Fiction_L Archives Science Fiction Dates: 1/2/03,10:33 AM  through  1/6/03,9:50 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 January 2003 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Woosley, Sheila M." <[removed]@mailserv.gcpl.lib.oh.us>
REC'D: 1/2/03, 10:33 AM

Does anyone out there do Readers Advisory for Science Fiction? Very few staff members in our library are interested in SF so it goes begging. Any info you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Sheila Woosley
Greene County Public Library
Xenia, Oh 45385
[removed]@mailserv.gcpl.lib.oh.us

FROM: "Kathy Loucks" <[removed]@cml.lib.oh.us>
REC'D: 1/2/03, 1:58 PM

WE do RA for science fiction the same way we would do RA for any other
genre, whether we read extensively in it or not. We keep up with
reviews of new material, use Novelist, What Do I Read Next,
Genreflecting and other guides to the genre, awards lists, etc. We
don't treat a question about science fiction any differently than any
other RA question.

Kathleen Loucks
Columbus Metropolitan Library
Columbus, OH

>>> [removed]@mailserv.gcpl.lib.oh.us 01/02/03 11:30AM >>>
Does anyone out there do Readers Advisory for Science Fiction? Very
few staff members in our library are interested in SF so it goes
begging. Any info you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Sheila Woosley
Greene County Public Library
Xenia, Oh 45385
[removed]@mailserv.gcpl.lib.oh.us

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FROM: "Scott Clark" <[removed]@mail.lcl.lib.ne.us>
REC'D: 1/2/03, 6:11 PM

>Subject: Science Fiction
>From: "Woosley, Sheila M." <[removed]@mailserv.gcpl.lib.oh.us>
>Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 11:30:32 -0500
>
>Does anyone out there do Readers Advisory for Science Fiction? Very few staff members in our library are interested in SF so it goes begging. Any info you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Sheila Woosley
>Greene County Public Library
>Xenia, Oh 45385
[removed]@mailserv.gcpl.lib.oh.us

Our RA staff (myself included) have to be skilled in the wide variety of genres that any big-city public library staff may get requests for. For both fiction and non-fiction, our main branch Reference staff (about a dozen of us) have compiled a list of specific areas each of us is particularly well-skilled in -- so that we can call upon the expertise of co-workers. A few years ago, we had a system-wide (7 branches and a bookmobile) list of "unofficial specialists" that could be called upon, but there's been so much staff turnover in recent years (and new staff with the building of two new branches), that that list desperately needs to be updated.

As it turns out, I _am_ the SF specialist (and TV-history specialist) for our system -- and I _do_ get a lot of referral questions from fellow Ref Dept staff members as well as Branch staff. Networking with co-workers is still one of the most vital reference tools, imho, so I would say our system works very well!

In addition to that, however, I regularly tap into the even-more-knowledgeable members of our local Science Fiction club, which (conveniently) happens to meet weekly here in the library (and which I am a member of!).

Ah, the joy of having a dream job... ;-)

/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Scott Clark - Reference Dept. - Lincoln City Libraries
| E-mail [work]: [removed]@mail.lcl.lib.ne.us
| E-mail [home]: [removed]@compuserve.com
| Fan of Stephen J. Cannell's television series - 1973-1999
| Featured SJC Series Episode Title of the Day (#6):
| "Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow" (Baretta)

FROM: "Jeannine Cook" <[removed]@co.douglas.or.us>
REC'D: 1/2/03, 6:32 PM

There's also a SF list-serv through the Library of Congress at http://listserv.loc.gov/listarch/sf-lit.html . Just be sure to NEVER call it Sci-Fi or you will find yourself under your desk wishing you
were dead.

