Special Topics Paper - Readers Advisory and Social Media

Why Use Social Media for RA

Saricks emphasizes that conversation (communication) is an extremely important part of RA. “The readers’ advisory interview is a conversation about books.” (Saricks, 2009, p.5) Social media can be defined, “…as a group of Internet based applications that allow the exchange of user generated content.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18) Why should these be combined?

To begin with, it is a fact that a large percentage of our society participates in social media. According to their webinar, Mickelsen and Stover have the statistics at the following numbers:

71% of internet-using adults are using Facebook

42% are using multiple platforms

18% are using Twitter

17% are using Instagram

(Mickelsen & Stover, 2014)

These statistics clearly show that users communicate through social media. “In this digital information age, it is increasingly important for public libraries to adopt new technologies to deliver services such as RA to reach users who have become accustomed to interacting with other people through digital channels.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18) In other words, social media, for better or worse, has become a comfortable way for people to communicate and good RA involves communication as Saricks said. A communication expert had this to say about the relevancy of social media, "...social media likely will continue to become increasingly integrated into the normal human experience like most of the communication technologies that preceded it." (Keller, 2013, p.10) So, if the reality is that social media is here to stay as a form of communication, then we, as librarians, need to communicate with our patrons this way. The writer of an article called Are You Reaching Library Customers Where They Are? Wrote about one particular library director’s opinion: "Citing some major paradigm shifts in the digital landscape, including library users’ mobile phone behaviors, she encouraged libraries to fight the urge to stick to the status quo. She described this process as “changing the game” With 51% of users accessing information on a digital device and 80% of Internet users owning a smartphone, libraries are missing out if they’re not harnessing mobile apps and technology to reach users." (Maxey, 2016)

The traditional aims of RA are, “to increase reading choice and the enjoyment of reading.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18) Will using social media increase reading choice and the enjoyment of reading? In a conducted study a librarian stated that social media should be used to contact patrons and made it clear that contact would increase with this type of communication. Contact would increase with patrons, “particularly those who are not everyday library users.” One librarian in the study stated that, “it was important to be seen to be reaching out to a different customer type, that will not come to the library or who is using the online catalog/resources.” “It allows us to provide the opportunity to undertake RA services outside library walls. As the number of people who have mobile devices increases, extending library services to non-traditional virtual spaces is increasingly important.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.114)

While most libraries have a great deal of RA information online, on their websites, blogs, etc. this does not offer communication – two-way communication between librarian and patron. A librarian in the conducted RA and social media study said, “The ability to have two-way communication with library patrons through Twitter and Facebook was one of the key reasons these social media services were used.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.114) “This type of engagement is a significant aspect of RA, so capturing those comments or tweets and replying to them with relevant information shows how RA and social media can be combined effectively.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.114)

Positives of Using Social Media with RA

As mentioned, most libraries are already used to offering RA services in the online world even if they have not stepped over to social media. Most library website are, “a hub for a wider range of RA features such as read-alikes, annotated lists, staff written reviews and discussion forums.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.19)

It is also true that “Book-oriented social networking sites are often recommended as good resources for RA.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.19) Book-oriented social networking sources are sites like Library Thing and GoodReads. One expert concluded that, “this type of service provided opportunities for readers to be more involved in discussions about books and reading.” “This aspect appears to be an important difference between RA services that use digital services and the traditional face-to-face approach.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.19) If this quote is referring to specific book oriented sites like GoodReads, how much more involved would the discussion be on social media that is not just book oriented? This would expose patrons who are on the social media for other reasons to literature and book discussions. Invariably if the discussions are on non-book sites those who do not ordinarily or maybe never participate in book discussions will have the chance to do so. They will at least have exposure to what it looks like. Another aspect of being more involved is also found in the personal nature of the format. People often feel less inhibited to speak their mind on social media. Many participates can join in the discussion as well.

