Palindromic Reads

Today’s post is short and uncharacteristically selfish.  It is my birthday and Saturday is my daughter’s.  While our birthdays are always 2 days apart never before have we had palindromic birthdays... until this week that is.  We are 41 and 14.  I didn’t even realize it until last Sunday when we did a family party and my mother-in-law put the numbers together on the cake.

We are a family who discussed the run of palindrome dates earlier this month [from 6/10/16 through 6/19/16], so this is right up our nerdy alley. It is so cool!

In honor of all the Palindromes, here are some book lists so you can join in the celebration too:

• Earlier this month, in honor of the string of palindromic dates, Penguin Random House had this list of book titles that are palindromes-- for adults and children.  Of interesting note, two books that I really like are on this list, Seveneves by Stephenson and Maddaddam by Margaret Atwood. I never thought about the palindromic titles before though.
• Fun With Words’ Palindromes Book Store. Yes, an entire book store of palindromes. 
• Did you know that The Palindromist Magazine is an actual thing? You do now. You are welcome.
• Bestselling author and library patron favorite, Stuart Woods has a book titled, Palindrome.
• Goodreads has a crowd sourced list of books with any palindromic words in the title.  Not as cool as the PRH list but still worth a look.

Thanks for the indulgence today. I figure my birthday is a good excuse to be a little selfish.  Tomorrow I will go back to be my usual useful self. 

Essay on How We Consume Media

Whenever I present a RA training program, I make it clear to my audience that I am using the word “book” as a stand in for all leisure media people consume through the library. I do not treat item types or formats as distinct.

By this point most library workers see things the same way I do. When we talk about “Readers’ Advisory,” we are talking about library workers matching the patron in from of them with the right leisure read, watch, listen, etc... for them at that moment.

However, we are ahead of the curve. The rest of the world still seems to have this PRINT vs DIGITAL mentality. That is all they want to talk about-- patrons, mainstream media, publisher studies.  What is being lost in this simplification are the WHYs and HOWs people consume media today.

As library workers, we need to be aware of trends in media consumption.  For example, think about how hard it would be to do your job if you were not aware of the binge watching phenomenon. This is a huge shift in how many of our patrons use our materials and online streaming services from just a couple of years ago.  When I help people who want a new show or series to read, I need to make sure to ask how long a series they are looking for and if they want one that is already done so they can experience it in its entirety. This is something most people didn’t care about before, but now, more have strong feelings about this than do not.

That question in general was not one I thought to ask back in 2000 when I was a baby librarian, but with changing methods in delivery and consumption, it was one I had to ask all of the time by 2015.

The point I am trying to make today is as part of our jobs as Readers’ Advisors we need to stay aware of how and why the public consumes their media not just what they are reading [be that a specific title or a format].

To get you thinking about this important service issue a little more seriously, I suggest you read this excellent and well researched essay from The Millions-- Beyond Digital vs. Print: On How We Consume Media. There is much there that you can use to better serve a patron right now.

ARRT Update: Fantasy Boot Camp Notes, Horror Assignment, and a Bonus Video

THIS POST WAS EDITED ON 6/29 TO INCLUDE THE CORRECT NOTES LINK

Earlier this month, the ARRT Speculative Fiction Genre Study met to have our Fantasy Boot Camp.

The detailed notes are now available here. As our notetaker extraordinaire Karen said in her email to members... "feel free to share them far and wide.”

As I have mentioned before, at ARRT we realize that we are lucky to have such an established genre study program AND live in an area where not only is RA education a priority but also we are densely populated so people are able to attend our 6x a year meetings in high numbers.  We take our work seriously when we meet, but we also want to share the knowledge with as many people as possible.

So please, pass these notes on.  Use them to help you, your staff and your patrons. Pass them on to colleagues too.  Just let people know you got them from us.  Thanks.

You can access the notes from this genre study and previous ones [where available] on our web site.

I also want to remind my readers that this genre study is different from all which came before in that we are not looking at authors by genre and subgenre.  Yes we had a SF boot camp, a Fantasy boot camp, and next month I will lead a Horror boot camp, but that was just to define the genres, set the baseline, and make sure we were all on the same page.  After that, we are going to discuss all the genres together by grouping key authors by their major appeal to readers.

We met last week to outline our plans for these meetings which begin with the Doorway of “setting.”  We picked setting to go first because most of these books prominently featuring setting-- especially SF and FSY-- but that also made it harder for us to narrow down the authors we will discuss for that day.

I am not going to reveal those author details now, you will have to wait for the August meeting for that, but I did want to remind you that these meetings are coming and that I AM VERY EXCITED for them. Teaching the genre study this way is going to maximize both the learning by us, the participants, AND provide us with a way to help patrons immediately. The notes will be even better than usual because they will be focused around the WHY people read an author not its subgenre only.

