The
Reader’s Advisor Is In: A Study of 5 Readers
This
assignment provided the invaluable experience of offering Reader’s Advisory
services to five unique readers. With each reader I scheduled and conducted an
interview, in which I attempted to gather enough information to create a
complete patron profile. Following each interview I searched extensively for
appropriate reading materials for each interviewee, using keywords, authors,
genres, subjects and book titles. I utilized NoveList, the Reader’s Advisory
Blog, Amazon, Google, Goodreads, and my own knowledge and experience to develop
each list of suggestions. I shared these suggestions with each interviewee
during a brief follow up interview, and then followed up again to see if they
had sampled and enjoyed any of the suggestions yet, as well as to collect
feedback regarding how I could have improved my process and my suggestions.
Overall, these interviews and suggestions were a success and each reader was
able to benefit from the interview process as well as the suggestions provided
to them. However, it was also extremely educational, and through this
experience I have garnered specific and general ways in which I can continue to
improve upon my ability to best serve patrons.
The
most important thing that I can improve upon are my listening skills, as I feel
that with more in-depth listening, and pointed follow-up questions, I could
have better figured out what they liked, did not like, and were hoping to
achieve through our interactions. Better listening skills would have also
allowed each interviewee to feel more comfortable, understood and heard
throughout the process. However, it is equally important that I focus on
developing a strong list of questions, which are comprehensive but also
flexible. These questions should include open questions which provide allowance
for more specificity and elaboration from the interviewee. Providing examples
and clarifying the language of my questions will help to achieve a stronger
list and thus a stronger overall process. Furthermore, calling upon my
education of each genre more, and utilizing questions specific to that genre
when an interviewee expresses interest in it will further aid me. That was
difficult in this process, as each interview was so open-ended, but would be
very beneficial if, at the desk someone approached looking for titles within a
specific genre, by a specific author, or similar to a beloved book. Subscribing
to lists, newsletters and professional development tools will further assist me
in constantly keeping myself updated and aware of how to work with each
patron’s needs.
After
conducting interviews in person, on the phone, and online via email, it was
startling how different the results from each can be. Although I won’t always
be able to control these situations, I will strive for as many in-person
interactions as possible. However, I have found during this assignment, that it
is extremely important that I continue to learn about and develop skills to
maximize the efficacy of phone and online interactions, for when they do occur.
Although
it was challenging and eye-opening, I thoroughly enjoyed this process! In
addition to learning what I can do to be a better Reader’s Advisor, I also
learned how fun and enlightening it is! Through these interviews I learned so
much about the interviewees, and was able to experience them lighting up and
opening up when given the platform to elaborate on their passions. I also got
to witness how empowering these interviews can be for the reader. The most
rewarding element for me though, was to witness readers learning more about
themselves, and reaching a higher level of understanding regarding where they
currently are in terms of interests, comfort levels, and desires simply through
explaining these things to me.
Please
see “Appendix A” for Tables 1-5, which provide detailed accounts of each
interview including a Patron Profile, the Sources utilized, some of the
Questions presented, the Suggestions provided, and an Evaluation of each
individual interview.
Please
see “Appendix B” for a full list of the questions presented to each
interviewee.
“Appendix
A”
Individual
Tables for Interviews 1-5
Table 1
Reader
|
L.B.
|
Profile
|
L.B. loves reading, but she
doesn’t have much time for it, because of a demanding job and two small
children. She has tried to create compromises for herself so that she can
still find time, including reading e-books on her phone and listening to
audio books during her commute. She rarely, if ever, reads print books
anymore, because although she checks them out and gets excited, she never has
time to pick them up. This makes her feel discouraged about reading. The
exception are graphic novels, which she loves and makes an effort to make
time for. She tends to read serious books, which are more focused on the plot
than the characters. She likes dark books in particular, such as those by her
favorite author, Gillian Flynn. L.B. also mentioned My Friend Dahmer, One Foot in the Grave and Velocity as personal favorites. She is open to both non-fiction
and fiction titles. L.B. is not particular about the genre; what she tends to
look for in a book is one which describes drama and hardship of some kind,
although she is not necessarily looking for an inspirational read, so the
resolution of these hardships doesn’t have to be tidy or satisfactory. She cites memoirs or books based on real
lives to be a safe bet. L.B. enjoys reading fast-paced books, which hook her
attention from the beginning and are about 300-400 pages long. She is open to
any level of violence or sex in the storyline. Recently, L.B. has been
reading a lot of romance novels, which she prefers to be steamy rather than
mushy; however, she is uncomfortable with the stigma attached to reading
these novels so she only reads them as e-books on her phone. She is also
particularly interested an illustrated, comprehensive history book which will
refresh her on world and U.S. history, while also entertaining her. Finally,
although L.B. likes books, which are serious, she does want them to transport
her in some way, she wants to read things, which are, “so different from my
life.”
|
Questions
|
-What is the last book that you
read?