Speaking of the interaction aspect, one librarian in the study commented, “What works most is the interaction on Twitter …” “If librarians responded within a short timeframe the conversation often continued. The interactive question and answer type approach was not limited to Twitter, but also took place through Facebook wall posts…” “The ability to have two-way communication with library patrons through Twitter and Facebook was one of the key reasons these social media services were used.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.114-115)

The researchers discovered that, "…interviewees acknowledged the positive effects of offering RA in the online environment.” One interviewee (librarian) commented, "Of all the uses of social media in the library, using it for the purposes of reader advisory would be one of the best ways of getting information out." (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.117)

Another positive for the librarian is response time. Responding on social media relieves some of the pressure that is present in face-to-face RA. "Providing readers’ advisory virtually allows your library to enrich the services for your patrons. The virtual interaction allows librarians more time to review a request. They are less pressured to provide a quick answer on the spot. Patrons receive quality recommendations in the comfort of their home or when they're on the go." (Pundsack, 2014)

Maybe social media RA is new and different in some regards but, “While the tools for successful Readers Advisory continue to diversify and evolve, the foundation of personal connection remains the same." (Morris, 2013)

A final positive is, " Posting conversations on Facebook about books allows the library to “crowd-source" suggestions and create lists for others to use." (Pundsack, 2014) So, combining social media and RA expands knowledge by combining the knowledge of many and sharing it more broadly.

Types of Social Media

Twitter - Many libraries already have blogs. Twitter can be considered real time, microblogging. So, for those already familiar with blogging, Twitter would be just a small new step to take. “Microblogging involves posting short status updates…” “One of the most popular microblogging sites is Twitter, which provides “real time” updates from people anywhere in the world.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18) For example, a librarian could Tweet, “Tweet us 3 book titles you liked and we will tweet you three similar ones right back.” This real-time aspect would be the new step for many librarians. The following comments describe how important a speedy real-time response is to Twitter users, so response time would have to be scheduled.

“Thanks to Twitter, businesses are closer to consumers than ever before. Tweets have become a popular way for consumers to vocalize their questions, praise, or complaints -- all in plain view of anyone who can find the conversation online. But customers don't just expect you to read their tweets about you -- they also expect you to reply. According to charts published on Search Engine Watch, 70% of surveyed Twitter users expect a response from brands they reach out to on Twitter. Of those users, 53% want that response in under an hour. It's important to have a solid strategy for responding to tweets so you can keep your customers happy and drive engagement on Twitter. (Kolowich, 2015)

As this information shows, social media requires a fast response – a communication – unlike a website or blog. This is a positive because it becomes more of the conversation that Saricks describes. But, it is going to require time. Will social media take too much time? One researcher, “…identified four main advantages of using Twitter: “it is free, easy to use, it takes little staff time and information travels fast.” Here we see an opinion that it takes little staff time, so perhaps it is worth the effort.

Facebook- Researchers in a study, “…described a six hour experiment carried out by Multnomah County Library which asked readers to tell them (on Facebook) the last five titles they’d read, so that RA staff could offer suggestions for their next book. Roughly one hundred readers participated and feedback was very positive.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18)

“Facebook facilitates immediate interactive moments, and it also provides weekly user statistics that are emailed directly to the librarians.” “This made it easy for the librarians who used Facebook to access the impact of their posting and links.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.114)

YouTube- While YouTube is not social media exactly, it is worth mentioning that it does allow librarians to use more imaginative ways to do RA. For example, “…creating video “book trailers” and using a multimedia approach to RA.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18) Posting YouTube RA videos would expose books to a wider audience. This is a huge plus and just may create new interest and new readers.

Tumblr - Tumblr is another option. Tumblr is, "…a microblogging platform and social media site that supports multimedia content." (Wetta, 2014) According to Wetta, Tumblr is popular with a younger audience and, "…users spend longer per visit on the site compared to other social media." Wetta says that Tumblr can be used to ,"…start a conversation with your community." (2014)

Some advantages of Tumblr include: it is a "flexible platform" and "…has a unique feature that separates it from other social media platforms...users can ask questions anonymously, which isn't an option on Facebook or Twitter." (Wetta, 2014) Because the asker’s name is not included, librarian responses can be shared with anyone. The same response can be shared with many people who are looking for the same sort of book.

