This page describes Fiction_L, the Morton Grove Public Library's mailing list on reader's advisory issues. The following pages provide access to specific Fiction_L functions:

     Subscribe/Unsubscribe     How to Post      List Archives     Fiction_L Booklists
 

What is Fiction_L

Fiction_L is an electronic mailing list devoted to reader's advisory topics such as book discussions, booktalks, collection development issues, booklists and bibliographies, and a wide variety of other topics of interest to librarians, book discussion leaders, and others with an interest in reader's advisory. Fiction_L was developed for and by librarians dealing with fiction collections and requests; however fiction lovers worldwide are welcome to join the discussion. Among the topics discussed have been: genre study, bibliographies, workshops, audiobooks, reading clubs, and print and electronic resources The discussion is not limited to fiction, but rather covers all aspects of reader's advisory for children, young adults and adults, including non-fiction materials.

The collective wisdom of Fiction_L participants has proved very helpful for librarians trying to locate an obscure title for a patron or in creating a booklist for an upcoming event. This list has come up with answers to numerous fiction and non-fiction "stumpers" much to the delight of many patrons, as well as librarians, happy to find the title of a book they read 20 years ago (or just a couple months ago). The only clue to the title may be the picture on the cover or a character's name. Fiction_L, along with its archives and booklists, is an invaluable resource for librarians who want to provide better and more efficient service to their customers. It's the perfect way to ensure that your patrons find a *good* book to read so they don't leave the library empty-handed!

How Fiction_L Works

Fiction_L is available as a standard list, with subscribers receiving each message as it is posted to the list, and as a digest, with subscribers receiving a single message once or twice a day containing the full text of all postings since the previous digest.

You can subscribe to either version of the list by e-mail, or by using a simple web-page form: see the Fiction_L Subscribe/Unsubscribe page. After you've subscribed, please review the Fiction_L Posting Guidelines.

While the contributions of Fiction_L subscribers to current discussion topics are the most important aspect of Fiction_L, their value is further enhanced in two ways:

• A complete archive is maintained of all Fiction_L postings back to the beginning of the list. The Fiction_L Archives page provides search forms enabling you to search the archives for any topic of interest, or display any month's complete archive.
  

• A frequent "topic" of discussion is the compilation, by list subscribers, of booklists on a particular topic, by a particular type of author, etc. When completed, these booklists are moved to the Fiction_L Booklists area of our site, where they're organized into broad categories, such as books involving a particular type of character, books set in a particular time or place, and books written for a particular audience.

Fiction_L was created by the Reader's Service staff of the Morton Grove Public Library in December, 1995, and is operated by the Fiction_L Manager, Natalya Fishman, with the technical support of Kevin Justie, the Library's automation manager.

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First published on the Web: 10/29/2000
Last updated: 1/2/2010