustive database for mysteries and thrillers, searchable by author name, sleuth name, sleuth profession, time period, diversity, genre, and location.  Each author page lists each series separately with titles in order and includes information about awards won. 

AllReaders.com - reviews for all types of fiction including plot summaries and information on the level of sex/violence in the book.

Gnooks.com - uses an analytic interface that creates literature maps through user interaction.  It might not be the best way to find something, but the literature maps are a fun way to try to find a new author and will appeal to some patrons. 

Novelist Plus - subscription database available through many libraries.  An excellent source for author descriptions, read-alike suggestions, and plot summaries.  The database also includes RA how-tos, and is searchable by appeal factors.

Genrefluent: from the author of Genreflecting a website no readers' advisor should be without.


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Here's an amazing collection of reading lists from the libraries in Maine.

http://rasdreadersadvisory.blogspot.com/  Suffolk County Reference and Adult Services Division Readers Advisory Blog.

Browser's Corner the Readers' Advisory blog for the Berwin Public Library.  Reading maps, booklists, and other useful RA tools.

What should I read next: type in a title and get a list of 20 or so similar titles.  Lists are generated from member lists of books.  You don't have to sign up to see a list of book title suggestions.


Reader's Advisory Blogs to watch:

http://ratqueentales.blogspot.com/ from Lucy M. Lockley, Collection Development Manager at St. Charles City-County Library District in Missouri

http://www.stackedbooks.org/

What Are You Reading  A blog from the British Columbia Library Association that discusses all things RA.

Mystery-Cozy.com A blog for all things cozy mystery.  Search by theme, by sleuth, and various other headings.  Tips for writing cozies and links to other blogs, too.




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