PLA Blog

It’s a busy time of year for public libraries. Libraries are frantic to spend the last bits of budget before the fiscal year ends, students are taking finals and graduating, and, behind the scenes, summer reading programs are preparing to launch.

I was listening to On Point early last week, when Tom Ashbrook hosted a show on recommended summer reading picks for 2008, with 3 guest hosts: one buyer and manager of a bookstore, and two book reviewers. I’ve listened to this episode two years in a row, and I still find myself wondering when they’ll invite three librarians as their guests… I really should email them about that and see what happens (you should, too). It’s definitely worth a listen (.mp3 file), if for no other reason than to know what books your NPR listener constituency might be seeking. I’ll be adding some of the recommendations to my ever-growing queue of books to read.

So, I’ve decided to grab the opportunity that Tom Ashbrook missed and ask you, the public library and librarian readership: What are you recommending for summer reading this year? It can be any age group, any genre, any format, anything. Scroll down to Leave a Reply on this page and post your picks as a comment to this post, we’ll be listening! While you’re in the comment box, what are you planning for summer programs? Share your ideas, plans, and links to web sites and photos with us and fellow readers.

Also, feel free to comment on the picks listed by the OnPoint guests, I’d be interested to hear what you think of them. You can read about what other listeners thought, and what they’re recommending, and chime in yourself in the 2008 Summer Books OnPoint message board.

Barry Trott of the Williamsburg Regional Library began the program When the Story is True by reading comments about the book Arc of Justice by Kevin Boyle (2004). From the use of phrases about well-drawn characters, tense settings, and compelling story, he said that many readers might assume that the book was a novel. It happens instead to be narrative nonfiction, otherwise known as “literary journalism” or “creative nonfiction.”

Trott contends that readers’ advisory librarians of our time have only recently recognized the nonfiction reader’s needs. It makes sense to broaden the RA service to promote nonfiction for these reasons:

• Nonfiction will attract new readers, especially men.
• A large portion of our collections is nonfiction.
• It will help move books that have been lingering in the stacks to push nonfiction.
• Nonfiction has genres just like fiction.
• Many readers just want good books, and it does not matter whether the stories are true or not.

Trott turned to an article by Sandra Lamb called “Narrative Nonfiction,” in Writer, 117 (May 2004): 45-46. He said the author asks six questions of authors wanting to write narrative nonfiction:

• Is the story compelling?
• Is there emotional architecture?
• Who is the audience?
• Are there recognizable characters?
• Why are you qualified to write this book?
• Why is this a good time for this book

He said the RA librarian needs to ask similar questions when suggesting books to nonfiction readers. Then he followed by describing the appeal factors of setting, subject matter, author’s voice, characters, story line, and pacing.

Kaite Mediatore Stover of Kansas City Public Library followed with ideas for developing an understanding of a nonfiction genre. She suggested that librarians beginning study with genres of which they already have an interest. Her steps include the following:

• Read histories of the subject or topic.
• Scan how-to books to get a practical understanding.
• Identify biographies to learn the major names.
• Find humorous books, which often address the major issues in a subject area.
• Discover what the media emphasizes about a subject area.
• Identify awards in the field and for writers about the field.
• Find good websites on the topic.

Her steps became a bit clearer when she began applying them to the genre of sports books, which of course have many appeal factors: characters, settings, stories, etc. Through study of sports writing, the librarian learns the genre and identifies authors and titles. She suggested that sports books are about more than games. They include themes of overcoming adversity, contest, betrayal, redemption, and tragedy. They are books about journeys and the enduring human spirit.

In the question period at the end, both Trott and Stover suggested looking at reader comments at Amazon to get a sense of reader reactions to books and identify further reading.

My brain hurts (and make sure you say that in your best Monty Python “Gumby” voice to get the full effect). Three days have passed and my energy level is low — and there is still half a day to go. It’s going to be a close run thing, and I’m betting that I’ll be doing some serious sleeping on the flight back home tomorrow. Whew!

I’m doublely grateful for the “slow” start this morning because the afternoon sessions were quite involving, but well worth the effort. First up at 2:00 pm was “Rx for Ra - Training Library Staff in Fiction and Nonfiction.” And to be honest, this for me, was the main event and I was not disappointed. I really like they way they set it up. Three presenter, each representing a different size library system (Deanna Street, small system, Lucy Lockley, medium system, and Katie Mediator Stover, large system) outlined how they approached providing RA training for their staff. Each of their systems had simularities and differences, emphasising their seperate needs for training and the needs in supporting their systems. Their stories were just the kind of things I really needed to hear; practical outlines about how to go about getting staff trained. Will any of these work at my system? The ideas are certainly there, it’s just a question of finding the right mix. But can I accomplish what they have done? I don’t know, but I’m feeling very inspired to try right now. I just hope I can hold on to that feeling.

