Reader's Advisory For Youth

1. MODULE 3 READER’S ADVISORY

2. Goals of Reader’s Advisory 1 To promote reading, teachers teach reading, public librarians promote it. 2 To make youth avid readers. Librarians are less concerned with making them capable readers, and more concerned with making them lifelong readers. To show that reading is a pleasurable experience. Public librarians have the opportunity to show that reading is fun. To put books in the hands of youth. To pull books for youth they might actually want to read and might not have discovered on their own. 3 4

3. Nature of Reader’s Advisory: In many ways the conversation during the Reference Interview and a Reader’s Advisory interview are the same: Get the youth to talk!

5. What was it about the book that the you liked?

6. Were there things that the you did not like about the book?

8. Or is it a specific title, author?

9. What sources can they use or are they required to use?

10. Is there a specific genre assigned? Mystery, Historical Fiction…

12. Readability and Reading Levels (CONTINUED) Another approach is to offer several choices in a variety of reading levels and let the youth pick one to their liking. Remember you are not only helping them choose something to read but you are “selling” a love of reading. If you have read the book, share a little about the plot or talk about one of the characters from the book. That sharing will pique their interest and desire to start reading! Mostly excerpted from The Fundamentals of Children’s Services by Michael Sullivan.

14. Parents are open to your suggestions or they would not have come to the desk for help.

16. You must rely heavily on what the youth has read recently that they enjoyed.

18. Parents will be more open to talk about topics they want dealt with or avoided in a book. Remember that the parent has the right to guide their youth’s reading.

20. If the parent insists on answering all of the questions, remain gracious and try to address both the needs of the parent and youth.

21. When the youth is answering your questions keep in mind that they may be colored by the presence of the parent.