But back to the last boot camp, our next meeting, I will obviously be the horror leader.  Here is the assignment:

Upcoming Meeting: Horror Boot CampAugust 4, 2016, 2-4 PMGlenview Public LibraryFeatured resource: Horror.org (Horror Writers Association website)Assignment:Read Stephen King’s The ShiningRead your choice of any fiction by Joe Hill or Jonathan Maberry (EXCEPT for Maberry’s Joe Ledger thrillers)

Finally, we are asking everyone to watch this conversation between Stephen King and George R R Martin from earlier this month.  We thought it was both a wonderful bridge between the Fantasy assignment [to read Game of Thrones] and the Horror assignment [to read The Shining]. Plus, it was just awesome and fun.

RA for All: Call to Action-- In House Usage...It Counts!

For today’s Call to Action I want to remind everyone that when we are doing collection development and gathering data on materials and their usage, we cannot forget about those who use our collection inside our buildings but never check any materials out.

In-house usage of a library item is a use of that library item. It is equivalent to a check out even though we cannot capture it in our circulation statistics. More importantly, the person using that item is an equal patron to someone who checks it out and takes it home. I see way too many library workers who think that someone who uses an item in their buildings is a lower level of patron than someone who takes the item home.  This way of thinking needs to stop-- IMMEDIATELY.

Many of the reasons people use our collections in-house only are socioeconomically based. It is part of the larger problem of equal access for all in this country in general.  So common reasons are homelessness and where I used to work, undocumented immigrants. I always reminded people without legal status who used the library that we don’t check your immigration status nor do we care. But since we don’t check it, we cannot give any information to the authorities either.  All we check is that you live in our community. In fact, in order to get more cards in our citizens' hands we started automatically signing kids up at back to school events. Then the whole family could use the card.

But there are also times when someone who has a card may not want to check out and item and bring it home.  The example someone gave me right when I started as a librarian was perfect. What if you were in an abusive marriage and you wanted to look up information about getting a divorce? You couldn’t use the home computer nor would you want to check out books on your card or bring them home.

And of course, questioning teens, and I don’t just mean LGBTQ issues only.  Many teens don’t feel safe to express themselves or pursue their interests in their homes for a variety of reasons. The library is a safe space and a haven for these kids.

These examples are just tips of the iceberg. Her are some thoughts on how these in-house usage situations may manifest themselves to you, the library worker.

Have you ever been in the stacks and seen a book with a bookmark sticking out? Your first thought is to pull it out, right? But, what if that bookmark is from someone using the item in-house who doesn’t want to lose his place?  True story-- if you pull the bookmark out because it doesn’t belong there, well, just you wait because that same book is going to go missing next. Often it will be purposely mis-shelved or tucked in a corner so that patron knows where it is.  In the meantime, it is lost to everyone.  So just leave the bookmark in. How hard is that? You are not going to explode because of it. Plus you are probably helping someone with much larger issues have something go right in their life.

We need to get over ourselves and let people use the collections in house. Encourage it even. If that means there are some bookmarks sticking out of our books, so what? As long as the materials are on the shelf and those who need and/or want them can access them, then as I see it, everyone wins!

We also had a few people who came to use the computers to watch DVDs. They didn’t check the DVDs out while they were using them in the library, but they would let the desk staff know they had it in case someone was looking for the item while they were using it.

Oh, and if someone comes in and wants to check a movie out while someone is using it on a computer in-house, the person with the library card DOES NOT take precedence over the person currently using it in-house. I have seen that happen at libraries and it makes me very angry. Those with cards DO NOT come before those without, despite what your boss might have told you. Our materials are for everyone.

Now collecting data on in-house usage is not easy, but I have a few ideas that help, are participatory, and fun:

• The Awesome Box-- Not my idea.  It’s from Harvard. Here is a link to more information, but basically, you put out a box and have patrons put things they think are “Awesome” in the box. The item doesn’t have to have been checked out to go in the box.  You can get your patrons to tell you what they like most about your collections this way-- with or without a library card. 
• Patron Filled Displays, or as I like to tell people to explain them to their not convinced bosses-- “Makerspace" Displays. They are exactly like they sound. Put up an empty display shelf, give it a title, and ask patrons to fill it using your circulating collection. Now, your tech services people may fein a heart attack because the books aren’t where they are supposed to be, but again, no one is going to die. They are just books people. [On a side note, the number of times I had to say this to coworkers at my library was surprisingly high.] If everyone knows this makerspace display is happening, and then someone can’t find an item where it is supposed to be,  they can....gasp...check the display.  I know, it’s tough putting the patron first. *Becky shakes her head*

Here are some less “radical” ways to to see what people are using but not checking out:

• Where are your messiest, most out of order shelves? Those areas are probably being used in house. The patrons will use the books and put them back themselves. Also, since pages aren’t necessarily going there to put these materials away [because they weren’t checked out], the shelves get even messier.
• What materials do you find on tables, abandoned in strange places, with some kind of non-library marking on it, etc....? Those are being used in-house. People are hiding them and/or marking them so they can find them again-- without using traditional methods.
• Put out huge, clearly marked comment boxes which ask people to tell you what kinds of items they want to see in the collection.

This post is obviously just an overview of the entire in-house usage issue, but my goal with these Call to Action posts is to alert you to concerns that people either simply aren’t aware of or have become complacent about. I hope everyone reading this will at least be more compassionate about and cognizant of in-house usage

Please share your in-house usage stories, ideas, and successes in the comments. 

