Readers' Advisory 101
Next session: Early 2010
Course Objectives and Description
Learn how to become more comfortable in providing readers' advisory (RA) services. Through practice sessions, learn how to use RA tools, craft annotations, read in genres, articulate appeal, and experiment with methods to offer RA services. Readers' Advisory 101 is tailored for support staff, library technicians, newly hired reference librarians, and those librarians who want to brush up on their skills. The topics covered are introductory in nature. Class segments are geared to cover issues of interest to staff in all types of libraries.
Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library by Joyce Saricks will be the course textbook. This well-regarded textbook is published by the American Library Association and available for sale online.
At the start of the class, students will be asked questions about one genre book from the list below (they are welcome to read more than one). It goes without saying that if you register, proceed to read the book well before the class begins! The four books will be used as examples during the class to illustrate many of the subjects and be used in the book discussion session.
- Romance - The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
- Mystery - Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron
- Speculative Fiction - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
- Action/Thriller/Suspense - Ice Station by Matt Reilly
Course Outline
- Module 1: Introduction
- Module 2: Basic Elements of Appeal
- Module 3: Basic RA Tools
- Module 4: Annotations
- Module 5: The RA Conversation
- Module 6: Marketing RA and Book Discussions
- Module 7: Conclusion
Course Format
Beginning in 2008, ALA will use Moodle for all online educational courses. Learn more about Moodle at www.moodle.org.
The course site will open one week prior to the start date for students to access Moodle instructions and set their browsers appropriately. The course site will remain open one week after the end date for students to complete any assignments and submit the course evaluation survey.
Instructor
Neal Wyatt is the current president of RUSA, the author of the forthcoming ALA Editions work on Nonfiction Readers' Advisory services, and writes a weekly on-line column for Library Journal called "Wyatt's World." A leader in readers' advisory circles, Wyatt frequently serves on panels and makes presentations on topics relating to all aspects of fiction and nonfiction readers' advisory services. She reviews or contributes to ARBA, Booklist, Library Journal, and NoveList.
Registration Information
Registration limit for each session: 30Registrations for this session will no longer be accepted once the 30 student limit is reached.
Registration Fees:
- $130 for RUSA members
- $160 for ALA members
- $190 for non-ALA members
- $100 for students/retirees
Registration Deadlines for Next Session:
- Online: TBA
- By Fax: TBA
- By Mail: TBA