Instagram – Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing app. It is like visual tweeting. "Instagram users are the youngest of all social media users and this platform is growing the quickest." Instagram would be excellent for sharing book covers.

These are several of the major social media choices. Although there are so many choices, "It's best not to put all your efforts into one platform. At the same time though, don't do so much you can't maintain them all - or just simply duplicate content across all your social media channels.” (Wetta, 2014)

Good Practices

Links- One piece of advice concerning good practice was to always include a link to the library. This is an excellent idea. “…public libraries Twitter accounts could link to events, blog posts, and particular titles in their collection. …if a tweet is about something the library owns, it will include a link to the item in our catalogue. This allows a library patron who reads a tweet that interests them to go directly into the library’s catalog and reserve the item.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.19) Specific ideas for posts that could have links included, “…recommending a book, a product, or service that the library’s followers might be interested in.” “Interviewees thought their users responded best when there were links in social media posts. Most users love links, they prefer the immediacy they provide.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.114) Providing links, “…may stimulate interest and interaction.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.117)

Content of Social Media Posting - “A few of the interviewees explained that they deliberately choose resources that are quirky or really different to attract attention from their audience.” New books, reviews, new resources, recommended reading for teens, are among typical posts, however, “one interviewee acknowledged that RA involves more than listing and promoting new books – the librarian must also mention RA by author, reviews, recommendations, and spotlights on genres.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.116)

One interviewee explained her process… “If I find a book that looks interesting, I’ll just type in the title, give the link to the catalogue, write a bit about it and give it a hash tag to say it is coming soon…” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.116)

Using promotional language is also a good practice that is recommended, “Use promotional language, use a hook, encourage readers to click on a link, show book covers…” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.117)

“They explained that their choice of language was deliberate, and intended to have an effect.” “Examples of this include, “Check this out!” or using quotes from reviewers’ words, using book covers and images, having a hook… something that makes them want to click on it. (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.117)

Turn the tables - ask patrons to be the Readers' Advisor with questions like, “What books would you recommend to someone who has never read fantasy but wants to give it a try?” (Brown, 2012) "...successful readers advisory via social media is largely dependent upon libraries creating an opportunity for patrons to provide their own input and perspective, and drive the conversation based on what matters to them. Social media may allow the conversation to move beyond books as well, and can be used to crowd source community input on collections or programs. Generating these public conversations may present new opportunities for partnership for libraries, in addition to new avenues for patron engagement." (Morris, 2013)

Participation and quick responses - So there is a lot more to postings than just asking questions, Susan Brown says participation is key."...don't just ask the question, remember to participate as well. On social media, participation is the goal and asking questions is one of the easiest ways to achieve this." “Social media users expect quick response. We try to keep response time under 30 minutes"(Brown, 2012)

Divide and assign workload- “…if possible divide each social media into teams - have a leader for each to send out reminders of who's posting what and when.” (Brown, 2012)

Involving more library staff – “Involve more library staff, so they know how to use these platforms.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.118)

Have guidelines and style guides - "organizations create guidelines to ensure everyone is consistent in what they post and follows a similar structure.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.115)

Have in-house guidelines- such as, "recommendations for how frequently posts should be written and updated..." so that too much info isn't being released because that would overwhelm people. (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.116)

Some Possible Negatives

Restrictions- One researcher noted that, “…local government often imposed security related barriers to the implementation of social media within libraries. Because of these barriers, libraries tended to give up at the first hurdle and focus on more traditional methods of interacting with their users.” Others found that, “only members of the library’s web services team could contribute content to or update sections…as there were restrictions on access to the edit tools.” Another possible negative concern is relying on a free external service, “…an externally hosted service may change its terms of use, or modify its site without warning.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18) Only authorized staff being allowed to post and the library’s firewall were oft-mentioned restrictions.