RA for All Day Off

I am taking today off for two reasons. One, the family is traveling to Iowa to pick the boy child up at his first ever week of sleep away camp and two, everyone is focused on ALA.

So if you are looking for content from me today, look at the Twitter feed box. I will be retweeting and commenting on book and library world news.

Back Monday with a Call to Action about the importance of tracking in-library usage-- not just items that are checked out.

Summer Reading: Try Lists From Other Libraries to Shake Things Up

The other day I was reading the latest issue of Booklist and I saw a review by my former supervisor Kathy.  It was a great review but it made me think of something important to share with all of you.

Her review listed 2 excellent readalike suggestions, but they also made me giggle. Not to go into the details because it is the overall point that matters, but the titles were 2 that we both loved to hand-sell to patrons when we worked together.

This made me think about my own go-to titles that I mention frequently when working with readers.  And then it got me thinking about the larger issue of popular titles to suggest at one library versus another.

Your local library can give AWESOME suggestions. I know Kathy and I did at the BPL, but we all also need to acknowledge that if that same patron went to another library, even if it was only down the street, and especially if it were hundreds of miles away, they could get completely different yet just as AWESOME suggestions.

Just like Kathy or I have our current favorite go-to titles, so too do our colleagues all over the country. But thanks to the web, we can get out of our suggestion ruts and offer our patrons an entirely new perspective on what good book they can read next. These patrons might even discover an entirely new subgenre that they love but never knew about.

This is also a great tactic to use with those patrons who say, “I have already read everything you have.” Of course this is untrue, but what that patron is telling you is that he or she is not longer finding inspiration from your suggestions.

Well, let’s shake things up and offer our patrons reading lists from around the corner or across the country.  That should inspire them to find something new to love.

Here are a few libraries that make it very easy for anyone, anywhere to use their suggested reading lists.

The first is Kathy’s new library, Skokie [IL] Public Library, which puts up easy to access and filter suggested reading lists here.

Lots of libraries do this, but a few go a step further and provide personalized staff reading lists that both promote the expertise of your staff and allow for more personalized reading lists.

A few that I have highlighted in the past are My Librarian from Multnomah County [OR] Library, the Book Squad from Lawrence [KS] Public Library and Bookology from Downers Grove [IL] Public Library.

How different can the recommendations truly be? Well, for example, over at the Book Squad, Kate likes books about farms.  In my urban community I have plenty of patrons who would love books about farms, but honestly none of my employees [myself included] read them.  Kate can provide me with lots of good suggestions I would never have thought of but which would be great to hand out.

Now it’s your turn to share what you know.  Please feel free to share your library’s online book suggestion lists here in the comments, or if you would rather, email me. I will compile them all in a future post.

In the mean time, start looking outside of yourself and your building for book suggestions and open up your patrons to dozens of new books with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Identifying GLBTQ Genre Titles

Click here for some free resources from NoveList with GLBTQ genre titles. Below, I embedded a photo from the newsletter which is a great sampling of what you can expect if you click through

You do not need to have access to NoveList to access this newsletter with some titles to get you started, but if you do have the database, there are also many tips on how to find even more books.

Finding general GLBTQ titles is much easier than it used to be, but serving readers who want a specific genre AND a GLBTQ element takes a higher level of sophistication both in how you have the RA conversation and in the resource you employ.  Right now, I think ONLY NoveList can handle the intersection of those two requests at a high enough level to serve patrons effectively. 

Some genre specific resources will have GLTBQ subheadings, but then you don’t get genre cross-over titles or the specification down to the subegnre level either.

With GLBTQ issues being more forefront in the news over the last year [from good news like marriage equality to horrible news like Orlando] more people are seeking out titles with GLBTQ characters and issues. We need to help all readers who want a GLBTQ frame in any and all stories.

Click through to get started.

Genres Defined-- Another Perspective

I am in the process of revamping my Demystifying Genre Program to deliver at a library system in August and I was looking for new material to include when I cam across this Book Riot post entitled, “Fiction 101: Literary Genres Defined.”

This article is short, but also on target. No, it does not go deep enough for us to start looking at why a patron enjoys the genre, but it does put the most popular genres into perspective quickly and gives 3 example titles to try to understand the genres at it’s most basic level.

Give it a quick look and file the link away, or wait for my new slides where there will also be a link. [August 7]

Right now though, I would suggest using this as a conversation starter with staff for training purposes AND for patrons who are not sure what kind of book they want.  You pull this up, look at it together, and then have a conversation about the type of book the patron in front of you wants.

Often the RA conversation is held up at the start of the interaction because either the patron OR the staff member is lacking the vocabulary to describe what exactly what the reader is looking for. This article helps to close that often insurmountable gap in a way that lets the RA conversation flow.

Again, I realize (as does the author of the piece) that this list of genres and their descriptions is just the tip of the iceberg, but you have to start somewhere. Why not go to the top and then slide down together looking for something wonderful to read?

Finally, this is worth a look even by those of you who consider yourself “experts” at the genres.  I even learned something from the Horror entry. So no excuses. Everyone start clicking and learning.