I think that program is what took the most out of me today. I was not only focused on what they were saying but also mentally trying to work out a plan of my own as well. I was definitely into “overthink” mode and I came out of there feeling pretty drained. Between sessions, I helped (well, stood around an chatted mostly) take down the San Antonio Public Library booth in the Placement Center, and that symbolic winding down, left me feeling even more worn. I then had a choice to make for the last session of the day: something practical or something a little more fun. Yeah, I went with fun. How’d you guess?

I didn’t realize how much fun it was going to be, though, until after it started. The session? “What’s Love Got to Do With It;” a panel discussion with 3 romance authors and one “paranormal” romance author. I went knowing that even in the already female dominated world of librarianship I would be even more in the minority than usual there. But hey, I got nothing against romances. I’ve read (and enjoyed) quite a few, I do advisory for it, and the only reason I don’t read more of them is that I’m afraid I might get addicted to them. A good story is a good story in my book (pardon the horrible pun) and it seemed like a good opportunity to further my knowledge a little bit more, but in a more lighthearted manner.

Before I go futher, let me introduce the panel; Nita Abrams, Connie Brockway, Susan Kay Law, and Kim Harrison — all names I recongized, and if you’re a romance reader, you probably recognize as well. The format was question and answer, with some questions for particular authors and others for the whole panel. After some set questions, audiences questions were entertained. Sounds like fun, no? Fun doens’t cover it. The panel consisted of four intelligent, witty, and very open authors and I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at a “training” session before. As a group, they seemed the perfect mix, playing off each other like they’d rehearsed before hand, and I can’t think of a better way to end my 3rd day at PLA. I was I could recount some of their stories and jokes, but truly you just had to be there. Thank you ladies for a very good time.

And now it is confession time. I wimped out and skipped the All Member Reception. I was just too tired. This post, in fact, is courtesy of a large cup of coffee, something I ususally avoid in the evening. But I wanted to post and there is still packing to be done. The conference is winding to a close (though 2 sessions and the closing remain) but I’m definitely feeling that desire to shut down a bit and I’ve begun to yearn for a return to my home turf. This has been a great experience and hopefully tomorrow, before I head to the airport, I’ll have a little time to make my final report and try and sum what this whole adventure has meant to me. Until then….

As the day wound down, attendance at the Readers’ Advisory Tool Kit III was a bit down, though still very decent. Those who lasted the full day of PLA got to hear three well-known librarians suggest more ways to get books into the hands of readers.

With her section “Promoting the Backlist,” Georgine Olson of Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library and Regional Center in Fairbanks, Alaska (is the library stationary in landscape to fit the letterhead?), spoke to something that concerns me. How do you get all the great old books off the shelves and to readers? Many just sit as readers do not make it past the displays and into the stacks. She pointed out that every library has these books that have dropped from the public eye, and they should be our strength. We often have them and book stores do not. How do we move them?

Part of the answer is that we actually do have to move them - put them on the displays that are catching the readers’ eyes. They can be mixed with like titles that are new, put in theme displays, collected into author highlight displays, and more.

Booklists are another way to draw attention to older books. Many of the same rules as for displays apply, especially mixing old and new. One idea that I liked was making lists of hot new authors’ favorite authors or old books, the title’s that made them want to write. Many current authors have websites on which they list these books.

Olson also told her rules for making Read-a-Like lists. For a hot new author, choose four old authors that are similar. Likewise, for an old author, choose four new authors to suggest.

Joyce Saricks (described on the PLA website as “author, retired” which is hard to fathom for the active librarian) followed with her section “The Sane Librarian’s Guide to Genre Studies.” Sarrcks has been involved in many genre studies for both fiction and nonfiction. Her study groups within the library or in area groups like the Reading Roundtable read books in a genre, identify appeal factors, and record their findings for use at RA desks. She said that once we are aware of the characteristics of a genre, we are able to identify the new titles and how they change the genres, and we can find books for our readers whom we know. (I will testify that Joyce has suggested books for my reading and she is usually right on.)

Saricks regrets that she has not kept notes on every book she has ever read. Those she thought unnecessary to describe in the past are some of the titles she now wishes she could remember.

She urges libraries to open up RA training to everyone in the library. The circulation desk is often the real front line for helping readers. If the circulation staff have been made aware of the issues, they are more likely to be able to offer some help to readers or remember to connect them to the RA librarians.

