Task 6 - Assisting people with their reading & literary queries

Write about your views on reader advisory roles in libraries and  what competencies would be essential to work well in that role.

I don't think many Australian libraries have specific positions for reader advisory roles - it is usually left to the staff on the information desk. But to properly help a patron with a reader advisory question, staff do need some basic skills. Questions from patrons about what else has this author writen who writes like this author or what can I read next are fairly common at the information or reference desk, and librarians working on these desks need to be fairly knowledgeable about authors and genres and need to know where to source such information.

The website of the Arrowhead Library Service in USA has a quite detailed page about the various aspects of reader advisory work and the skill levels required. At a basic level, staff should be aware of current culture, formats and publishing trends. They need to be willing to read books in all genres and should have a thorough knowledge of their library's collection. Staff would also need to have some knowledge of the different genres and which authors write in those genres, and should be aware of new books due soon and even know a bit about those new books.

More advanced or specialised skills would include being able to develop reading lists, do book talks, write reviews or annotations, and help develop reading plans. Anyone taking on a reader advisory question needs to be able to conduct an effective interview to determine reading requirements (genre, reading level, etc) and then needs the research skills to find suggestions for the reader.

Personally, I think that a willingness to read books in a variety of genres and age groups is probably the most important skill, as it gives you a grounding in what is being written at the moment - and writing styles and topics change all the time. Not all books within a genre are the same type of writing either. Advisers need to know who writes the comedic detection fiction and who writes the forensic procedurals, because a reader of one may not necessarily like to read the other. Taking on a reader advisory role is much more than knowing your way around your library's collection - it's knowing who is writing what sort of fiction, what are the current hot topics; and it's knowing this for kids, teens and adults because they are all your customers.


Reading list:
http://www.arrowhead.lib.mn.us/renewal/readers.htm
http://www.bookbitch.com/READERS%20ADVISORY.htm
http://www.olc.org/ore/2readers.htm
http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/CUL50111