RA for All: Call to Action-- Listening to a Book Is Reading

As I mentioned here previously, June is Audiobook Month, and although it is 2016, there are still loud voices out in the wider world that claim Audiobooks are NOT READING!?!

Today, I am calling those people out. Unfortunately, I have met some of these people and they work in libraries and help leisure readers. I have even talked to book discussion leaders who forbid their participants to listen to the book. Recently. Seriously.

To these people I say, “YOU ARE WRONG AND STUPID.” There is no middle ground here. I cannot and will not apologize for this opinion.

One of my very first posts on this blog [9 yrs ago] ever was an article in the New York Times in August of 2007 which questioned “Are Audio Books Cheating?” I have had strong opinions on this topic for a long time, and it saddens me that I still have to fight this fight. [Click here for everything I have tagged audio books, including reviews.]

If you come across one of these library workers or a patron who wants to tell you reading audio books is not reading, you have my permission to chastise them.  In fact, if you are not allowed to tell co-workers and patrons they are wrong and stupid, I get that.  It’s not always the best idea, so I have a solution. Quote/cite me and yelling at them. I really don’t mind. Say Becky says you’re wrong and stupid...

...Or, you can use some of these more polite ways to counter this uneducated opinion.

First read the post from No Shelf Required entitled “Are you a “reader” when listening to an audiobook? Yes of course.” Not only are there links to documents that support the educational and literacy benefits of listening to audiobooks, but they are also announcing their increased audiobook content. Yay, more places for audiobook reviews.

Second, contemplate this point from that same article:

"And please think back to when you read the book The Reader (or watched the movie with Kate Winslet). Did you consider that perhaps it’s not only about the Holocaust and coming to terms with the past? Wasn’t it also about a woman who couldn’t read but insisted that the man she was having an affair with read to her out loud? Wasn’t she THE READER even though she wasn’t the one reading?"

That is a succinct, moving, and accurate argument.

Third, look up the definition of “reading." Reading is not solely defined by reading words on the page of a book. It never was before and it certainly isn’t now. The definition supports me in this statement. “Reading” is the activity of interpreting the world around you.

When it comes to interpreting stories specifically though, the word is used for watching a play, listening to music, reading graphic novels, the newspaper, etc... At libraries we also teach Internet literacy-- how to read the information we find on the web. All of this is reading.

I could go on forever ranting about the problems with saying that “reading” only counts when you sit down and look at a physical book, but that is a side rant off the topic of today’s call to action.  Let’s get back to audio books, this is their special month.

As an experienced audiobook reader I can honestly tell you that I experience the story in the same way whether I read the page or listen. For me, some books are better if someone reads it to me, and still others I would never have gotten through on paper, but I can’t imagine my life without having “read” them.  Seveneves is the most recent example of that last point.

Experiencing a story is reading it. How you get the story into your brain is your choice. But if you get  it in there, you have read it. Simple as that.

So get out there and start finding people a story-- whether it is real of fiction. This is what we do. But don’t ever tell them there is only one correct way to read.

Summer Reading: Movie to Book Suggestions

The coverage at NPR books never ceases to amaze me. It just keeps getting better and better. Yes they have the standard reviews of new books and interviews with authors, but they also go out of their way to provide book discovery for their readers and listeners in new, interesting, and extremely useful ways. 

Click here to get links to some of their other wonderful suggestion engines and/or resources that I have highlighted on the blog in the past. Any or all of them could be used to find a great summer read, but today I want talk about the newest list from their Summer Entertainment Guide, "Like These Movies? Here are 100+ Things You May Also Like..."

Not the catchiest title, I know, but so practical.  They made this list because no one else had done it, they realized someone needed to, AND they did it with their human brains, not a computer algorithm.  

From their site:

A lot of what we read and watch comes to us through recommendation algorithms. Amazon tells us: People who bought this book also bought this other book, and Netflix says: Because you watched this movie, we think you should watch this other movie.And we welcome our new recommendation robot overlords! 

But this summer, we're going old school — because we haven't found an algorithm that says: If you loved this movie, you'll devour this graphic novel. (Or like this podcast, enjoy this short story ... you get the idea.) 

So we've called in some human help. Here are more than 100 recommendations, courtesy of the living, breathing staff and critics at NPR.

This is a wonderful summer reading suggestion tool for you to pass on to your patrons-- or use it on them.  The suggestions are as diverse and varied as the people who will walk in your doors [who is everyone and anyone].

[On a side note: I personally love the list because it mentions two of my favorite books from 2015 that I recommend to readers at least once a week; heck, yesterday I recommended both of them in the same day to different people: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson and Delicious Foods by James Hannaham.]

Enough about me though. Back to the NPR list.....

Not only is this a great database of suggestions delivered in a way no one else has done, it is also a great conversation starter. Many library workers tell me they have trouble trying to make connections between books and movies for patrons.  Well, no more excuses.  NPR has gotten the conversation started for you. Now it is your job to take the opening and run with it. Summer is the perfect time to practice. We have more people coming in the doors looking for a “good read,” so there are more opportunities to start the RA conversation.

Let’s get started.