-Do you have a favorite book?
What made it favorite?
-Are there any types of books or
particular subjects that you are uncomfortable reading or do not enjoy?
This interview progressed very
well! L.B. is a long-time reader who enjoys discussing the types of books and
specific titles that she has enjoyed or strongly disliked. This interview
flowed more like a conversation in which she gave clear, detailed answers.
Additionally, I came with a list of questions, and although she answered all
of them, she was so thorough that her answers encompassed details that I
might have to question more thoroughly to get from less vocal readers.
Although L.B. usually finds reading suggestions by browsing at her library or
through Goodreads, she was very excited about our interview and to receive my
suggestions.
|
Sources
|
For L.B. I used NoveList and
Amazon, as both provided a wealth of titles, which were related to those that
she mentioned as being personal favorites and/or starting points. I also used
my personal knowledge of books related to Gillian Flynn, from previous
searches, and performed a basic Google Search regarding entertaining and
illustrated world history books.
|
Suggestions
|
-My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh
-Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos
-Punk Rock and Trailer Parks by Jon Backderf
-Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb- Jonathan
Fetter-Vorm
-Trashed (v.1) by Derf
-Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
-Dead Until Dark by Charlain Harris
-Blue Diablo by Ann Aquirre
-Blood Bound by Rachel
Vincent
-Down to the Wire by David Rosenfelt
-Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World: 40,000 B.C. to Present
Day by Magnus
-501 Things You Should Have Learned About History by Alex Woolf
|
Evaluation
|
This interview was very useful
for both L.B. and myself! I learned from the process, and L.B. has been
looking for some relevant reading suggestions. She was very pleased with the
list that I gave her, although, I actually gave her too many titles to choose
from. L.B.’s lack of leisure time can make reading a stressful experience
because she can’t read all of the titles that interest in her, or even finish
all of the titles that she begins, which resulted in my lengthy list being a
bit overwhelming. However, she was extremely excited to see the graphic
novels on the list and has already checked out 501 Things you Should Have Learned About History and Broken Monsters.
|
Table 2
Reader
|
J.C.
|
Profile
|
J.C. checks out books from the
library voraciously but does not often finish them, either because she
doesn’t find them engrossing enough or simply runs out of time before they
are due again. As such, she has a running a list of titles, which she would
like to pick back up again; however, this list doesn’t stress her out, or
keep her from looking for new material to read. J.C. reads fiction on
occasion but much prefers non-fiction titles, or at least fiction, which is
based on a true and realistic story; she enjoys memoirs, true crime and books
about serial killers. Favorites of J.C. include The Glass Castle and A Pearl
in the Storm. J.C. looks for books that will completely grab her
attention from the start and move quickly, while telling a story about people
who have overcome difficult circumstances in their lives. An important
element for J.C. in reading is to feel inspired and to feel a relation to the
characters in some way, even if the experiences described are completely
foreign to her. J.C. looks for longer books usually, and struggles to get
into shorter reads. J.C. reads print books exclusively and is completely
uninterested in reading e-books or listening to audio books; however she is
open to alternative types of print materials, such as graphic novels. The
only genre, which J.C. is not interested in, is Science Fiction. Violence can
be difficult for her to read about, but that won’t deter her, she simply puts
the book down and comes back to it later. Sex is a non-issue in the
storyline.
|
Questions
|
-Is there anything in particular
that you are in the mood for now?
-What reading format do you
prefer? I.e. book, e-book or audio book?
-What is a book or author that
you hated? Why?
-Where or how do you usually
find books to read?
This interview was short and to
the point but very informative! J.C. works in a library and has conducted
Reader’s Advisory interviews before herself, so she was able to concisely
answer the questions effectively. Although she didn’t have a large amount of
books or authors that she mentioned specifically, J.C. enjoyed the
opportunity to talk about reading in general, and actually appeared to enjoy
dishing about her most hated book ever, The
White Castle, just as much as she enjoyed speaking about her favorites.