The library board may have restrictions as well. "Our council has very specific stipulations on what we can and cannot post." (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.115) The board may have to be convinced. In this case staff will have to, "…successfully demonstrate that social media is not merely for "recreation and socializing" but is a key communication toll." (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.116)

Security - When librarians were interviewed, “They considered the security and privacy issues surrounding Facebook to have been a barrier to earlier adoption.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18)

Staff limitations -Lack of staff knowledge and experience was an often-mentioned negative. Having sufficient staff time and insufficient staff input were other staff concerns. (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.117)

Size of library- Small libraries may have fewer resources and staff. (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.117)

How the Effects of RA with Social Media can be Evaluated

How can the effects of RA with social media be evaluated? There does not appear to be widespread information on the effects of using social media for RA. “However, several people have noted that recommending a book on a social media site raises its profile with potential readers. …A librarian at Ann Arbor District Library who tracked reader involvement through following the holds activity of the books she had written (blog) posts about, noted that one item went from one to fifteen requests. Many similar effects were noted, “…finding that some librarians saw their book recommendations followed by a reserve when posted in a “tweet.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18)

Official research can be done to evaluate, including interviews. Much of the information here came from research that was conducted in New Zealand. Staff in twenty-one libraries were asked for an interview. Fifteen librarians agreed to be interviewed. Since the sample was so small it is just a snapshot for comparison, but it provides useful information like, “The most common social media tool used by interviewees was Facebook…” “Other social media tools used by interviewees included Twitter…” “Other social media tools used by more than one library were Flickr, YouTube…” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18)

“In some cases, the implementation process for using social media with RA began with a small-scale trial. This allowed library management to see how the tools were being used and for what purpose before making a formal commitment to adopt them.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.116)

At any rate, both formal and informal means of evaluation can be used. Some excellent informal evaluation was done by merely noting “likes.” "Seven of the interviewees identified the number of followers they were gaining on twitter and their blogs and how many patrons liked their Facebook page as a key measure of success." “Any engagement via these channels is seen as a success." So, noting the amount of interaction between patrons and staff and patrons with each other as well as feedback is excellent evaluation that can make a difference. "We have had customer feedback via twitter and we've been able to act on it and show we listened." Using a service to track is also a possibility: “1/3 of the interviewees used bit.ly for links in their posts - bit.ly provides tracking statistics that identify how many links were followed . (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.116)

Example Libraries to Check Out

Lawrence Public Library - Every Sunday they ask “What are you reading?” on Facebook and they comment back to patrons.

The Lawrence Public Library recommends asking lots of bookish questions, “What books are on your bedside table right now?” and “If you had to read one book ten times, what book would you read?” They suggest books by saying, “Tell us a book you read recently and enjoyed and we'll suggest another one or two from our collections.” (Brown,2012)

Seattle Public Library - "As more and more people access library services remotely, library staff can employ an array of tools to maintain that meaningful connection with their patrons and provide personalized readers services, both inside and outside of the library." (Morris, 2013)

"... the Seattle Public Library has successfully coordinated social media campaigns to enhance reader services. Posting conversations on Facebook about books allows the library to "crowd source" suggestions and create lists for others to use. They have hosted weekly chats to generate discussion and highlight areas of the collection.” (Morris, 2013)

Plano Public Library -The Plano Public Library hosts “Tuesday Titles” each week. Tuesday Titles is a live Facebook discussion between staff and patrons about reading recommendations. (Morris, 2013)

Darien Library in Connecticut has “Darien Read”s on Tumblr.

Cuyahoga Public has “Night Owls” on Facebook every Thursday night as a special time to talk books.

Conclusion

“…social media services provide a wealth of opportunities for RA librarians to reach out to their communities. Using social media for RA seems to be a win-win combination, since it allows RA librarians to interact directly with interested readers.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.18) With the help of social media, “…the next good read is only one click away.” (Anwyll & Chawner, 2013, p.118)

References

Anwyll, R., & Chawner, B. (2013). Social media and readers’ advisory: a win-win combination?. Reference and User

Services Quarterly, v.53 (1), pp.18-22.