RA for All Roadshow at the Massachusetts Library System’s RA Summit

This morning I am delivering the Keynote address at the Massachusetts Library System’s RA Summit in Worcester, MA.

I am excited to be here for many reasons.

First, it’s an RA Summit and after I am done talking I will get to sit back and participate in the summit as an attendee.

Second,  I have been working on a brand new talk for a few months just for this event. [See below for details.] Entitled, RA Rethink: From Quaint and Comfortable to Cutting Edge, this is a fun, thought provoking, and inspiring keynote which will get everyone to rethink how they provide services to their leisure readers.

Three, I am also participating in the Massachusetts Library System’s 5 in 15 book talks mobile recording booth.  Here is a screen shot of my official talk application :

 

Can you tell what my theme is? Here’s a hint.

Enough being excited, it’s time to get this day started. Below is the access to the live slides for the participants, and any of you who are interested. 

Click here for slide access

Corner Shelf Reports on RAUNCON and a Librarian Take Over of a Comics Convention

The newest issues of The Corner Shelf is out and it ia a good one. Here is the introduction by editor Rebecca Vnuk which includes direct links to all of the articles:

It's almost conference time—will you be attending ALA Annual in Orlando later this month? If so, please stop by theBooklist booth (#1231) and say hello! I love meeting new faces and seeing old friends. I'd also like to encourage you to come to the second annual "Read 'n' Rave" program, which takes place Monday, June 27, 2016, from 10:30–11:30 am in the Convention Center, Room W206B. You'll hear collection-development experts rave about the best upcoming titles they found while perusing the exhibit hall. Audiobooks more your thing? I'll be emceeing the Odyssey Award event, which also takes place on Monday, June 27, from 3:30–5:30 p.m. in the Convention Center, Room W110A.

Speaking of conferences, this issue features information about an "Unconference" as well as a comic convention. The Unconference facilitator, Stephanie Anderson, is profiled in the latest "Notes from the Field" interview. You'll also find information from our sponsor, Baker & Taylor, onthe upcoming Harry Potter madness, as well as a new "Author Perspectives on Self-Publishing" interview from Robin Bradford.

As with the May 2016 issue, I'm admiring how many items in this issue come from librarians doing great programs at conferences. If you're doing a program or session somewhere, why not write up your notes as a feature article? I'm always looking for new contributors. Tell me about the great RA things you're doing at your library! Get in touch at rvnuk@ala.org.

—Rebecca Vnuk, Editor, Collection Management and Library Outreach, Booklist

Click here to pull up the entire issue.

I particularly want to point out the 2 pieces [here and here] about the RAUNCON hosted by Stephanie Anderson. I have worked with Stephanie on RA projects at her library before and I followed this one on Twitter as it happened. Plus, she was originally inspired to do this even after coming to our ARRT Unconference in 2013.

Also, check out Kaite Stover's piece about how after she attended her local comics convention in 2015, she was upset that books were not better represented. Rather than just complain, she took action, contacted the organizers for the 2016 convention and got a panel of librarians [in full cosplay splendor] to represent.

I know I have mentioned how useful I find this newsletter before, but I do have to say, this one is especially useful and inspiring. Heck, and it doesn't even feature me.

RA for All Roadshow Live From Your Computer-- RA Rethink: Using Next Level Data to Improve Merchandising

From 12-12:45 pm central time, I will be participating in this Library Journal Live Workshop.

For those of you who attended, the live slides can be found here or by clicking on the image below. They will also live on the Recent Presentation page for at least 6 months.

The slides are image heavy, but every image is linked to more information; so click on everything.  Anyone, no matter if you signed up for the course or not, can access the slides, but they will be most useful to those who took the class.

Speaking of my presentations, I have updated the Recent Presentations page with most of my upcoming appearances. Again, I am not booking anything else for 2016, and April 2017 is already closed. So, let me know soon if you are interested in having me come speak to your group.

If you contact me before 2016 ends, you are eligible for 2016 pricing even though your event will be in 2017.

Now on with today’s presentation.  See a lot of you soon. Well, you will see me on your screen, I will see you in the chat.

Click here for slide access

RA for All: Call to Action-- Let Your Staff Talk!

This is a banner week for RA for All and Call to Action. My entire week is about shaking things up as I will be presenting my BRAND NEW RA Rethink program to multiple audiences.

You will see those slide shows posted here on RA for All on Tuesday and Thursday, but for today, I want to point out the article I wrote which really solidified my new series of rethink presentations.  An edited version recently appeared in the ILA reporter, but I want to give you the draft which is decidedly more ranty.

On a side note, I am developing many RA Rethink, 30ish minute, Call to Action type programs that can be strung together to fit your group’s needs and the time frame. I have 4 completed and 2 more in the works, with a few more planned to be completed by the end of the year. And so far, all are good for all levels of staff who help leisure readers-- from youth to adults.

But that’s coming soon.  Today is my call to Let Your Staff Talk!

