Readers' Advisory

The promotion of library resources and materials can be a difficult challenge to tackle. I believe it is important to assess the needs and wants of the community/demographic that you intend to target. One group that I believe it would be worthwhile to target is not necessarily an age group, but rather the people who utilize streaming and subscription-based media services. Where subscriptions to media services like Netflix, Kindle Unlimited, Audible, etc. may have once been considered to be money savers (compared to cable at least), the quantity of those services is only increasing. I believe that libraries could work with this concept and lean into the promotion of the “freeness” of library materials; if more people knew that the same books, audiobooks, and other materials that they pay a subscription for could be accessed for free through their local library, they may be more inclined to get a card or check out library offerings. This would serve to promote all kinds of library materi...

When it comes to collection organization (as well as most aspects of the library) I believe the first thing to consider is the needs of the community that the library serves. Would patrons benefit from dedicated sections for differing genres? Is there potential for a decision to exclude or harm community members? Etc. Because libraries serve unique communities, I do not believe there is a universal answer to this prompt, but it’s definitely worth thinking about. For this question as well, the size of the collection as well as the available space and resources is also important to consider. For instance, within my local area we have libraries of various sizes – the downtown library with multiple floors and wings would naturally be better suited to separation space-wise compared to a small branch in the suburbs. The library I work at is the former, so I’ll respond with my current library in mind. Regarding LGBTQ Fiction: I would not separate LGBTQ fiction from the rest of fiction, for se...

Author: Casey McQuiston Title :  Red, White & Royal Blue Genre : LGBTQIA Romance, New Adult Fiction Publication Year:  2019 Number of Pages : 421 Geographical Setting:  United States (Washington D.C.), United Kingdom Time Period:  2019-2020 Series:  N/A   Plot Summary: First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is finishing out his Bachelor's, preparing to assist in his mother's campaign for reelection as United States President, and dreaming of his own political future. When his anger towards his stuck-up "rival" Prince Henry of Wales results in international publicity, the two are forced to play up a friendship to the press. Alex learns quickly that Prince Henry may not be as boring as he seems, and the two grow closer in secret amidst political, familial, and personal conflicts. Subject Headings:  Children of presidents, International relationships, Royal houses, Family relationships Appeal: Characterization:  Both new adult reader...

  I, like several others based on the posts I’ve read so far, used to be a bit of a book snob when it came to eBooks. I was dedicated to physical copies above all else, and if given the option, most of the time I still will opt for a physical copy of a book – but is one really better than the other? Physical books have the appeal of being tactile, something that you can feel, hold, and manually progress through by flipping pages. Many books, also, are formatted by their author with the intent of being in print, so some design elements or stylistic choices may not translate as well on an eReader –I’ve found this to be the case with poetry. When reading an eBook, a wonky looking line (meant to emphasize or stand out in print) might be all it takes to draw me out of a book and start thinking about the structure instead of the story. With that said, eBooks have their own set of appeals, mainly relating to convenience and accessibility. Nearly everybody has a phone or portable compute...

  Authors : Kate Quinn Title :  The Alice Network Genre : Historical Fiction Publication Year:  2017 Number of Pages : 560 Geographical Setting:  France, United Kingdom Time Period:  World War I (1915), post-World War II (1947) Series:  N/A Plot Summary: The year is 1947. Charlotte “Charlie” St. Clair is unmarried and pregnant, a condition considered disgraceful by her wealthy parents. In the few years since World War II, her and her family have suffered great losses, but Charlie has a desperate hope that her beloved French cousin, Rose, who went missing during the war is still alive. In her search, Charlie encounters a haggard, drunken, and traumatized woman in London who she is convinced can lead her to her lost cousin. This is Eve. The year is 1915. Young Eve Gardiner is recruited and sent into France as a spy to uncover secrets of their German occupants. Eve’s country, the safety of her fellow spies, and her life all balance on the b...

My book club experience actually took place this afternoon, and I am glad to have found a group to observe/participate with within the deadline! Over the past few weeks, I have been looking into book clubs offered by libraries within approximately 20 miles of me, and unfortunately the meeting times of those I could find each conflicted with my work schedule. Thankfully, a friend of mine mentioned her office’s book club to me last month and extended an invitation to me for today’s meeting. This was the third meeting of the group in as many months. We met at a bar in the area, where everyone ordered their own drinks and appetizers. While the club was created by a group of coworkers together, only one of them had prior experience with book clubs, so she took the lead of the discussion, as she had for the other meetings. I later learned that she also has been selecting the books that the group has been reading, though the other members have had some input regarding the type of book they ar...

For this assignment, I decided to explore literary awards, their merit, their impact, and whether readers do (or should) care about them. While I might not consider this to completely fall under the category of a literature review essay, much of the content does revolve around the published opinions of others in the literary world, the points that they make, and how those opinions connect with one another. One of the key points I touched on in this essay was the impact of awards on writers. While there is much contention around literary awards and who wins them, it is worth noting how impactful these awards can be for writers. Yes, an award can help an author's works be more popular, serving as an advertisement of sorts, but many awards also come with direct monetary prizes that can greatly impact writers' lives. Here's a brief excerpt: Generally, writing is not a very lucrative profession. According to the Authors Guild’s 2023 Author Income Survey, “median author income fo...

