Advising readers on their next book is one of the most intimidating and exhilarating aspects of library work. Helping readers with their reading needs builds an ongoing and treasured relationship between library staff and their users. Readers’ Advisory (RA) is a skill that grows over time and with practice.
Meeting every other month, the Readers Advisory Round Table – West (RART-W) participants read from one genre—and then discuss the appeal of that genre emphasizing the building of a skill set of appeal categories and familiarity of genre particulars. Participants read the same benchmark title plus a second title of their choice within the genre. The Round Table began covering a different genre every meeting allowing each of the participants to be introduced to the discipline of reading for appeal as well as an initiation to broad genre categories. We are now reading genre arcs in a series of 3 meetings. Everyone participating will be able to share analysis of titles and authors in unfamiliar genres that will stretch their capacity as Readers’ Advisors.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion statement: RART-W encourages all library staff to use leisure reading as a way to connect with the community, with a particular focus on reaching the underserved and promoting “own voices” authors. Throughout our discussions we will explore ways in which library staff can provide services, collections, and programming that puts EDI concerns at the forefront. Examples include but are not limited to, delivering the same information in different formats, advice on how to diversify your displays, and ways to include more staff voices in basic RA service [more voices leads to more equitable, diverse, and inclusive offerings]. Library staff attending RART-W must be interested in allowing all staff [not just professional and/or public service staff] to participate in serving all populations, not just the ones most represented by staff or as identified in a local census.
New members are always welcome! No previous experience required!
To subscribe to the discussion list send email to rart-w+subscribe@googlegroups.com
The Discussion Leaders are: Alene Moroni, Forbes Library, Northampton (amoroni@forbeslibrary.org) and Jan Resnick (njrezz@comcast.net). RART-W is modeled on the Readers Advisory Round Table conducted by Leane Ellis in the northeast section of the Commonwealth.