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Making Space for Conversation: Engage and Inspire Staff to Provide Readers’ Advisory and Build a Stronger Library Along the Way

One thing I have learned in my years of being a Readers’ Advisory advocate and educator is that there is a special magic when it comes to RA training because the act of talking about and suggesting leisure reading with patrons brings every library worker back to the reasons they first considered working in a library in the first place-- a love of books.  Yes it is a stereotype, but it is one firmly based in fact. Every library worker, no matter his place on the organizational chart or her current job duties, has an origin story that, at some point, can be traced back to a specific book [or books] that captured his or her imagination, producing emotions of pure joy. I prey off of this inherent love of reading and desire to share the books we love with others when I train library workers to improve their RA skills and service. It is one of the secrets to my success.

I understand that under the surface, beneath the doubt, every library worker has it in them to be able to help leisure readers. My job is to simply engage and inspire, bringing those feelings of euphoria, we all felt deep enough at some point to dedicate our working life to libraries, to the surface, and now I will share some of the magic with all of you so that you can also inspire your staff to help match patrons with a great read. There is true power in this simple act. Power for the library worker, who has a moment to remember why they got into this whole library business in the first place, and more importantly to administrators, power in the satisfaction our patrons feel when they were given something they didn’t even know they would love without our help. That is an experience those happy patrons will pass on to their friends, who will pass it on to their friends, and soon, you have a community which treasures and loves its library.

But where does this fairy tale begin? It starts at the library where space is made for conversation. Thankfully this is the type of space that can be carved out for free; no need for architects or building plans here. Rather what you do is create an atmosphere where booktalking-- all over the library-- is encouraged, promoted, and celebrated. But this is easier said than done. I all too frequently come across libraries that do not encourage staff to talk to each other about what they are reading and watching while at the desk. These libraries argue that it is a waste of time and not appropriate. Well, it is time for that attitude to be adjusted and I am here to tell you why and how.

If you want your staff to be proactive in matching patrons with leisure reading and watching items, you need to let them practice so that their skills and confidence can grow. And the best place to start, is to allow staff to chat at their desk, or better yet, encourage them to walk over to other service desks throughout the library and start talking about the last good movie they watched or book they read. Yes, that’s right I am telling you to let your staff wander the building to talk with each other about what they are enjoying in their free time. It sounds fairly radical, but it really is not.

Here is how it works in practice. One of the most difficult rules for new practitioners of RA Service to learn is that you cannot simply suggest your personal favorites to the patrons in front of you. Rather, you need to use what they like and enjoy as a springboard to find them a book that is suited for them. Making this jump, between recommending books you like to suggesting ones that you may not have even read but are fairly confident that the patron in front of you would enjoy, is hard. But, you cannot even get to this intermediate level of service without having the chance to practice talking about books in the first place. So start with yourselves. Talk to each other about what you are reading or watching. What did you like most about it? Or, if it wasn’t so good, that’s okay too. Talk about why you did not enjoy it; there is just as much value in this conversation. Then start talking about what other books, movies, or TV shows it reminded you of? Again focus on the “WHY.” All of this is both fun and educational. You are conversing with co-workers about things you did on your free time, but each conversation builds your RA skills. You become more comfortable articulating the appeal of what you like-- the why. Allowing staff to get up and move between service desks to book talk also ensures that all this chatting does not get stale.  You need to switch up who you are talking to, learn their likes and dislikes, and gather a larger variety of perspectives in order to build your skills. It also serves as an inexpensive but very effective team building exercise. Staff will be building connections across departments as they seek each other out to share their last good read. You now have a library culture where talking about leisure reading and watching is encouraged, and everyone has been exposed to more titles because they have heard someone share their love for it passionately. One day that title one staff member shared with another could be passed on to an appreciative patron.

If you create a library atmosphere where book talking is celebrated the magic starts to happen because not only is the staff building their skills, but patrons are hearing them actively and passionately share their leisure reading and watching choices. This serves as an advertisement for your expertise and willingness to match patrons with similar items. Despite the fact that we carry and circulate thousands of books and DVDs that patrons are reading and watching for fun, these same patrons do not think we want to or can help them find more things they may enjoy. They don’t think a leisure request is “important” enough. Well, when you let the staff chat at the desk, you are making it clear that it is important.  Patrons begin to join the conversation which initiates more RA conversations, and wasn’t that our goal at the start of this article? I have even been lucky enough to be a part of a library where this atmosphere of book sharing was so pervasive that during RA transactions at the service desk, another patron would interrupt the patron I was helping in order to offer her own suggestions. Look at what making space for conversation can do!

You can hire me to come to your library and train your staff on the mechanics behind matching a patron with the right book for them. I can work through my Ten Rules of Basic RA Service with everyone. I can even walk you through specific exercises to improve your skills, but if the staff isn’t allowed to practice by talking with each other at the service desks, both to improve their skills and to advertise their willingness to engage in these conversations in general, all the good gained by any training will be lost. Talking about books with each other is the first step. Matching items with patrons comes next. When the staff is engaged in the process and inspired by their own joy over the books they love, they will seek out connections with patrons. As they have more positive experiences and feel the rush from a great RA conversation, they will begin to seek out more information and more training which again leads to helping more patrons. All they needed was space to talk. By encouraging staff to talk about books, you have given them the confidence they need to succeed, and now you have a library where the staff are constantly striving to improve their RA skills. I have seen this happen. It is not a dream. Fairy tale library, here you come.

