Reader's Advisory

Did you know there are great tools out there for Reader's Advisory? One of the most common questions we get at the Circulation desk at the Ames Free Library is "Can you recommend a good book?" For some people this instills great fear! What if the patron doesn't like the book you recommend? There's so much pressure! Well, after talking about this subject in class, this will always be a risk the patron takes when asking for a recommendation.  Besides, there are so many great tools out there that can help librarians find the (almost) perfect book for the patron.  The first step is to ask the patron what they like.  This helps the librarian figure out what they're looking for.

Here are some great ways to help patrons find a good book:

1. Read, read, read! Personally, I keep my own list of authors that I've read over the years and I jot down the type of book, the style of writing and the subject matter.  This helps me recommend books I've read to patrons that may have similar taste.

2. Have a designated "Recommended Books" area.  At the AFL, we have a "Good Reads" section of books that the staff has read and recommends.  This way patrons can go right to that area and peruse the titles for something they might like.  Other libraries do this with books recommended by patrons as well.

3.  There are some great databases that libraries subscribe to like Novelist and What do I read next that can help patrons find similar authors to ones they like.  What do I read next even lets you pick from a list of award winners, librarian favorites, expert picks and bestsellers.  I like the "Who What Where When" search which allows you to choose the age or type of character, the subject, the setting and the time period.  So if a patron wants a book about a zoo keeper and the afterlife that takes place at the beach during the 100th century B.C., this is the place to go! What do I read next is available through the Ames Free Library's website with a library card.  There are also a variety of free websites available for Reader's Advisory.  Check these out:

allreaders.com
bookspot.com
earlyword.com
fictiondb.com
Fiction_L

Happy reading/recommending!