"Woosley, Sheila M." wrote:

> Does anyone out there do Readers Advisory for Science Fiction? Very few staff members in our library are interested in SF so it goes begging. Any info you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Sheila Woosley
> Greene County Public Library
> Xenia, Oh 45385
> [removed]@mailserv.gcpl.lib.oh.us
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org

--
Jeannine Cook
Adult Services Librarian

Douglas County Library
1409 NE Diamond Lake Blvd.
Roseburg OR 97470
[removed]@co.douglas.or.us
phone: (541)440-6013
fax: (541)440-6011

FROM: Cathy Carey <[removed]@tln.org>
REC'D: 1/4/03, 10:00 AM

Sheila,
There are a number of authors I recommend and in fact keep the laminated, decorated poster on the end of the science fiction/ fanasty section: Allen Apple(time travel), David Brin (apocalypse) Lois
Bujold (militaristic space opera), Octavia Butler (strong women), Orson Scott Card (alternate & parallel worlds and alien beings), Leo Frankowski (time travel, something an engineer might like), Ron
Goulart ( Detectives in Science Fiction), Stephen Gould (psionic powers), Ken Grimwood (books to movies, immortality), Harry Harrison (especially the Stainless Steel Rat series), Larry Niven (alien
beings), Frederick Pohl (dystopia/utopia and social criticism ), Spider Robinson (parody), Joan Vinge (psionic powers). I resisted reading Science Fiction for years. but finally broke down and tried
one and WOW. Because I started late I have not read a lot of the older classics. I would encourage your librarians to each read one SF novel (o.k. maybe two). Sometimes people who say they hate SF
just haven't found the right subcategory. Is that all I read now; of course not. I like to read good books, no matter what the genre.
Cathy Carey
Orion Township Public Library
Lake Orion, MI

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FROM: "christine jeffords" <[removed]@hotmail.com>
REC'D: 1/6/03, 8:25 AM

One thing you might consider doing, Sheila, is looking at other libraries'
websites; they often have a Science Fiction page (or more than one, if they
separate Fantasy and/or certain subgenres) in their Readers' Advisory
sections. These will suggest numerous names that you can offer to your
readers, all well-known, good writers.

You might also look for these books:

Reader's Guide to Science Fiction, Reader's Guide to Fantasy, Baird Searles
et al. Paperbacks, OP and out-of-date, but their great strength is that
they give an overview-essay of each writer recommended, plus a closing
"if-you-like" paragraph.

The Enclycopedia of Science Fiction, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, John Clute
et al. Massive reference books covering just about every topic and author
in the field.

Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia, John Clute. A visual
reference adapted from Clute's encyc's, it basically hits the high points of
the genre and is excellent as a beginner's overview.

The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, ed. Brian Ash. Old and a bit
difficult to find things in, but it reviews the genre by broad subjects
(Galactic Empires, Time and Nth Dimensions, Inner Space, to take but a few)
and suggests a few writers who've made important contributions in each.

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy, ed. David Pringle. Good supplement
for the fantasy subgenre, with articles on films, books, and TV.

_________________________________________________________________
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FROM: Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 1/6/03, 9:50 AM

Good advice all around, but I'd also recommend ANATOMY OF WONDER ed.
Neil Barron (Bowker; latest edition is the 4th of 1995).

Also, desirable but expensive, THE ST JAMES GUIDE TO SCIENCE FICTION
WRITERS ed. Jay P. Pederson (Detroit: St James; 4th ed. is 1996).

Incidentally, the Searles books did have hc editions as well as pb--
the hc publisher was Facts on File.

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu

At 02:14 PM 1/6/03 +0000, you wrote:
>One thing you might consider doing, Sheila, is looking at other libraries'
>websites; they often have a Science Fiction page (or more than one, if they
>separate Fantasy and/or certain subgenres) in their Readers' Advisory
>sections. These will suggest numerous names that you can offer to your
>readers, all well-known, good writers.
>
>You might also look for these books:
>
>Reader's Guide to Science Fiction, Reader's Guide to Fantasy, Baird Searles
>et al. Paperbacks, OP and out-of-date, but their great strength is that
>they give an overview-essay of each writer recommended, plus a closing
>"if-you-like" paragraph.
>
>The Enclycopedia of Science Fiction, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, John Clute
>et al. Massive reference books covering just about every topic and author
>in the field.
>
>Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia, John Clute. A visual
>reference adapted from Clute's encyc's, it basically hits the high points of
>the genre and is excellent as a beginner's overview.
>
>The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, ed. Brian Ash. Old and a bit
>difficult to find things in, but it reviews the genre by broad subjects
>(Galactic Empires, Time and Nth Dimensions, Inner Space, to take but a few)
>and suggests a few writers who've made important contributions in each.
>
>The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy, ed. David Pringle. Good supplement
>for the fantasy subgenre, with articles on films, books, and TV.
>

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