Anwyll, R., & Chawner, B. (2013). Social media and readers' advisory new zealand experiences. Reference and User

Services Quarterly, v.53 (2), pp.113-118.

Brown, S. (2012). Creating a social space for readers. Retrieved from https://www.ebscohost.com/novelist/novelist- special/ra-4-fb-creating-a-social-space-for-readers

Keller, M. (2013). Social media and interpersonal communication. Social Work Today, v.13(3), p.10.

Retrieved from http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/051313p10.shtml

Saricks, J. (2009). The readers’ advisory guide to genre fiction. Chicago: American Library Association.

Mickelsen, A., & Stover, K. (2014). Readers advisory for a new age-social media and tech tools [Webinar].

Retrieved from http://librarylinknj.org/sites/default/files/RA%20for%20a%20New%20Age%20edited.pdf

Maxey, R. (2016). Are you reaching library customers where they are? Retrieved from http://ideas.demco.com/blog/are- you-reaching-library-customers-where-they-are/

Pundsack, K. (2014). Moving readers' advisory online. Retrieved from http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2014/09/moving- readers-advisory-online/

Morris, L. (2013). Readers advisory: fresh approach, same core service. Retrieved from http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/readers-advisory-fresh-approach-same-core-service.html

Kolowich, L. (2015). How to respond to people on twitter: a simple guide for businesses. Retrieved from

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/twitter-customer-service#sm.00000uv78cddp5fflqrgindm2gdvu

Wetta, M. (2014). Using tumblr for readers' advisory. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/wmolly/using-tumblr-for-readers-advisory

Mystery Annotation

Synopsis of The Cat Who Went Bananas

Jim Qwilleran is the columnist for the Moosehead County Something and lives in Pickax City with his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. There is a lot going on in this 27th book in the The Cat Who... series; the Pickax Theater Club is performing The Importance of Being Earnest starring a newcomer Alden Wade, Jim's longtime girl Polly is opening a new bookstore on an old landmark, and the heiress of the Hibbard House returns to the town. Several mysterious events occur during the story: Ronnie Dickson, who is playing in The Importance of Being Earnest, dies in a car crash supposedly under the influence of drugs even though people who know him say he never took drugs. Jim finds out that Alden Wade was accused of killing his first wife who died because she was shot by a sniper, a very valuable book is stolen from Polly's shop, the heiress suddenly marries Alden and much more... Koko provides clues by leaving banana peels.

Mystery Characteristics of The Cat Who Went Bananas

• This is a mystery featuring an amateur detective
• It is a Cozy
• It is constructed around several puzzling occurrences (described in the synopsis)
• A crime is committed - Aldens wife was shot, a valuable book is stolen...
• The amateur detective asks questions- pursuing clues
  Appeal Terms
• It is a Cozy mysteries and a Gentle reads
• Leisurely paced
• The tone is amusing and heartwarming
• There is a very strong sense of place
• Very strong characterization in the life of Jim Qwilleran
  Title Read-alikes
  Double-Booked for Death by Ali Brandon
  Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton
  What the Cat Dragged In by G. Morris
  Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton
  Personal Note

