Did you know that we in the library industry have a name for the art of helping someone find their next favorite book? We call that service “Readers’ Advisory” or RA for short.
Professional Librarians study RA in graduate school and other library staffers perfect the art through professional development workshops, classes, and other trainings. All library staffers hone the practice each day in libraries everywhere and particularly here at the Ignacio Community Library. Have you ever come in to peruse the Staff Picks display, or had a staffer recommend a book based on other books you have liked? That is RA in action!
Some (usually bigger) libraries, like Denver Public and Arapahoe libraries here in Colorado and Rochester Public Library in Minnesota, offer Readers’ Advisory forms on their websites for patrons to fill out and receive personalized recommendations from a librarian directly via email. I have tried these services and found the recommendations to be pretty good. We are interested in potentially adding a service like this here in Ignacio. However, setting up the webform and arranging the librarian manpower to process the forms and generate suggestions will be time consuming, so we’d love to hear from patrons who think they might use a service like this. If we get a lot of interest, we will know that it is a project worth the time and effort; so, let us know if this is something you would use and be interested in!
These same libraries and many others also offer RA forms in paper versions for homebound patrons who may have limited access to computers or internet service. Both the paper and the digital forms result in some fantastic suggestions based on the individual tastes of each patron. Based on some other projects we have tried in both digital and paper versions; I suspect a paper version might be more popular here in Ignacio. Have you ever tried using a service like this? Would you use this service if we offered it here in Ignacio?
Right now at ICL, we offer RA services in the form of a staff picks display (just to the right of the main entrance, come check it out), staff picks bookmarks, on-the-fly RA service directly to patrons, suggestions in our newsletter, and monthly RA training and practice at our staff meetings.
We are learning more and perfecting the craft of making Readers’ Advisory suggestions every month here at ICL to serve you, our patrons, better. We are always looking for ways to serve the public better, and Readers’ Advisory is just one of the many ways we do that. What sort of RA service is best for you? Come in and let us know; we’d love to see you here at Ignacio Community Library!