Wow! What an amazing experience! This training has been a wonderful resource in providing information on readers' advisory services. I have actually been doing this for years, even before I became a librarian, scouring the catalog for titles that would be of interest to friends and family members. For some reason, as a new librarian, I found this process to be a litle intimidating, especially having to suggest titles to customers in genres that I may not have been familiar with. Thankfully, Be More Bookish has helped me to relax, realize that I know more than I think I do, and enter into the whole process with more of an open mind, knowing that there is no one perfect book, but a rnage of possibilities. It is good to keep in mind the ultimate goal of connecting our customers to material that they find useful and enjoyable. There is such a range of resources available to research and provide information in genres with which I am less familiar.
I have especially enjoyed using GoodReads. A coworker turned me on to this shortly before Be More Bookish started. This has been an excellent way to keep track of what I have read and what I want to read. I have recommended this to several customers who want to do the same. The suggested titles and suggested authors read-a-likes is also very useful.
And EarlyWord is my new favorite thing! I have signed up to receive their newsletter and now check the new releases section regularly so I know what customers will be asking for. And as a lover of thrillers, I have discovered several new titles and have enjoyed sharing them with customers and staff.
The hardest part for me was the kind of hazy, undefined nature of posting my thoughts on a blog. I am more comfortable with the academic type of learning that requires answering specific questions or writing an essay with an objective in mind. At times it has been difficult to crystallize my thoughts and present them in a coherent way. While challenging, I have also learned a great deal from the process.
Many thanks to all of your for being a part of this! And many thanks to Patrick Fromm for presiding over it all! Best wishes to all of you as you continue your readers' advisory journeys.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Week 9: Assignment 2
Book trailers were a foreign concept to me before this assignment. The only thing close to this that I have seen was an appearance by James Patterson on the local morning news touting his new BookShots series. After reading these articles and looking at some book trailers on YouTube, I still find this an unusual way to advertise for reading material. A movie trailer typically features scenes from the movie, highlights the actors that are box-office draws, and hopefully gives the viewer a clue of what the movie is about. Since part of the joy of reading involves using one's imagination to envision the characters and setting, it seems to me that a visual trailer would provide too much information, taking away part of that process from the reader. A professionally produced trailer that highlights a well-known author would be more enjoyable, especially if he/she talks about the motivation behind the story, or how it ties in to their personal experiences.
For younger, less experienced readers, or for those who are more graphically oriented, book trailers may be a way to sift through many options, and pinpoint something that may be of interest. It may be worth mentioning to a customer who is not sure of what he/she likes to read and wants to find new material.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Week 8
Biography: The Wright Brothers, by David McCullough
As a frequent traveler to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I have visited the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kitty Hawk, NC and have seen replicas of their plane there and at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. This book tells the rest of the story, starting with their extensive research and experimentation in Dayton, Ohio and continuing on after their successful flights in Kitty Hawk to commercialize their success in Europe. This title would be appealing to frequent visitors to the Outer Banks, who may be interested in learning more of the history of the area. It would also be of interest to those who love science, especially the history of scientific discovery. The book delves into the personal stories of the Wright family, and explores the close relationship between Wilbur and Orville, and how it contributed to their discoveries and achievements.
History: Dead Wake, by Erik Larson (940s)
Set at the outset of the Great War, and before the United States had entered, Dead Wake provides a wonderful and detailed account of the sinking of the steamship Lusitania, en route from New York to Liverpool. The book takes a detailed look at the the captain, staff, and passengers of the ship, providing rich back stories on their lives and how they came to be aboard the Lusitania. Meanwhile, a German U-Boat captain at large in the North Atlantic was determined to wreak havoc on British shipping, and was willing to target civilians from neutral ships in order to do so. President Woodrow Wilson, first heartbroken by the death of his wife Ellen, then distracted by the courtship of his second wife, Edith. Even though one knows the ultimate fate of the Lusitania, the compelling story moves from ship, to U-Boat, to Washington DC to weave together the threads of history. This would be a wonderful choice for anyone who loves history, and enjoys character-driven fiction.
Adventure: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (Biography)
Disaster/Survival: In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick (History)
Sports: I Feel Like Going On by Ray Lewis (Biography)
As a frequent traveler to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I have visited the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kitty Hawk, NC and have seen replicas of their plane there and at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. This book tells the rest of the story, starting with their extensive research and experimentation in Dayton, Ohio and continuing on after their successful flights in Kitty Hawk to commercialize their success in Europe. This title would be appealing to frequent visitors to the Outer Banks, who may be interested in learning more of the history of the area. It would also be of interest to those who love science, especially the history of scientific discovery. The book delves into the personal stories of the Wright family, and explores the close relationship between Wilbur and Orville, and how it contributed to their discoveries and achievements.
History: Dead Wake, by Erik Larson (940s)
Set at the outset of the Great War, and before the United States had entered, Dead Wake provides a wonderful and detailed account of the sinking of the steamship Lusitania, en route from New York to Liverpool. The book takes a detailed look at the the captain, staff, and passengers of the ship, providing rich back stories on their lives and how they came to be aboard the Lusitania. Meanwhile, a German U-Boat captain at large in the North Atlantic was determined to wreak havoc on British shipping, and was willing to target civilians from neutral ships in order to do so. President Woodrow Wilson, first heartbroken by the death of his wife Ellen, then distracted by the courtship of his second wife, Edith. Even though one knows the ultimate fate of the Lusitania, the compelling story moves from ship, to U-Boat, to Washington DC to weave together the threads of history. This would be a wonderful choice for anyone who loves history, and enjoys character-driven fiction.
Adventure: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (Biography)
Disaster/Survival: In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick (History)
Sports: I Feel Like Going On by Ray Lewis (Biography)
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