2.  Title readalike (ex. My favorite book was “Gone Girl”…I am
looking similar for books)
 Author readalike (ex. My favorite author is “Janet
Evanovich”….I am looking for similar authors)
 Genre readalike (ex. I am looking for a good British
Mystery..)
 Book Club pick (ex. I am looking for my next book club
pick..)
 Custom Book Recommendation (form submitted via email)

3.  Displays-readalikes, topical, etc.
 Brochures/Bookmarks with custom book
lists
 Web links-Novelist, Bookbrowse,
Litlovers.com, etc

4.  Readers Advisory reference interview
tips:
› What is the last book that you read and
liked?
› Do you have a favorite author?
› What are you in the mood for?

5.  Parents of children, spouses/children of
seniors
› Ask what genre they might be interested in
(do they like humor?, etc.)
› Don’t necessarily focus on age for children,
but rather get hints of what author or genre
they read in the past.

6.  Pacing
› At what rate does the story unfold?
› Could be quick paced but slow to reveal the story
› Dialogue makes it quicker paced, detail and
description slower.
 Characterization
› Reader identifies with the character (genre fiction) or
just observes character (literary fiction)
› Type of character personality-quirky funny, smart,
gentle, etc.
 Plot/Story line:
› Including a book’s context, genre, theme and
subjects

7.  Language
› Fast paced thrills of Patterson or lovely expression of Alice
Munro?
 Setting
 Detail
 Tone
› What are you in the mood for? Scary, suspenseful, funny,
comforting, etc.
 Learning/Experiencing
› Non-fiction

8.  It’s about conversation/connection with library- approach
readers in the stacks!
 For example:
› “Are you content to browse or would you like some suggestions?”
› “What are you in the mood to read?”
› “What are the last 3 books you enjoyed?”-listen for appeal terms
 Make connections beyond personal reading-you aren’t
expected to read everything! Awareness of what is out there is
the key.
 For example:
› “This author is supposed to be the next Gillian Flynn..”
› “I just finished this and..”
› “I read a review that said..”
› “I heard and interview on NPR..”
› “I have heard a lot about that one..”
› “Critics are saying..”
 To answer-start with genres and sure bets
 **Invite the reader back to share!**

9.  Bestsellers are often a sure bet-they are
safe, pre-approved, small place to browse
 Look at displays
 Have a heads up on books before they
come out
 Offer read alikes lists for big titles (Gone Girl,
etc.)

10. It is more than just booklists……
 Create a social networking plan for how often to
post, what content to post, etc. and implement
schedule using Hootsuite.
 Post links to readers’ adivisory resources and explain
why you recommend them or how they can be
useful in finding your next read.
 Create a conversation with library users-for example
“What are you reading this weekend?” or “do you
have any recommendations for mystery lovers?”

11.  Premium RA Tools:
› Novelist
› Bookbrowse
 Resources for Spotting Trends:
› Bookpage
› Bookmarks Magazine
› Book Reporter
› Cindy Orr’s RA Rundown blog
› Daily Beast
› Indie Picks

12.  Books in the Media:
› Books on Air
› Entertainment Weekly
› Movies Based on the book
› NPR
› USA Today
 Reviews:
› NY Review of Books
› NY Times book review
› All published reviews including Christian Science
Monitor, NY Times, etc.- http://reviewsofbooks.com
› Library Journal, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly

13.  Other Reader’s Advisory tools and Read
Alikes:
› What’s Next in series
› Books based on specific locations
› Award Winners
› If you like…by genre
› If you like…by author
 Resources for Book Club Discussions
› http://www.Litlovers.com
› http://www.Readinggroupguides.com

14. Contact info:
Monica Kuryla
Fayetteville Free Library (http://www.fflib.org)
mkuryla@fflib.org
315-637-6374 ext. 320