[This is a draft of an article by me. The published version appears here.]

Summer Reading Suggestion-- What I'm Reading: Pressure

Today a PERFECT summer reading option for fans of action and scares.  I gave this book a star review in the current issue of Booklist.

Pressure

Keene, Brian (author).

June 2016. 288p. St. Martin’s/Thomas Dunne, hardcover, $25.99 (9781250071347). 
REVIEW.  First published June 1, 2016 (Booklist).

There is a reason Brian Keene is among the most popular, pulp horror writers of this century, but with most of his 40+ books available only in paperback, his work is not always collected by libraries. Well, now is the time to change that with this compelling, crowd-pleasing, hardcover release. Carrie Anderson, a champion free diver turned scientist, is part of a team trying to find out why the Indian Ocean floor is suddenly collapsing. After numerous mechanical glitches, Carrie plunges into the depths, sans equipment, to try to figure out why, but what she encounters is a monster so fearsome and so intent on destroying every creature in its path that it makes Jaws look like a guppy. In the open ocean, Carrie is in a swim for her life, but back on shore, things aren’t much better as an evil corporation and its murderous henchmen, have an invested interest in hiding the truth. Will Carrie and her team be able to stop both types of monsters and save the world from an ecological disaster before they become victims too? Keene’s winning formula of pairing a cast of strong characters who emotionally engage the reader from page one, with his fast-paced yet detailed action scenes that include some of the best descriptions of the dismemberment of bodies in all fiction, is on full view here. Don’t just suggest to horror readers [although Keene does include a few fun, insider references for genre fans]. Pressure is a perfect beach read for fans of Michael Crichton, Mira Grant, or Preston and Child, that is, if you dare to take this book anywhere near an open body of water.

Further Appeal Notes: I had a post about Brian Keene and his work on behalf of midlist authors a few weeks ago here.

Three Words That Describe This Book: fast paced, detailed action sequences, interesting frame

Readalikes:  I listed 4 above in the review, but only Jaws is ocean monster specific.  If you want more sea monsters stories try Steve Alten.

I would also like to double down on my Michael Crichton suggestion. [That suggestion works both ways.]

If you want more solid, pulp horror, read Jonathan Janz or Jonathan Maberry’s Pine Deep Trilogy (starts with Ghost Road Blues)

Library Reads: July 2016

I already had a post today, but I don’t want to forget to post this so that every list stays accessible with one click on the Library Reads tag.

This is also your monthly reminder to use that tag to access the huge store of backlist titles that all make great suggestions to patrons hungry for a good read. And, you have the annotation at your finger tips so you can book talk it too.

July 2016 LibraryReads List

Dark Matter:
A Novel

by Blake Crouch

Published:7/26/2016 by Crown
ISBN: 9781101904220

“Once on the fast-track to academic stardom, Jason Dessen finds his quiet family life and career upended when a stranger kidnaps him. Suddenly Jason’s idle “what-ifs” become panicked “what-nows,” as the humble quantum physics professor from a small Chicago college gets to explore the roads not taken with a mind-bending invention that opens doors to other worlds. This fun science fiction thriller is also a thoughtful page-turner with heart that should appeal to fans of Harlan Coben.”

Elizabeth Eastin, Rogers Memorial Library, Southampton, NY

The Woman in Cabin 10

by Ruth Ware

Published: 7/19/2016 by Gallery/Scout Press
ISBN: 9781501132933

“An intruder in the middle of the night leaves Lo Blacklock feeling vulnerable. Trying to shake off her fears, she hopes her big break of covering the maiden voyage of the luxury cruise ship, the Aurora, will help. The first night of the voyage changes everything. What did she really see in the water and who was the woman in the cabin next door? The claustrophobic feeling of being on a ship and the twists and turns of who, and what, to believe keep you on the edge of your seat. Count on this being one of the hot reads this summer!”

Joseph Jones, Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH

The Last One:
A Novel

by Alexandra Oliva

Published: 7/12/2016 by Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9781101965085

“The Last One tells the story of twelve contestants who are sent to the wilderness in a Survivor-like reality show. But while they’re away, the world changes completely and what is real and what is not begins to blur. It’s post-apocalyptic literary fiction at it’s best. With a fast pace and a wry sense of humor, this is the kind of book that will appeal to readers of literary fiction and genre fiction alike. It points out the absurdity of reality television without feeling condescending. As the readers wake up to the realities of a new world, it becomes difficult to put down.”

Leah White, Ela Area Public Library, Lake Zurich, IL

Among the Wicked: A Kate Burkholder Novel

by Linda Castillo

Published: 7/12/2016 by Minotaur Books
ISBN: 9781250061577

“In the small Amish locale of Painters Mill, police chief Kate Burkholder decides to take an undercover assignment in a community where the death of a young girl was reported. Her long time love, Agent John Tomasetti, is reluctant with her decision because of the lack of communication he will have with her. Burkholder begins to unfold the true horrors on the local farm and unearths the dangers the town officials suspected. She finds herself trapped in a life threatening cat and mouse game. This ongoing series is a true gem and a personal favorite.”