Although I think that J.C. benefitted from the interview, particularly that
the questions sparked her own thinking about what she likes and dislikes, and
even reminded her of some of the books that she has been meaning to check
back out, I think that she would not likely seek this service out frequently,
as she mentioned a big part of the joy of reading includes wandering the
shelves at her library or at the local Barnes and Noble aimlessly and
allowing herself to be drawn in by titles and authors.
|
Sources
|
J.C.’s interest in non-fiction
made using some of the more fiction focused Reader’s Advisory sources less
useful. However, Amazon and Goodreads were both extremely useful in providing
read-a-likes for non-fiction titles.
|
Suggestions
|
-The Silver Star: A Novel by Jeannette Walls
-Still Alice by Lisa Genova
-The Liars’ Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr
-All The Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr
-Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean by Roz
Savage
-The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
-Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters by Peter
Vronsky
-Female Serial Killers: How Why Women Become Monsters by Peter
Vronsky
-Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
|
Evaluation
|
J.C. appreciated the large list
of options, as she likes to take several books out at a time to see which
ones appeal to her within the first few chapters, and have more options if
she isn’t captured. Although she emphasized her preference for non-fiction,
she did mention that she is open to some fiction, and was pleased with the
fiction titles that I included. She has started reading The Goldfinch and is enjoying the fact that it is a long,
absorbing book. However, J.C. has already read the Krakauer book, and has
perused both of the serial killer titles that I suggested. In our follow up,
J.C. and I discussed how difficult it appears to be to find reputable,
analytical works about serial killers.
|
Table 3
Reader
|
E.S.
|
Profile
|
E.S. likes books that captivate
her and make her feel like she is living a life different than her own. She
is not specific about genre, although she tends to read fantasies, thrillers
and mysteries. E.S. mentioned that she has been having a very hard time
finding books that can hold her interest lately, and as such has opened
herself up to alternative genres than what she would normally choose, such as
non-fiction and young adult. E.S. considers Gillian Flynn, JK Rowling and
Alice Hoffman to be some of her favorite authors, but found it too difficult
to cite particular titles. E.S. tends to choose titles that are set in the
past, and cares more about a good plot than character building, although she
mentioned the Harry Potter series as an exception in which she fell in love
with the characters. E.S. tends to gravitate toward darker stories, although
they can be either serious or fantastic; however, she mentioned that she
sometimes finds herself in the mood for an uplifting, feel-good, easy read. Despite
enjoying darker stories, E.S. does have limitations with sexuality and
violence in the storyline, and avoids books that include rape, sexual abuse,
or the glorification of violence. E.S. also tends to gravitate toward
cerebral titles that are critically acclaimed, but admitted that she doesn’t
always enjoy them, such as Cloud Atlas
which she hated. E.S. is very busy and says she has a short attention span so
she prefers fast-paced, short to medium length books, and considers it a plus
if the title is available via e-book.
|
Questions
|
-Is there a time setting that
you prefer to read in? I.e. the past, present or future?
-Do you prefer books that are
darker or more uplifting?
-Do you prefer books that are
more realistic or more fantastical?
-Do you like to read about an
everyday setting, or would you rather feel transported by the story?
In retrospect, the questions did
not dig deep enough with E.S. to fully flesh out her current preferences, and
why some authors/books are her favorites versus others. However, the
interview progressed relatively well. E.S. struggled to vocalize her preferences
at times, and truthfully, seemed surprised by some of her own answers. As we
were talking, E.S. seemed to be realizing that she does have more specific
preferences than she realized, rather than being totally open to anything.
She also expressed being shocked that when asked about violence and sexuality
in the storyline she really did have more limits than she might have realized
had she not specifically considered it. Although the overall results were not
totally fit to what E.S. was looking for, I believe that she will utilize
this service again because she seemed to really enjoy the process, and
knowing that someone else could help her drudge through the seemingly
infinite reading options. Additionally, I believe that E.S. enjoyed learning
more about herself as a reader throughout the process.
|
Sources
|
To find books for E.S., starting
with the author, I turned to The Reader’s Advisor Online Blog and NoveList,
and found NoveList to be the most useful tool, as putting in the author’s
name returned results of their works and read-a-likes.
|
Suggestions
|
-The Cat Did Not Die by Inger Frimansson
-Confessions by Kanae Minato
-In the Blood by Lisa Unger
-We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
-The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
-The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
-Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
-The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberol
|
Evaluation
|
E.S. was very pleased with the
fantasy books on the list, and mentioned that lately she has really felt a
pull to read books that remind her of reading fairy tales, but written for an
older audience. However, she also mentioned that she didn’t really realize
that until she read about The Golem and
The Jinni and Akata Witch from
the list. She also mentioned that although she thought that some of the
darker options sounded good, she thinks maybe it is Gillan Flynn’s stories
and writing that she likes, but not necessarily books of that type, because
some of the suggestions sounded overly violent. She hasn’t yet read any of
the listed books, but is looking forward to more fantasy suggestions! This
was an example of an interview that would have been more successful I think
had I dug in a little deeper with follow up questions in particular, and
gotten to her preferences more clearly before providing her with a list.
