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Readers' advisory (sometimes spelled readers advisory or reader's advisory) is a service which involves suggesting fiction and nonfiction titles to a reader through direct or indirect means. This service is a fundamental library service; however, readers' advisory also occurs in commercial contexts such as bookstores. Currently, almost all North American public libraries offer some form of readers' advisory.
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North America
"Setting a date for the start of what we now call readers advisory service, particularly readers advisory in the public library, is at best a frustrating, almost arbitrary exercise. Efforts at historical precision can founder on such basic issues as the absence of common definitions. For example, answers to such questions as 'What exactly is a public library?" or "What really is readers advisory?" have long been disputed." (Bill Crowley, from his 2005 journal article "Rediscovering the History of Readers Advisory Service")
Opposing Viewpoints on the Merits of Different Types of Readers' Advisory
The historical period divisions and merits of different types of readers' advisory services is a hotly debated topic among librarians.
Bill Crowley, in his 2005 article, "Rediscovering the History of Readers Advisory Service," breaks down the historical period divisions of the service into four eras:
Juris Dilevko and Candice Magowan question the merits of the current readers' advisory emphasis on popular fiction materials in their book "Readers' Advisory Service in North American Public Libraries, 1870–2005." They subdivide the history as:
Dilevko and Mogowan write about "readers' advisory systematically committ[ing] itself to meaningful adult education through serious and purposeful reading" up until the 1960s, when emphasis on "popular culture resulted in the 'Give 'Em What They Want' approach" and the "The Devolution into Entertainment."
1897–1920
In 1897, the ALA President stated that "the personal influence of librarians who assisted and advised readers was the most potent force in molding community reading."
1920–1980
Organized readers' advisory programs have been documented dating back to the 1920s. Between 1922–1926 readers' advisory programs were experimentally introduced into seven urban libraries (Cleveland and Detroit, in 1922, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Chicago, in 1923 and 1924, and Cincinnati and Portland, OR).
The Adult Education Movement emerged in the 1920s in public libraries and was frequently discussed in American Library Association professional publications.
The 1924 report The American Public Library and the Diffusion of Knowledge by William Learned to the Carnegie Corporation sought to establish adult education as the focus of the public library, with personalized readers' advisory service to adult readers by "reference experts" who would make up a "community intelligence service."
The 1926 American Library Association "book-length" commission report Libraries and Adult Education placed high importance on readers' advisory services in Adult Education. Judson T. Jennings provided a summary of the work, observing that the "library's contribution to adult education resolved itself into three major activities:"
1. An information service regarding local opportunities for adult students.
2. Service to other agencies engaged in adult education.
This new professional interest during the 1920s spurred the creation of specialized full-time readers' advisory positions in major public libraries. By 1936, an estiminated, 50 public libraries had established readers' advisory services.
Until the early 1960s, readers' advisory focused on non-fiction materials and continuing adult education.
1980s - 2000s
Some librarians consider the early 1980s to be the beginning of a revival in readers' advisory and praise the inclusion of fiction (including genre fiction: fantasy, mystery, romance, etc.) and write that historically readers' advisory was biased in favor of nonfiction.
Others disapprove of the new approaches and changes in service. Dilevko and Magowan write "Post-1980 readers' advisory thus became an opportunity to converse with patrons about 'light, quick, escapist' books -- popular and ephemeral fiction and nonfiction for entertainment, pleasure, and recreation -- because such conversations were not 'too burdensome'."
In 1982, the term "genreflecting" was first coined by Betty Rosenberg, who authored: Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests in Genre Fiction (Libraries Unlimited, 1982).
Another major influence on the spread and revival of readers' advisory was the Adult Reading Round Table (ARRT), founded by a group of Chicago public librarians in 1984. The group organized workshops, seminars, and genre-study groups.
Current Interest
Interest in readers' advisory continues to grow. Libraries Unlimited Genreflecting Advisory Series has grown to 27 titles as of July 2008 (from 15 titles in 2005). Beyond traditional genres (fantasy, mystery, romance), some of the diverse offerings now include guides to LGBT literature, guides to graphic novels (comic books, manga, etc), and Christian fiction.
". . . contemporary readers advisory service is best understood as an organized program promoting both fiction and nonfiction discretionary reading for the dual purposes of satisfying reader needs and advancing a culture's goal of a literate population." (Bill Crowley, from his 2005 journal article "Rediscovering the History of Readers Advisory Service")
Direct readers' advisory
Direct readers' advisory is based on a non-judgmental assessment of the personal preferences of the reader through a series of questions, called a readers advisory conversation. The assessment focuses on reader likes and dislikes with regard to a number of factors, including subject, reading level, genre, writing style, the level of characterization, plot elements, storyline, pace, tone, frame, and setting. The hoped-for outcome of this interview is the identification of three or more appropriate suggestions (sometimes referred to as "readalikes"—especially when the interview was initiated by patron interest in new authors/titles similar to one enjoyed in the past). In identifying suitable suggestions, a readers' advisor combines personal knowledge of material with a variety of specialized print and online resources to come up with appropriate suggestions. The goal of direct readers advisory is to suggest titles based on a readers' individual interests and tastes. Librarians who simply recommend their favorite books with little or no regard for the patron's own interests are not performing readers' advisory.
For example, if a patron requests "a good book," the readers' advisor might ask the reader to describe a book they have enjoyed. The focus of the conversation is not on recitation of plot, but on the aforementioned appeal elements (i.e. pace, subject, tone, writing style, etc.). In our example, the patron tells the readers' advisor of a humorous mystery novel with a sharp-tongued female protagonist. Our readers' advisor also learns that the patron prefers fast-paced dialogue to excessive descriptive passages. Once the appeal elements have been identified (i.e. a humorous mystery featuring snappy dialogue and a female protagonist), the readers' advisor will suggest appropriate titles in the collection by drawing on personal knowledge and/or by consulting appropriate print and online resources. Even though the patron requested a mystery, a skilled readers advisor will often offer a suggestion or two that point the reader to new a new vista outside of a mentioned genre or milieu.
Readers' advisory can also be performed across multiple media. For example, a patron who likes the movie Matilda might be unaware that it is based on a book by Roald Dahl. Other patrons who enjoy audio books may be introduced to other titles read by the same person.
Questions to consider asking in the readers' advisory interview
In the 2005 edition of Readers' Advisory Services in the Public Library, Joyce Saricks lists some questions for advisors to consider, such as:
Indirect readers' advisory
Indirect readers' advisory involves the creation of displays, bookmarks, and annotated book lists that a reader/patron can pick up and peruse on their own without actively engaging a readers' advisor. Indirect readers' advisory aids, particularly annotated book lists, focus on appeal elements rather than providing extensive plot summaries. Recently, some public libraries (like the Williamsburg Regional Library in Virginia) have begun experimenting with form-based readers' advisory, which allows for a richer indirect readers advisory experience.
Maintaining a Staff Recommendations display is another way to improve a library's readers' advisory service. Since many readers are browsers, staff recommendations make it easier to select a book.
In their 2001 article "Reader's Advisory: Matching Mood and Material," Ross and Chelton recommend placing books in four areas of the library in order to make the most of merchandising. These four areas are the entrance, the ends of stacks, high traffic areas, and the circulation desk. Placing the display in these areas ensure that patrons will see and, hopefully, utilize the books on display. Ross and Chelton also note that books, not posters and announcements, should be here because merchandised titles will circulate very quickly.