Fiction_L Archives Where is RA? Dates: 10/26/99,8:30 AM  through  10/29/99,9:41 AM  (7 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to October 1999 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: <[removed]@infoave.net>
REC'D: 10/26/99, 8:30 AM

We are in the process of reorganization of our county-wide library system.
Presently there is a separate RA desk and staff next to the circulation
desk at the Main branch, but it seems likely that in the new configuration
there will be much merging of functions and areas.

Where are Readers Advisory services in your libraries? Are you part of a
larger department? How do you interact with YA services?

Our consultant has said that everyone in the library should be able to do
RA and that having a specific area or designated staff person was
unnecessary. Although many people throughout the system do RA work, many
do not feel comfortable with it. If you have a system that you think
works well, please tell us about it.

I am not sure whether this is appropriate for group discussion, so you can
respond to me at [removed]@infoave.net.

Thanks for your help.

Debbie Spear
Greenville (SC) County Library

FROM: "Deborah T. Walsh" <[removed]@dupagels.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 10/26/99, 12:01 PM

Now that my blood pressure has returned to normal and the steam has stopped leaking out of my ears I'm ready to state that imo your consultant is very very wrong. Everyone in the library should not be able to do RA. This statement implies that there is no particular expertise, training or proclivity for this specialized function. If everyone could do it, it wouldn't be so hard to get it right. When everyone does it, there is no consistency of service for patrons to expect and/or demand. Try using the word *reference* for RA in that sentence and see if the consultant believes that is true also. As you noted, some people are not comfortable doing it. It has been my experience that some people are not well-read enough to do it, and never will be.

Debbie Walsh
Geneva Public Library District
Geneva, IL
[removed]@dupagels.lib.il.us
----- Original Message -----
From: <[removed]@infoave.net>
To: <[removed]@maillist.nslsilus.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 1999 8:33 AM
Subject: Where is RA?


> We are in the process of reorganization of our county-wide library system.
> Presently there is a separate RA desk and staff next to the circulation
> desk at the Main branch, but it seems likely that in the new configuration
> there will be much merging of functions and areas.
>
> Where are Readers Advisory services in your libraries? Are you part of a
> larger department? How do you interact with YA services?
>
> Our consultant has said that everyone in the library should be able to do
> RA and that having a specific area or designated staff person was
> unnecessary. Although many people throughout the system do RA work, many
> do not feel comfortable with it. If you have a system that you think
> works well, please tell us about it.
>
> I am not sure whether this is appropriate for group discussion, so you can
> respond to me at [removed]@infoave.net.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Debbie Spear
> Greenville (SC) County Library
>
>

FROM: "Raap" <[removed]@sls.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 10/26/99, 1:38 PM

Please try to keep a separate RA desk. I am in a small library that
could never justify a RA librarian so we try our best at reference to
fill that need. But RA comes after "reference" and we often don't have
the time to seriously help readers or provide bibliographies and other
helps for the patrons. And we have had very few clerical staff that
could do RA.

******************************************************************************
Christine Raap * "The universe is crazy,
Evergreen Park Pub. Lib. * anything else would be
9400 S. Troy * redundant."
Evergreen Park, Il. 60805 * Londo, Baylon 5
[removed]@sls.lib.il.us *
[removed]@ibm.net *
******************************************************************************

On Tue, 26 Oct 1999 [removed]@infoave.net wrote:

> We are in the process of reorganization of our county-wide library system.
> Presently there is a separate RA desk and staff next to the circulation
> desk at the Main branch, but it seems likely that in the new configuration
> there will be much merging of functions and areas.
>
> Where are Readers Advisory services in your libraries? Are you part of a
> larger department? How do you interact with YA services?
>
> Our consultant has said that everyone in the library should be able to do
> RA and that having a specific area or designated staff person was
> unnecessary. Although many people throughout the system do RA work, many
> do not feel comfortable with it. If you have a system that you think
> works well, please tell us about it.
>
> I am not sure whether this is appropriate for group discussion, so you can
> respond to me at [removed]@infoave.net.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Debbie Spear
> Greenville (SC) County Library
>
>

FROM: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG>
REC'D: 10/26/99, 4:38 PM

I would be very interested in the answers to where is your RA. Also, I
would
like to hear how RA got established--was a new department created from
existing staff or were you able to get additional funding for new positions.
Does anyone think RA is necessary to keep a personal touch in libraries now
that we are all becoming technology dependent??

Mar Leathers
Reference Librarian Assistant
and beginning LIS graduate student
Louisville Free Public Library

FROM: "RENEE ZURN" <[removed]@duluth.lib.mn.us>
REC'D: 10/26/99, 8:24 PM

Debbie, we have 3 Service Desks in our library - Adult Fiction and Media,
Youth Services, and Reference. All desks do RA work in their area but
all adult fiction RA is sent to my area. I work in the Adult Fiction and
Media area - called the Popular Library Service Desk.

All the librarian's who work the desk are required to do Readers
Advisory. We talk about it at meetings and have reference books we
purchase and pass around to everyone. We then have the reference
books available for the public to use in a small bookcase located near the
service desk. Both the staff and public can easily use these tools.

We also are aware of the people on the staff who read all the Oprah
books or read mysteries or read literary novels, etc. We readily call any
of the staff on the phone while the patron is there if we can not find
something using the reference tools we have. We have also produced
our own booklist's of read a-likes and subject areas that also help us.
People have to be trained to do good RA - and even then it is often
difficult to do!!

Renee Zurn
Duluth Public Library
520 W. Superior St.
Duluth MN 55802

FROM: <[removed]@orion.mtgr.mtlib.org>
REC'D: 10/27/99, 7:49 AM

Thanks, Beth, for the concise suggestions. (I've always been partial to
"1 2 3" type of lists.) BYE!

Marla/Great Falls Public Library/Acquisitions
301 2nd Ave N
Great Falls MT 59401-2593
[removed]@orion.mtgr.mtlib.org

FROM: <[removed]@infoave.net>
REC'D: 10/29/99, 9:41 AM

Great and heartfelt thanks to everyone who sent such thoughtful and
encouraging suggestions for the relocation of our service. Your comments
are even now in the hands of the consultant, who I trust will find them
useful.

It's inspiring just to know you are all out there.

Debbie Spear
Greenville (SC) County Library

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