Neal Wyatt, Readers’ Advisory Specialist of Richmond, Virginia, ended the afternoon with her discussion “Scuba Gear for RA.” Her concern was how how do we stay ahead of the book buzz. She described her own frustrations of seeing books she has not ordered hitting bestsellers’ lists. She consoled us that it happens to everyone and that we have to forgive ourselves and move on. She also offered websites to watch to lessen the frustration.

The problem, however, is that there are far too many websites competing for our attention. She recommended picking a few really good ones and sticking with them, scheduling when you read them weekly. She pointed out a few she likes:

• Barnes & Noble Coming Soon (which has a week by week arrangement)
• Booksense Picks of the Month
• Baker & Taylor Fast Facts
• Kirkus Reviews Special Issues (I had trouble linking to this)

She also recommended Cindy Orr’s RA Rundown at Reader’s Advisor Online for a recap of a week’s book news and Elegant Variation for its blogroll.

A new website to watch it Early Word, which is designed specifically to help libraries know what important books are forthcoming.

Nearly at the end, she recommended having books by authors who win the Alex Awards, named as Notable Books from PLA, and the new Reading List Award.

The three RA librarians celebrated the end of the program by giving away books to those who could most quickly answer questions about titles mentioned in the presentation.

Since my last post was so late in the day, that will likely make this post a bit shorter than previous ones. I just finished up my last session of the day, The RA Toolkit III, and it was pretty much everything I hoped it would be. It never hurts to have not one, but three excellent presenters, but when that is coupled with a huge amount of information that I know will be very useful to me, it is undoubtably a case of having your cake and eating it too. If there is any drawback to this type of presentation, it’s the realization of how much work I’ve got waiting for me when I return home to San Antonio. But I’m glad I’ll have the opportunity to share my newly gained information, and besides, nobody said being a librarian would be easy. Well actually a lot of people said that, but they were wrong!

My evening wrapped up with one last vendor event, a lovely laid back affair sponsered by Bowker/Syndetics. For once I wasn’t a total recluse, thanks largely to those sitting at the table, who were extremely social, as were the Bowker people. Thank you all for nice little osasis in the middle of my adventure.

Since I don’t have much to report otherewise, it seems like a good time to do a little reflecting. I love the paperless conference…whoever came up with that idea needs a big raise. Not only is a lot of paper being saved, but the PLA people, through the support of one of the vendors, has created a wonderful onsite printing set up where you can get the printouts you want and it prints in duplex too. So even if you do want to go the paper route, you’re still using almost half as much paper as you might normally use. I think that deserves a big round of applause and I hope it’s a system that other library conferences will adopt.

I think I should also mention that even though I’m not the most gregarious of people, I’ve had some wonderful conversations with other librarians while just waiting in line, waiting for programs to start, or just answering “directionals” (yeah, I’m one of those people that other people tend to ask for directions…even though I usually don’t have a clue where I actually am). No, it’s not really networking, but it a nice affirmation that I and my library system, are not alone. We all face shared problems and even if we’re not finding our solutions here at PLA, just knowing there are others out there does make a big difference. So a big thank you to everyone I’ve met so far and those I meet in the next couple of days.
And finally, a little tech note, and my question for the rest of the bloggers out there. How are you physically blogging PLA? Do you do so throughout the day (even if you only post once a day)? Are you doing it on a lap top, at the internet cafe, or back in the hotel? Me? I’m using a tiny little Nokia internet tablet, and for the most part the free WiFi here at the Conference Center (my hotel’s wireless system has left a lot to be desired). Largely I’m trying to do them as the moments present themselves (between sessions, etc), while things are still relatively fresh in my mind. Thanks to a little foldaway bluetooth keyboard, I’m not having to hunt and peck out my messages. Otherwise you’d be seeing a lot more spelling errors and a lot fewer words. Its not the best solution, but it is small and very portable, and with all the running around I’ve been doing, I’ve appreciated that aspect quite a bit. So, how do you blog?

So that’s it for tonight. Once I finish off this delicious Steamed Chocolate Nirvana at Dunn Brothers (yup, my hotel’s wireless has failed me once more) it is off to some much needed sleep. All this fun and excitement is definitley starting to take it’s toll.

I wasn’t expecting to update until this evening, as my schedule was pretty packed, but thanks to my unfortunate talent at writing down number incorrectly, I ended up showing up for a meeting that was actually held yesterday. And so go those fabled plans of mice and men (and people with poor date writing skills). Fortunately, having paid attention at the New Member Reception (thank you Madame President), I had a plan B, and ultimately it makes the whole day just a tiny bit less hectic.

