“Can you help me find a book?”<\/p>\n
It’s that moment we’ve been trained for. \u00a0We’re ready for this. We have scoured the latest book lists, we read library journals, we make a point of reading as much as possible… we are librarians! \u00a0So why is this so hard to do?<\/p>\n
Reader\u2019s advisory causes the most anxiety for most librarians I know.\u00a0 Reading is such a personal thing. \u00a0Recommending a television show or even music is one thing.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t like it, you change the channel\u2026 but books are a whole different animal.\u00a0 One person’s favorite may not line up with another.\u00a0 You may find a book that is absolutely fabulous but may challenge the values of the person you are recommending it for.\u00a0 There are so many fine lines.<\/p>\n
“Tell me about a book that you liked.\u201d\u00a0 This is the question Librarian extraordinaire Nancy Pearl suggests starting with.\u00a0 Not, \u201cWhat was the last thing you read?\u201d, or \u201cWhat authors do you like?\u201d\u00a0 These questions cause people to freeze up and feel like they are being tested, which is not the point.\u00a0 Our job is to find a book that they are going to enjoy.\u00a0 One that enriches their lives a little bit and one where they come back with a smile on their face, or at least a point of reference whether we were on the right track or not.\u00a0It is a hard job but there are a lot of people who have created tools and resources to help us out.\u00a0 Some of the tools I use regularly are:<\/p>\n
GoodReads<\/a><\/p>\n Young Adult Library Association<\/a><\/p>\n NoveList<\/a> (Accessed through SPL<\/a>)<\/p>\n Library Thing<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “Can you help me find a book?” It’s that moment we’ve been trained for. \u00a0We’re ready for this. We have scoured the latest book lists, we read library journals, we make a point of reading as much as possible… we … Continue reading