August 14, 1:30-4:30 pm

College Hill Library

Readers Advisory Interest Group Meeting

Present: Alice Kober (ALD), Becky Spilver (DCL), Mary Jones (College Hill), Katharine Phenix (Rangeview), Laurel Seppala-Etra (BPL), Josie Brockman (BPL), Beth Armstrong (BPL), Kathe Fletcher (College Hill), Beverly Archer (DCL), Elizabeth Sollie (College Hill)

1. Mobile staffing - Dodie asked LJ if they would be interested in an article in mobile staffing. Francine Fialkoff, LJ editor, is interested. Any takers? Alice is interested, Dodie will send her contact info.

2. Discussion of LJ article - An RA Big Think. Are these concepts really new, or different? Most like Sarick's "adrenaline" description - for pacing and speed. Good fiction, or good writing, what is the goal in presenting a title to a patron? Does anything "happen" in literary fiction? Katharine is working through James Lee Burke, and hating it - group says - give it 50 pages and if you don't like, quit! Dark and sunny are strong appeal factors.  Serving patrons consistently is difficult in new service models.

It is hard to determine what the "right" read-alike is - each RA brings their own experience to the recommendation. If we all submitted a list of read-alikes for a particular title, each would be different.

Westminster did an Uppers Not Oprahs display that was very popular. Alice has lists in her head like "Everyone is Dead at the End", or "Books I Hate". Westminster also has current lists of what librarians are reading and liking for patrons who have a special relationship with one librarian. It was noted that “roaming” librarians have trouble connecting with patrons at other branches, and that patrons have trouble keeping track of “their” libraian’s schedule.

Concepts in article are ways to compartmentalize feelings, mood, sense of place, all hard to pin down. When patron's moods (or lives) change, their taste in reading may change. Kathe recommends that patrons return to their old favorites after they've experienced a traumatic event. Read-alikes from NoveList are sometimes less than helpful since their connection to the original title is obscure, though several agreed that the titles at the top of the lists are better choices than those at the bottom [Novelist defaults to a relevance sort, but other aspects of a title list, such as date, popularity, can be sorted]. College Hill has set up an Inspirational Fiction display that lets staff off easy on helping with selection. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recognize Christian bias in new fiction.

Conclusion: RA is an art, not a science. The reward is when the patron comes back and thanks you for recommending a "good" book.

2. Adult Summer Reading - BPL had over 100 adults participate with 100's of titles read - see the list at <http://www.boulder.lib.co.us/read/adultSummer2007/reviews.cfm> - great referral list created by library patrons. Patrons can submit their reading choices and add a rating and a review.

At ALD, there were no prizes, per se, but patrons could select a book from the used book cart. At College Hill, patrons had to read 5 books in 7 weeks - they are rethinking this as it was difficult for most adults to get that much reading in!

Also at Westminster, they had activities that made patrons use the electronic resources, which really helped promote use of the databases. For example, "See the USA in your Chevrolet" required patrons to use the automotive databases.

Jeffco did number of titles, then enter to win a Bose stereo system. DCL had a lot of submissions for their adult program, prize was round-trip tickets. They promoted kids and adult programs together.

 Rangeview did Sleuthing in the Stacks – had three programs at Northglenn connected the theme, such as “Identity Theft, Mayan Mysteries, and "CSI Northglenn". Other branches of the RVLD had similar offerings. Katharine did "Cozy Mystery" teabag displays (and gave us her template). She also did Culinary Mysteries (and handed out her brochure) and Colorado Mysteries, also handed out. Booklists are simple - author, title, date. ALD lists need to be annotated, which cuts down on the number of titles that you can include.

Dodie will check in with CAL to see if adult summer reading programs can be part of the summer reading "showcase".

3. Question from Mary - should RAIG propose a state-wide summer reading program? It may be difficult to get agreement from all the library districts. Becky has done it before, and is looking at doing it again.  When Jean Ward and Becky did this before, many small rural libraries and prison libraries were able to participate.  There are some grant funds left from last time. Libraries would share graphics, booklists, reading logs, etc ... would it be useful to look at themes for 2009 at CAL 08? Let's get structure together, appeal to RA's statewide at an organizational level, and look at '09.

4. Mystery Talk - handouts

Kathe offers her Great Mysteries You Don't Want to Miss! list. CJ Box, Open Season - friendly read, nice man with family, low on violence high on intrigue; Carolyn Haines Bones series - Evanovich-alike, main character is the last in the line holding on to a Southern plantation, very fun series, with a ghost that offers advice (Katie Munger is another Evanovich-alike); Jannette Turner Hospital - Due Preparations for the Plague - kids survive terrorist attack on a plane, a page-turner; Laurie King - Beekeeper's Apprentice, historical fiction that is palatable! - Holmes is a real person and takes on a young headstrong female apprentice (1918-1927ish), set all around the world (Becky recommends Mark of the Lion, Susan Aruda); Victoria Laurie - Psychic Eye Mysteries are also Evanovich-alike - character is a psychic working with two detectives, one skeptical one not - Becky recommends Charmed and Dangerous by Candice Havens;  Maisie Dobbs series, Jacqueline Winspear, is an excellent writer, just won a British award; Ron McLarty's Traveler has similar gang of boys to Mystic River (Lehane); Amagansett by Mark Mills, set in northeast US, about locals versus rich weekend visitors, great mood and sense of place - his title Savage Garden is set in Italy, there is mystery and a love story; George Pellacanos, Night Gardener - falls into the "sort of a mystery" category, great language, unusual approach; David Skibbins, Eight of Swords part of Tarot Card Mysteries - very authentic to place, character is tarot card reader hiding from his past; David Mapstone mysteries feature character from Phoenix who leaves academia to return to his old town which is now a big city, and is put to work on cold cases - from John Talton, first title is Concrete Desert.

5. Mary's list of Mysteries Set in Italy - handout

De Luca series, Carol Lucarelli - takes place after WWII, lots of shifting of loyalties, fast reads. Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series goes all over Italy, very fun; Inspector Mantalbano series by Andrea  Camileri - character is humorous and loves good food, an honest policeman in Sicily; David Hewson writes Nic Costa series, have very gruesome murders, but there is a strong narrative drive and great tours of Rome; Iain Pears Flavia di Stefano series - very involved with art theft, museums, etc ..; Donna Leon Guido Brunetti series is wonderful, a different pace since all takes place in Venice; Massimo Carlotto is one of the darkest of the Italian mystery writers, sort of Mediterranean noir; Gianrico Carofiglio's Guido Guerrieri series - the John Grisham of Italy, good courtroom scenes and knows his organized crime.

6. Next meeting - at CAL 07 Conference, 11/9, 11:30 am - 12:15 pm - details to follow.