My second day at PLA started early with a breakfast courtsey of H. W. Wilson. Along with some excellent food, I got a further look at the new products coming out Wilson this year. Even in my short 9 year career as a librarian it’s impressive to see these companies adapting to the changing times and especially impressive when it comes from a company celebrating it’s 110th year. And to cap off the morning, the Wilson team supllied me with one of those “ah ha” moments when they mentioned that their new CX designator was literaly the roman numerals for 110. Yes it is the simple things in life that make me happy.

After breakfast I got to attend my first PLA program, “Why Do We Dewey?” In a word, “fascinating” and it certainly left me with a lot of food for thought. I particularly like the way the TSCPL are taking a system already in use (Dewey) and finding ways to legitimately bend it to the more “modern” needs of their patrons. The concept of a browsable nonfiction section has recently been on the minds of many of my fellow librarians at work, and I’m happy now that I can provide them a concrete example of how one system is working to achieve that goal.

And speaking of my fellow workers, my next stop was to check in with some of them in the Placement Services room. Okay, shameless plug alert. If you’re interested in checking out what San Antonio Public Library has to offer in the way of jobs, stop by the booth in the Placement Services room (101 I-J).

Since I had about an hour before my next appointment, I made another run through the exhibit hall. I stopped at a variety of places, but in particular I had a very nice converstation with one of the people at Evergreen. I’m a big fan of Open Source and it’s great to see how these groups are coming along and how polished their products are looking.

After my 2nd tour of the exhibit hall it was time for lunch and yet again (are you detecting a trend here), I managed to combine business with pleasure by attending the Gale luncheon for their new Books and Authors database. It was big treat having a nice lunch, a polished presentation, and an amazing view (the luncheon was held on the 50th floor of the Marquette Hotel). Readers Advisory is kind of my thing and it has been exciting to see so many online developments in this field. From what I saw of Books and Authors, it will be a fine addition in the arsenal of tools that Readers’ Advisors can use.

After lunch, and thanks to my “date mistake” I managed to start this post, but did not actually manage to finished it. I was interrupted by the need to decend to the lower levels of the conference center in order to attend one of the first afternoon sessions. Originally I thought I would be attending something about taking online services to the next level, but the room I arrived at turned out to be the encore presentation of Technozoo. Not exactly what I was looking for, but great fun nonetheless. Mr. Souza was an energetic and amusing speaker and even though I consider myself quite the geek, even I saw some stuff that I wasn’t at all familar with. In additional, as is often the case with a topic you think you “know,” hearing it come from an admitted “non-librarian” gave me some pause for thought and raised some issues that hadn’t occurred to be before. A mixed blessing to be sure, but I don’t think I will ever complain about having new things to think about.

Down to one last session for the day. I’m off to Readers’ Advisory Took Kit III. I think I already know what I’m not going to like about it…the fact that I didn’t get to see RA Tool Kits I and II.

Nancy Pearl introduced the second PLA Book Buzz program at 10:30 this morning with a contest. She asked the listeners to coin a new word for “the fear of being stuck somewhere without a book to read.” She told of recently getting onto a flight from Orlando to Seattle with only two books and quickly deciding that she liked neither. Trapped in a middle seat, she could not get into her bag in the overhead bin. It was a long flight. She asked people to turn in their words at HarperCollins, Macmillan, Random House, or Milkweed booths on the PLA exhibit floor.

After a brief story about author tour horrors, she turned the program over to representatives from all of the above mentioned publishers to highlight their new books. They were, of course, excited by all their new publications. Despite knowing that they have commercial interests in all the books they described, I was convinced that I should seek a few of them. The books that I have on my list follow:

• Pakistani Bride by Bapsi Sidhwa, a novel reprint from Milkweed
• Rock Island Line and Driftless by David Rhodes, a former Iowa Workshop writer, again Milkweed
• The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow, nonfiction from Random House
• Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost, a travel adventure from Random House
• science fiction novels by John Scalzi from Macmillan
• A Lion among Men by Gregory Maguire, to go along with Wicked from HarperCollins

I hope someone who knows more about fiction also reports on this presentation. I am more inclined toward nonfiction, so I was impressed how many of the Random House books profiled in this short session were nonfiction.

I enjoyed that Virginia Stanley of HarperCollins also told us some websites with useful book publishing and readers’ advisory information:

• Book Club Girl
• Blog Talk Radio: Category Books
• Early Word with forthcoming book information
• Olive TV, which are author interviews that can be seen on YouTube, such as Olive TV: Lou Bayard

Most of the publishers said that they have galleys of some of their books at their booths and urged everyone to come get them.