CAL Readers Advisory Interest Group

Notes from Meeting 8/13/08, 11 am-2pm at Koelbel Library, Arapahoe Library District

Attending: Dedra Anderson (DCL), Jill Kidder (DCL), Pam Foye (grad DU), Beth Armstrong (BPL), Irene Marshall (Elizabeth Public Library), Laurie Gough (DCL), Linda Vincent (DCL), Tatyana Mendelev (Arapahoe LD), Patty Frobisher (Lafayette PL), Dodie Ownes (SLJ/LJ), Dulcie Brown (Berthoud Comm LD), Gina Wencel (DU in school), Joanna Nelson (Mamie Doud Eisenhower, and DU in school), Susan Osborn (Art Institute of CO), Michelle Shields (Arapahoe LD), Tara Bannon (DPL), Katharine Phenix (Rangeview LD)

• Readers Advisory Preconference at CAL will feature nonfiction. There will be a panel in the morning with Dorothy Hargrove of Douglas County Libraries, Duncan Smith of Novelist, and Mary Paumier Jones of Westminster Public Libraries. In the afternoon, several publishers will present their nonfiction titles. There were wonderful goodies last year—free books and advanced reading copies, as well as copies of the upcoming book lists. Preconference sessions are not part of the overall conference and are priced separately.

• Front Range Reading Roundtable: In the 1980s, a legendary readers advisory group called the Adult Reading Round Table (AART) was formed in suburban Chicago. Katharine Phenix wants to create a Front Range Readers Advisory Roundtable group. She will be proposing this at Library Camp of the West () October10^th at University of Denver. For the history of the original ARRT, see www.arrtreads.orghttp://librarycampwest.pbwiki.com

• Some libraries are doing music and video advisory. Dodie recommends TuneGlue (audiomap.tuneglue.net)

• Douglas County: Groups at individual libraries meet for 1-2 hours once a month on different topics and do a review of genre; it often starts with an interesting reference question. Topics include Book Club Books, Christian Fiction, and True Crime. 

• Newer generation thrives on constant communication; there are generational differences.

• Good sources of informal virtual book sharing: GoodReads, Shelfari, Anobii, LibraryThing, etc. 

• Form-based readers advisory:

§ Williamsburg Regional Library- http://www.wrl.org/ – Barry Trott created an online form RA process for providing reading recommendations to patrons; not only provides an archive of lists, but is also a useful tool for training staff

§ Clinton-Macomb – Katharine Phenix provided examples of reader’s lists Clinto-Macomb has created in response to patron requests – se

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