Authors : Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shafer Title : The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Genre : Historical Fiction, Gentle Reads Publication Year: 2008 Number of Pages : 274 Geographical Setting: England, Guernsey (Channel Islands) Time Period: Post World War II (1945-46) Series: N/A Plot Summary Following World War II, British writer Juliet Ashton finds inspiration from a random correspondence about literature with Dawsey Adams, a man from recently liberated Guernsey, an island in the English Channel that had been occupied by Nazis during the war. As she learns more about the experiences of the people of Guernsey under Nazi occupation, and their impromptu, unconventional Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Juliet finds herself pulled to the island, called to tell their story. Subject Headings: Guernsey (Channel Islands), Interpersonal relations, World War II, Book Clubs, Personal letters Appeal: Characterization : One appealing factor of the novel i...

 After seeing the options for this week's prompt, I instantly knew I wanted to discuss James Patterson. His works have been a recurring topic of discussion since I entered the MLIS program and started working at my local library. For my first "real world" experience where I shadowed a reference desk around this time last year, the reference librarians I was with told me that once I'm in the library field, I'll come to hate the name "James Patterson" - he's everywhere! Their second point has proven true. At my current library, we have 2 full shelving units dedicated to Patterson books in our adult fiction section, as well as books in mysteries, nonfiction, children's, and teens. But do I "hate" him? In one article from GQ, Patterson reported that he had 31 active projects that were in the works simultaneously, through the use of a team of cowriters (Skipper, 2023). Because Patterson is involved in the writing process, presenting outlines...

Author : Robert A. Heinlein Title :  Starship Troopers Genre : Science Fiction Publication Date : November 5, 1959 Number of Pages : 263 pages Geographical Setting : varies (Earth, space, distant planets) Time Period : several centuries into the future (no specific dates given) Series : N/A Plot Summary:   Several hundred years into the future, Earth has joined into a global society, where full citizenship is only granted to those who have served a term in the Terran Federation's military. When Juan "Johnny" Rico, a recent high school graduate decides to follow his childhood friend and volunteer for service against his parents' wishes, he is exposed to the realities of military life, where fresh infantry recruits are beaten down and the weak links are discharged, opt to leave, or die in training. As the threat of a hostile alien species of Arachnids emerges, Johnny's military career advances amidst discussion of controversial philosophical, moral...

Shivers and Shelves: Horror Trivia Night I believe that taking an active approach through a horror-themed event would be beneficial for the library and help to promote our various horror materials, especially since a central aspect of horror as a genre is the feelings it elicits in readers/viewers; by inviting library patrons to enter a “horrific” environment and experience the same feelings they might while reading a horror novel or watching a horror film (but in a safe, fun program), they will be encouraged to explore the genre further through library materials. I would like to propose a horror trivia night, with questions about horror hits and classics (such as Stephen King's works, or movie franchises) in the library collection. Our library has the benefit of being located near the Niles Scream Park, a haunted house attraction that is well known in the area. We should consider partnering with the business for this event, inviting a scare actor (or several) to help host the ...

Author : Carissa Orlando Title : The September House Genre : Horror Publication Date : September 5, 2023 Number of Pages : 344 pages Geographical Setting : New England (US) Time Period : present day Series : N/A Plot Summary:   Margaret and her husband Hal have found the perfect home, a beautiful Victorian house priced below market value, and know it will be the perfect place to settle and grow roots. Living on Hawthorn Street is as pleasant as the home’s outside façade, at least during eleven months of the year. Every September, the brutalized previous tenants of the home make their spectral presence known, with blood pouring from the walls, echoing screams through the night, and the terrifying threat of something down in the basement. After several years, the threat of another September looming drives Hal out of the house, but Margaret stays, devoted to her house and her life there, determined to see past the ghostly quirks. When their daughter Katherine learns of...

  RE: eBook-only books and reviewing The popularity of eBook-only books shows that professional reviews may not be necessary for a book to be successful, but I imagine this would affect collection development if the library staff were looking for these criteria. As trends shift, it may be necessary for library staff to turn to other sources for collection development if professional reviewers are not changing the types of books they review. RE: Amazon vs Blog Review I am not confident using these two reviews to make a collection development decision. Both reviews read as stream-of-consciousness writing, lacking focus on the book (or at least the aspects that would aid my decision-making). It is difficult to tell how the book might appeal to a wider audience since the opinions (about the book and Christmas itself, from the looks of things) are so individualized/personal. RE: Angela’s Ashes Having read these professional reviews, I would feel encouraged to add Angela’s Ashe...

 While my interaction with the library staff working at the reference desk was generally  positive—they greeted me, directed all of their attention to me when I approached the desk, and genuinely seemed to want to assist me —the quality of the RA interaction was disappointing. When I asked for a good book to read, they asked me what sort of book I was interested (solid start), but once I requested a horror book it was evident that they did not know much about the genre, or what questions to ask about it. During the interaction, they asked two more questions: "How scary do you want the book to be?" and "Do you want an Adult book specifically?" Ultimately, they recommended The September House to me, which they had read recently. Unfortunately, I requested they recommend books that aren't paranormal (ghost) stories, and The September House  is set in and around a haunted house. I have started reading regardless and it is not a bad book per se, but it is not what I...