I completed this assignment a little bit away from my local library. When I got to the information desk there was no one there. I looked around and saw someone helping someone on the computers, who I assumed was the librarian, after waiting for a few minutes they came back to the desk. They asked me how they could help me and I asked if they could recommend a good book to read.
They asked a few questions about what types of books I would consider “good.” They asked about what genre, setting, tone, and pacing I liked. I told them that I am a big fan of the Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin, that I am a huge fan of fantasy, that I really do not care about the setting, that I am fine with both a serious and silly tone, and I prefer a slow-paced book where the author really explains and builds out the world. The librarian then started searching. I asked them what they were using to offer this service and they told me that it was NoveList. After about five minutes of searching, they recommended to me both the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and a blanket recommendation to look for books by Brandon Sanderson. When I asked them if they would recommend any specific books by Brandon Sanderson they recommended Elantris. When I asked why that book they told me it was one of his few standalone titles. They then told me where to find each of the books in the stacks and sent me on my way.
I think that they successfully found good
books for me. The Song of Ice and Fire
Series and The Lord of the Rings
Trilogy are both epic fantasy novels that have a large cast of characters
and complex plots. When I went home I also checked NoveList myself and found
that they are listed as read-alikes for each other. They are also both listed
as epic fantasy, have intricate plotting, and world-building. I can understand
why they recommended this book. For fans of fantasy The Lord of the Rings is an incredibly safe bet. The recommendation
for Brandon Sanderson was also not a shock. I did not see why they would have
recommended him to me from NoveList, but I know that he is one of the most
prolific and popular authors in the genre today. It would not be shocking to me
if they just recommended him off of the top of their head for this reason. I am
not the biggest fan of Sanderson, but I understand the recommendation.
Hi William! I find it interesting that they recommended Lord of the Rings as it would be pretty unusual for a fantasy fan to not at least be aware of the series if not it being something they've already read. Elantris does seem like a thoughtful recommendation though, especially as they thought to offer a standalone as entry to Sanderson's works.
ReplyDeleteHi William! I appreciate your note at the end about the librarian being alone at the desk. I think this must be a common problem, especially when the library does not have a dedicated readers advisory desk. The amount of time that it really takes to execute a meaningful readers advisory conversation is often compromised in light of time constraints. While RA questions are important, we don't always have time to do the dedicated work necessary to really make these 100% successful conversations.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really think about how involved a RA conversation really is until this activity. And with staffing problems, the branch might only be able to leave one person on desk during the hour. I know at my branch we've had to do that several times these last few weeks with people being sick and others on leave. That really does put stress on whoever is covering.
ReplyDeleteGreat summary and discussion!
ReplyDelete