I had never read any of The Cat Who... mysteries until this one. This is the 27th in the series (this is great for mystery lovers who like series) and according to one review I read, not at all as good as some of the earlier ones. "There should be a murder and an investigation, not to mention a body, for a title to qualify as a Mystery" (Saricks, 2009, p.197) Quite honestly, I was confused when I was reading because that wasn't happening. I got down to just a few pages and I was thinking, "Now how is someone going to die mysteriously and the mystery be solved in just these few pages?" It just never happened. In that regard it was a very odd book. Several unexplained and sort of unrelated things happened and Jim wondered about some of it, asked a few questions, but never really investigated and nothing was resolved. It was very odd actually. However Saricks said, "We may think of Mysteries as dark and dangerous, but Amateur Detective stories are frequently light-hearted and even gentle in their approach to crime. " ((p.202) This one was definitely gentle. Strangely though, I enjoyed the book. I had a stressful week and as mentioned above it is a Cozy and a Gentle read. The tone is amusing. It made for a very light-hearted read. I was starting to really get into the sense of place and all the different characters in Pickax. Jim seemed to be constantly having drinks or dinner with someone different. I can definitely see how people could keep reading these for the cozy sense of place, strong characterization offered in the details of Jim Qwilleran's life and amusing presence of cats throughout. It was fun to participate..."in the lives of the investigators. In fact, the character of the investigator often determines the appeal of the Mystery to the reader..." (p.199) "Many tell us they read as much to see what is happening in the characters' lives as to appreciate the clever Mystery plot." (p.199) There was also appeal because of the hobby of the main character: books! So there really wasn't much deep mystery or danger but there was charm and a feeling of personally knowing the town Pickax, it's inhabitants and especially  the mannerisms of Qwilleran, Yum Yum and Koko. So, while not terrible mysterious it was enjoyable.

Week Seven Prompt

Celebrity Inspired Book Clubs- I don't know too much about Oprah's Book Club. I have often thought it was silly and "Who is she?" Like, who cares what Oprah's reading? But the sad fact is that many, many people DO. There are many people who take her suggestions seriously. One of the reasons I don't have respect for her book club is because of my spiritual viewpoint. I have heard things about her recommending "spiritual" books that are anti what I believe. That she believes differently than me is all fine and good. It's not OK though that she has such tremendous influence and spouts her suggestions and opinions to so many people who unquestioningly believe everything that comes out of her mouth. That to me is not OK. This was proven with the James Frey book. She went on and on about it and made the guy millions of dollars because everyone believes everything she says and his book was a disgusting fake. Which leads to ...

Fake memoirs - I think fake memoirs are a disgrace. I think if a publishing company is publishing something as a memoir then they should bother to do all necessary investigation to make sure it actually is a memoir. I was disgusted after reading A Million Little Lies: Exposing James Frey's Fiction Addiction. This man made millions of dollars off of lies. It's disgusting. He was being hailed for his, "unprecedented honesty," and it was lies. "Frey's tall tales would, of course, be pretty funny if so many people didn't actually believe them." (2006) This is the sad thing about this particular memoir. It deals with addiction. First of all addiction is horrifying on so many levels to the person living it. This man made money by pretending to have lived the hell that so many truly do. He also portrayed himself as bad and a criminal because of the addiction and this is so not the case with so many addicts. They are fine, beautiful, good people who are just very, very ill and need help. Worst of all, and most harmful, Frey claims he had an "unconventional recovery" in the book. He rejected the Twelve Step approach and considers addiction a weakness, not a disease. Anyone who has suffered from alcoholism and addiction as he claimed he did knows that it is a disease and if one could just will themselves out of it like he claimed he did there would not be any addiction in the first place. He said his recovery was, "hinging on his ability to continually surmount temptation, thanks to a superhuman will..." This is NOT how recovery works. If the sick person had been able to do that then they would never have been addicted in the first place! The article said, "For those struggling with substance abuse, Frey is a shiny, relapse-free success story, a man who beat formidable odds with steely resolve. For desperate people, there appears to be magic in his approach..." What he has done with his lies is just evil in my opinion. There is no magic way out of addiction. AA and the twelve step approach has saved millions of lives... but it's work. He has made people think they should be able to JUST STOP and that they are not sick they are weak. This is so erroneous and harmful and hurtful! He made millions of dollars off these hurtful, medically, and scientifically wrong lies. It's absolutely disgusting and he made millions off it - in large part because of Oprah. Oprah didn't know what she was talking about - but everyone believed her. Very sad. 

