State Library of NSW Reader’s Advisory Seminar 2025
Date Attended: 18 March 2025
Content Focus: Assisting NSW public library staff to deliver reader’s advisory services to customers; NSW public library staff networking; Programs, Displays, and Collections that promote readers advisory.
Type: In person Seminar
Length: 5.5 hours
Audience: All NSW public libraries staff
Organisers: NSW Readers’ Advisory Group and State Library of NSW
Presenters:
Shaye Malsem (Albury City Libraries),
Gabrielle Cundy (Blacktown Libraries),
Jolana Voeks (Clarence Regional Library, Grafton),
Lauren Mills (Gerringong Library),
Jodie Dolden & Lani Kilpatrick-Coles (Hornsby Libraries),
Joanna Kondaxis & Emma Boyd (Inner West Libraries),
Lauren Watkins (Kiama Library),
Sonya Moon (Libraries Tasmania),
Danielle Hillard (Newcastle Libraries),
Rachel Franks & Ellen Forsyth (NSW State Library),
Bec Shelberg & Yasmin Greenhalg (Stanton Library, North Sydney),
Amy Rake (Tamworth Libraries).
Reflection:
I attended the Reader’s Advisory seminar as I believe reader’s advisory skills are a core and traditional element of librarian roles. My direct supervisor at Liverpool Library, the Children’s Librarian, also attended the seminar with me in order for us to gain new ideas and suggestions for future Children’s programs and collections at Liverpool.
The seminar included many speakers and discussed the importance of reader’s advisory for many groups within library communities. Each presentation highlighted the importance of providing quality reader’s advisory services by ensuring staff have a broad awareness of the library’s collection, as well as understanding the strengths and knowledge of fellow colleagues. Reference tools such as Read-alike websites were also noted as useful resources to ensure reader’s have a broad list of options to select from.
Reader’s advisory interviews are common within the public library environment and should allow for open dialogue with the patron requiring assistance. Many presenters emphasised how RA interviews can be seen as a matchmaking service between a reader and a selection of potentially enjoyable books. To ensure the reader finds books that suit their needs and feel encouraged to return to the library for further suggestions, the seminar highlighted how library staff should establish appeal through questions about preference of setting, mood, pacing, characters, writing style, storyline elements and reading format. By showing genuine interest in the patrons preferences and suggesting associated books and materials, readers will feel comfortable and accepted to return for future, trustworthy suggestions.
Attending the seminar highlighted to me that providing readers advisory services to children in particular should allow for natural conversation to progress, encouraging reading momentum and resilience through interactive conversations which may allow for children to develop awareness of alternative reading formats and breaking down biases towards reading. As a library staff member, it is important to let go of assumptions about reading levels and gender-based stories when providing RA services to children, and instead focus on the child or young adults reading confidence and interests.
I was inspired by many of the discussions regarding displays and events as companion tools for readers advisory, with examples such as a Literary-inspired mocktails encouraging patrons to diversify their reading by tasting a book in tandem with a drink. Other programs such as Book Clubs were also presented as a way to introduce reader’s advisory services, by encouraging patrons to choose themes rather than titles. Each participant reads a different book that matches the theme, then shares and discusses their chosen book with other book club members. This allows for book clubs to house diversification in conversation, reading tastes and exposure to new genres. As a children’s programs assistant at Liverpool Library, these ideas can be adapted to suit children’s and youth events and encourage greater interaction with the library collection.
I hope to bring my gained knowledge about quality reader’s advisory into practice as a full time library assistant during face-to-face interactions with patrons, as well as to develop original and engaging programs which encourage children and young adults to read more often and more widely.
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