|
Table 4
Reader
|
J.W.
|
Profile
|
J.W. considers herself to be an
extremely voracious reader as well as bibliophile! She is also extremely open
to reading experiences, including subject matter and alternative types of
books, including graphic novels. J.W. mentioned that she can not imagine a
single subject that she would not enjoy reading about, and thus learning more
about, with the exception of erotica which does not interest her at all. J.W.
describes her reading style as compulsive and mentioned that she chooses
books primarily in two ways: 1) by browsing the stacks until a book title or
author pops out to her, and then checking out and reading every single work
by that author, or 2) by selecting a subject that has been interesting her as
of late, such as the two examples she gave, the Holocaust, or prolific
criminals, and then literally devoting herself to reading nothing but every
single book at her library written about that subject. She also mentioned a
deep love for mysteries, science fiction and fantasy titles. J.W. appreciates
highly developed characters, particularly those that are based on real
people, intricate crime explanations, and religious undertones. She also
enjoys books that describe the parallels of extreme tragedy and extreme joy,
which ring true to real life for her. Although open to any length, she tends
to choose longer books that she can lose herself in, and loves books that are
a part of a series. J.W. is okay with violence but prefers that it not be
gory, and is also okay with sex in the story line but prefers that it not be
gratuitous or violent. J.W. cited The
Burnt House, Ride The Wind, The Clan of
the Cave Bear series, The
Gunslinger Series, The Hitchhikers
Guide to the Galaxy, and old Stephen King works, in general, as personal
favorites.
|
Questions
|
-Where or how do you usually find books to
read?
-What is a book or author that
you hated?
-Why did you hate it/them?
-Do you prefer books, which are
more focused on the plot or the characters?
-Is there a time setting that
you prefer to read in? I.e. the past, present or future?
J.W. is somewhat hesitant in her
own preferences, as if she lacks confidence to read as she pleases. When
asked about the types of subjects that she likes and dislikes or how she
normally finds books, she was apologetic and suggested her choices might be
weird. I think that this experience was liberating for her, to learn that she
can read whatever she likes, find it in many different ways, and that many
other people share her likes and dislikes. However, this was not an easy
interview to conduct because J.W. is so extremely open and did not give many
specific avenues to begin from. However, the questions did flow smoothly and
J.W. easily knew her answers to each question quickly. Although I really
enjoyed meeting with J.W. and helping her feel justified and empowered in her
reading choices, I worry that at the end of our questioning she didn’t
necessarily feel heard or understood because I was somewhat overwhelmed.
However, I think that she will consult Reader’s Advisory services again
because I could tell that she really enjoyed talking about reading, and
hearing any suggestions that I had during our interview and after.
Furthermore, this was the only interview conducted over the phone, and
although I am glad to have experienced this, it certainly added an extra
element of difficulty in being able to effectively communicate with one
another.
|
Sources
|
For J.W. I utilized Goodreads,
the Reader’s Advisor Online Blog, Amazon, Google searches, and my own memory.
I had a unique advantage in this situation of being very close with J.W., and
remembering some of her favorites that she did not mention, and was able to
also search based off of them.
|
Suggestions
|
-The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
-The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman
-The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
-The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon
-Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Brown
-Silverhair by Stephen Baxter
-Rav Hisda’s Daughter by Maggie Anton
-Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
-Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
-The Dark Legacy of Shannara Novels by Terry Brooks
-The Dead Path by Stephen Irwin
-You Come When I Call You by Douglas Clegg
-Incubus by Ann Arensberg
-Charisma by Stephen Barnes
-The Outlander Novels by Diana Gabaldon
-Catherine LaVendeur Novels by Sharan Newman
|
Evaluation
|
This was both the most difficult
and easiest interview to conduct and suggestions to create. J.W. has such an
open attitude toward reading, and such a wide variety of interests and
preferences that it was impossible to fail her, and yet also very difficult
to hone in for her. She was extremely pleased with the large list
(intentionally bloated because she mentioned being a very fast reader) and
intends to check out many of the titles on her next trip to the library. The
only selection that she seemed hesitant about was the The Outlander Novels series, as she has heard about the sex-heavy
Showtime show. However, she hadn’t yet started reading any of these titles because
she was already reading some of my favorites, Broken Monsters, The
Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes and Night
Film by Marisha Pessl, that we discussed during the interview.
|
Table 5
Reader
|
S.L.
|
Profile
|
S.L. is a grad-student who also
works part-time and travels extensively; as such, she thinks about travel
friendly formats and stories when she is searching for something to read.