KC Davis, Fairfield Woods Branch Library, Fairfield, CT

The Unseen World: A Novel

by Liz Moore

Published: 7/26/2016 by W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393241686

“The Unseen World is a compelling read with vibrant, finely constructed characters. Moore intertwines a complex coming of age story with the science of cryptology and the history of artificial intelligence, while simultaneously exploring the meaning of love, loss and belonging. The core of the novel explores the relationship between Ada and her scientist father David. When a tragedy upends their routine lives, Ada embarks on a journey of self-discovery that will eventually lead her to new truths. Elements of mystery and suspense keep you turning the pages in this multi-layered gem of a book.”

Janie Hermann, Princeton Public Library, Princeton, NJ

Truly Madly Guilty

by Liane Moriarty

Published: 7/26/2016 by Flatiron Books
ISBN: 9781250069795

“A typical afternoon barbecue among friends becomes something much bigger when one pivotal moment of inattention leads to repercussions for all in attendance. In trademark Moriarty style, the story flashes back and forth between the day of the barbecue and two months later, slowly revealing the events of the day and its consequences, creating a delicious momentum for the reader as the tension builds and the pieces fall into place. Moriarty has another sure-fire winner with this look at the complexities of friendship, marriage, and familial relationships.”

Halle Eisenman, Beaufort County Library, Hilton Head, SC

All Is Not Forgotten: A Novel

by Wendy Walker

Published: 7/12/2016 by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250097910

“A dark, twisty, intricately-plotted psychological thriller about a teen girl, assaulted after a party, as she tries to regain her memories of the event after taking a controversial drug that erases traumatic memories. Walker’s many plot and character threads are carefully placed, and she weaves them all together into a satisfying, shattering conclusion. I’m betting we’ll be seeing this title in a LOT of beach bags over the summer.”

Gregg Winsor, Johnson County Library, Roeland Park, KS

The Hopefuls: A Novel

by Jennifer Close
Published: 7/19/2016 by Knopf
ISBN: 9781101875612

“When Beth and Matt, an aspiring politician, move from NYC to DC, Beth initially hates it. But things start to turn around for her when they befriend another “transplant” couple, Ashleigh and Jimmy. Beth’s loyalty is tested when she is forced to admit to herself that Matt is just not quite as attractive, magnetic or charismatic as his rival-friend, Jimmy…..who harbors similar political aspirations. The Hopefuls is on point in its descriptions of young marriage, career ambition, and complicated friendships. The characters are completely compelling. I was overdue for a great read and this was it!”

Amy Lapointe, Amherst Town Library, Amherst, NH

Siracusa

by Delia Ephron

Published: 7/12/2016 by blue Rider Press
ISBN: 9780399165214
“Michael and Lizzie are vacationing with another couple and their daughter, named Snow. As the story unfolds, the reader is introduced to infidelities. Ephron does a tremendous job in exposing the frailties of relationships and it feels like being intimate with other people’s problems but without the guilt. Engaging and tough to put down. Great summer read!”

Andrienne Cruz, Azusa City Library, Azusa, CA

Nine Women, One Dress: A Novel

by Jane L. Rosen

Published: 7/12/2016 by Doubleday
ISBN: 9780385541404

“Nine Women, One Dress sends the reader on a journey with many characters and the little black dress of the season. From the soon-retiring dress designer and the first-time runway model, to the retail salespeople and an actor, this book relates how the dress touches and, often profoundly, changes the lives of all. Even though there were many characters in this book, the author immersed the reader into their lives. Romance, humor, and irony spark the plot as the dress travels from one life to another. A charming read!”

Kristin Fields, Farnhamville Public Library, Farnhamville, IA

More Forthcoming Books-- SF, Fantasy, and Horror Edition

The last two days, I tackled 11 general interest books that caught my eye at BEA. But my colleague Meg McArdle has many, many more for you.

From her excellent blog Genrify:

07
JUN
2016

Anticipated Science Fiction and Fantasy for late 2016

categories: Forthcoming books

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be able to attend BookExpo in Chicago, where I saw the books that publishers are excited about for fall. I came away with a huge list of books for my own TBR pile. It also reminded me that while I did a list of anticipated books in the science fiction and fantasy genres for 2016, I only went through July. Now there are lots of new titles appearing on publishers’ schedules and a ton books I hadn’t even dreamt of when I made my first list for the year, in January. So, I decided I would round up my anticipated SFF reads for the second half of 2016. I’ll try and update this list as new titles are announced. These are things I’m personally looking forward to, but what looks good to you?

Click here for the full list, organized by month from July to December.  With each title she has a comment too.

Don't forget that many of these books are in a series. This is a great time to assess if you should add the other books in their series.  If Meg is taking the time to point a book out, I feel confident that it is worth a look for your library. So please, use this list to do a little collection development and assess what you have and what you may be missing....and get those orders in early.

Full disclosure, I have a few of these titles in my "to review" pile for the August Spotlight on SF, Fantasy, and Horror for Booklist. 

Sorry (not sorry) in advance for these three days of posts making your TBR pile swell. But hey, we have made it easy for you to get ahead on for Fall ordering.