Week Six Prompt

A Proposal to My Supervisor

I would like to ask your permission to do a gentle reads display. I think the most effective way to promote gentle reads would be to strongly emphasize their particular qualities: gentle, satisfying, well-being, feel-good, cheerful, comforting, simpler times, hopeful, peaceful, soothing, upbeat, old-fashioned, touching, etc. I would make the display catchy by juxtaposing the qualities of gentle reads with how crazy this world can be sometimes. I will get patrons' attention with a sign that says something like, "Is this world too crazy for you sometimes? Is there just too much violence and "noise"?" I will include with this a picture showing someone really stressed out. Then, to strongly contrast with that sign I'd have this one: If you'd like to get away from that for awhile try one of these gentle reads and there would be another picture of the same person but in this one, they are reading and completely relaxed. Here is a possible heading: "When life is not so nice... just read a nice story." I would have the words I listed above (the qualities of gentle reads) all around the display between items. I would include passive programming by asking for any other suggestions of books that patrons have read that they consider gentle reads. The form will also ask them to say why they consider that title a gentle read. This will help me see how patrons perceive this genre.

I would use integrated advisory by including nonfiction books on feeling good topics (like relaxation), audio-books of gentle read titles and feel-good movies.

Week Five Prompt

I do not think both of the reviews for the Romance were reliable. The Amazon review was written well but it isn't written by a teacher or librarian... just a customer - so I don't know how much weight to give it. At least it is written OK. The second review was not reliable at all because the writing is so bad and unprofessional that I didn't take anything in it seriously. How can you trust someone's judgment about writing when they can't write. I think I would still buy it for the collection though because the first review on Amazon made it sound like something that we get requests for here: a clean romance. I do not see from the reviews how this is romance suspense - it even says contemporary romance on the review.

I have never read Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. I am sure it might be a great book, but the reviews did not make me feel thrilled about adding it to the collection. In my opinion, they focused on and described aspects of the book that did not "sell it" for me. The writers of the reviews pulled out unappealing parts of the book and what I think they may have been aiming for was to show how he rose above and still has humor and a hopeful spirit after such hard times and painful experiences. The magic of that though is probably in McCourt's writing and this aspect did not translate well in the reviewers' writing. Instead of writing in detail about the awful things that happened, they should have made that generic and fussed more about how uplifting and inspirational his story is. The last review was OK I guess, but still the reviews just didn't make the book sound as wonderful as they then said it was. So, I think the details of events should have been toned way down. The reviews just did not make me feel thrilled about adding it to the collection.

I do not think it's fair that one type of book is reviewed to death and other types of books get little to no coverage. Reviews may be all some collection developers see. So, if the book's not reviewed, it will be missed. This affects the library's collection because the collection will be biased and some really great unreviewed stuff will be missed and not even given a chance. I am not sure how I feel about review sources that won't print negative content. I guess they should but in taste and with respect. They should not write such a review that aims to take the author out and ruin their reputation completely, but if it is an intelligent critique done with respect, I suppose that is good. People reading reviews need to realize anyways that this is just one person's opinion. Sometimes a negative review may entice people to read it too. I used to read reviews and sometimes there would be one that said at the end that the reviewer would pass on adding it to the collection in favor of another title which they found to be better written about the same subject. I do not buy for the collection right now, but I used to. Many years ago we got to see a copy of a lot of the books that we had to choose from. This was fantastic, but then it went to just reviews. So, I read the review on every single book once a month to make my decision - that was a lot of reading! I enjoyed reading the reviews but I didn't put one hundred percent faith in them. There were many times I read a raving review and then when the book came in I thought, "I don't know one child who would actually like this book." So, sometimes they can be off. I do enjoy reading reviews though and still do sometimes even though I'm not buying. I read the School Library Journal and Booklist when I can. Because of this class, I will expand my horizons.

 

Kirkus- Style Review of The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Faced with an overwhelmingly painful situation that she cannot accept, seventh-grader Suzy Swanson, retreats into a world of silence. There in her grief and guilt, she comes up with a hypothesis to explain the unexplainable.