S.L. likes light-hearted fiction reads that help her to feel uplifted. S.L.
also enjoys educational non-fiction, particularly about self-improvement
topics. S.L. also reads extensively for school and although the topics can be
difficult, often about poverty, violence and the struggles faced by
inner-city occupants, she values the ability to gain understanding. S.L. prefers
medium length, fast-paced books which are set in or near the present time and
focus on strong character development. S.L. enjoys feeling transported to a
different experience, such as a new career or an exotic location. S.L.
dislikes biographies and stories written about utopian societies. S.L. lists
the Harry Potter series as a favorite, as well as books written by Emily
Giffin. S.L. also frequently reads comic books and would be open to
additional alternative reading experiences such as graphic novels. Currently,
she has been reading everything that she can find on Buddhism, mindfulness
and meditation.
|
Questions
|
-What is the last book that you
read?
-What did you like about it?
-What did you dislike about it?
-Is there anything in particular
that you are in the mood for now?
-Are there any types of books or
particular subjects that you are uncomfortable reading or do not enjoy?
This was an eye-opening
interview, which was the only one conducted digitally. S.L. and I
communicated entirely via email and it was very interesting to see how
differently the questions, and thus the answers that I received translated
via email versus in person. There was certainly context lost, and I couldn’t
easily clarify for her my questions when there was confusion, nor could she
easily clarify her answers. I think that it was important to try it this way,
because Reader’s Advisory questions are common through help chat lines and
text help, but I do not think that it was as effective. However, we did
eventually understand one another, and S.L. was very helpful in being able to
clearly explain her dislikes in particular, which helped me know what not to
suggest to her.
|
Sources
|
For S.L. I utilized NoveList for
the fiction titles that would appeal to her, and Google and Amazon to search
non-fiction titles about Buddhism, Mindfulness and Meditation.
|
Suggestions
|
-Buddha Series by Osama Tezuka
-Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
-Sit Like a Buddha: A Pocket Guide to Meditation by Lodro Rinzler
-How To Train A Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness by
Jan Chozen Bays
-Rebel Buddha: A Guide to a Revolution of Mind by Dzogchen Ponlop
-The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
-The One and Only by Emily Giffin
-The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews
-The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
|
Evaluation
|
This was a difficult interview.
As mentioned, the element of communicating via email muddied our ability to
understand one another, and certainly made timely feed back and follow up
questions nearly impossible. Furthermore, S.L.’s greatest current interests
are Buddhism, mindfulness and mediation, for which I felt a reference
interview might actually be more appropriate. I did attempt to find fiction
books about these topics and found that with the exception of mysteries
centered on Buddhist monks or practitioners, this subject matter is sorely
lacking. Additionally, S.L. likes to read “chick-lit” but she is very
specific regarding what storylines interest her; as such, it was very
difficult to provide her with suggestions as really, she needs to browse and
read the covers/jackets to fully enjoy the process and find reads which
appeal to her. Although she appreciated the suggestions, and did read and
enjoy The Night Circus, I couldn’t
help but question if I fully served her needs. I also offered to do a
Reference Interview regarding Buddhism to see if we can work together to dig
into that subject matter more thoroughly.
|
“Appendix
B”
Full
List of Interview Questions
1.
What is the last book that you read?
a.
What did you like about it?
b.
What did you dislike about it?
2.
Where or how do you usually find books to read?
3.
Do you have a favorite book/ type of book/ author?
a.
What made … your favorite?
4.
Is there anything in particular that you are in the
mood for now?
5.
What reading format do you prefer? I.e. book, e-book or
audio book?
6.
Are you open to alternative reading experiences such as
graphic novels?
7.
Do you like shorter, medium, longer length books?
8.
Do you prefer books that build more slowly or are more
fast paced?
9.
Are there any types of books or particular subjects
that you are uncomfortable reading or do not enjoy?
10. How
comfortable are you with sex in a storyline?
11. How
comfortable are you with violence in a storyline?
12. What
is a book or author that you hated?
a.
Why did you hate it/them?
13. Do
you prefer books, which are more focused on the plot or the characters?
14. Is
there a time setting that you prefer to read in? I.e. the past, present or
future?
15. Do
you prefer books that are darker or more uplifting?
16. Do
you prefer books that are more realistic or more fantastical?
17. Do
you like to read about an everyday setting, or would you rather feel
transported by the story?