Benjamin has written an emotional, insightful story, allowing you to intimately know and empathize with the main character. Her name is Suzy and she has always been interested in facts that most people aren't interested in. She is just being herself but this makes her "odd" to her peers. Her best friend Franny Jackson never minded though- until middle school when she starts to be interested in typical middle school girl things like her clothes, hair and boys, things that Suzy gives no thought to. Franny finds new like-minded friends and Suzy gets left behind. Suzy tries to fit in but when she does the situation only gets worse; she is ostracized and finds herself socially isolated. In an attempt to bring her friend back to her, Suzy does something she deeply regrets. Before she can make this awful thing right, Franny drowns. Suzy's scientific mind wants to know how it happened, but Suzy's mom tells her that, "sometimes things just happen." Suzy can not accept this answer. Grief and guilt haunt her and she thinks, "Sometimes you want things to change so badly, you can't even stand to be in the same room with the way things actually are." She retreats into silence and formulates a hypothesis about how Franny may have died. Because of the depth of her unacceptance ("Things had ended between me and Franny in the worst way. if I'd known, I'd have said sorry for the way things happened. I'd have at least said goodbye. But a person doesn't always know the difference between a new beginning and a forever sort of ending. Now it was too late to fix any of it. But maybe I could still do something.") she becomes increasingly obsessed with proving her hypothesis. This is what keeps the reader captivated. Will she get a chance to pursue her hypothesis or will she find acceptance? Tension builds as the reader realizes Suzi can't go on like this. How will this end for her? The book is cleverly organized into seven parts - the parts of the scientific method - but Suzy's problem is not one that can be solved scientifically. This is an often painful and deeply touching story that addresses serious issues like lost friendship, social isolation, regret, being "different," adolescent cruelty, death and finally acceptance and hope. There is an added bonus of amazing true scientific facts, especially about jellyfish.

Ali Benjamin has written a poignant story that speaks to all humanity, because at some point we all have faced, or will face, a situation that has no acceptable explanation. Then we realize, like Suzy has to, that, "sometimes things just happen." Readers will root for Suzy to find acceptance and heal. The message of the book is so important for all of us; sometimes there just isn't a happy ending, but... maybe there can be a new beginning.

A Summary of My Secret Shopper Assignment

I had never been in the library I went to. It had a friendly atmosphere and the librarian who helped me was fairly friendly. I said, "I am really in the mood to read a good book. Could you help me find one?" This was really weird because I have never ever asked this, even though I have heard so many other people ask it before. It was a good experience to see what it is like from the other side of the desk. I found it unnerving because you have no idea what to expect. (Which is a reminder to me to be extra friendly to people, because it can be uncomfortable on the other side of that desk) I wrote in my paper in detail about what was said and how she searched for books to suggest to me. I thought it went well because she did start by asking me what the last thing I read that I enjoyed and was like what I was in the mood for now was... And even though I should have suspected she'd start with that, I hadn't thought of it beforehand, so I said the first book that came to mind - a book I haven't actually read in years. It still went well though. She started with that and then she did ask me what I liked about it. She only used Goodreads and Google to help me but she ended up suggesting a Dixie Cash book that looked like what I was pretending to want. I don't really know because I never read the book. I don't even have a card for the library where I went, so I snuck the book back and got out of there without her seeing me leave. After all that trouble, I didn't want her to see me leave without a book. I didn't want to hurt her Readers' Adviser feelings. One of the things I mentioned in my paper was that the supervisors where I work are REALLY enthusiastic and off the top of their head-knowledgeable about SO many books and genres, so I was kind of judging this librarian's response by them. At the end of my paper I kind of wondered if this was fair because the characteristics that make my supervisors like that are of a personal nature; they both read an unusual amount in their free, personal time just because they want to and are not faking their enthusiasm - book lovers is just who they are it seems. I wrote at the end of my paper that while the librarian I encountered was not overly enthusiastic and naturally knowledgeable, she was courteous and got the job done with the use of an RA tool, so I concluded that she did a good job.