Blogpost 7B: Readers Advisory, Goodreads, and Snapchat!

Thorton-Verma, Henrietta and Schwartz, Meredith. (2014). "The State of Readers’ Advisory". Library Journal. Retrieved on November 1, 2016 from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2014/02/library-services/the-state-of-readers-advisory/

University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (2016). "Readers' Advisory Guide for Literature: Goodreads". Retrieved on November 1, 2016 from http://guides.library.illinois.edu/c.php?g=347638&p=2344499

Graves, Alanna. (2016). "http://www.slj.com/2016/05/teens-ya/how-to-use-snapchat-for-readers-advisory/" School Library Journal. Retrieved on November 1, 2016 from http://www.slj.com/2016/05/teens-ya/how-to-use-snapchat-for-readers-advisory/

I approached this search with two main questions in mind, which come from my vantage point as a tech-focused academic library person: (1) how have social networks like Goodreads influenced in-person readers advisory? and (2) how might librarians accomodate these new ways of relating to text and media by recommending specific digital platforms and tools, and providing a kind of "tech advisory" interaction (I was responsible for a version of this while working as an Academic Technology Assistant in my Seattle academic library job, and now a little bit with the Digital Project Studio here)?

I was definitely surprised to find the 2013 study referenced with an infographic in Thorton-Verma and Schwartz's LJ article, which showed that a third of librarians (34%) refer patrons to social networking sites for books such as Goodreads. I wasn't really sure what librarians thought of Goodreads, but it makes a lot of sense - SNSs that focus on reading can help facilitate a reading habit that also links a patron up with their community both locally and across the Internet. Plus, while sites like Goodreads do push readers to Amazon and other online booksellers, they also can definitely be integrated into library usage (picking up books you find online at your local library, or even librarians drawing upon Goodreads as a tool/resource while holding in-person readers advisory conversations -- I have a fond memory of a public librarian in Seattle giving me advice on new feminist sci-fi authors and plugging those names into Goodreads immediately after).

After doing some more searching around on Goodreads and libraries, I actually found an academic libguide for Goodread! (this kind of felt like the perfect convergence of a bunch of themes we've focused on in the course so far ha). Interestingly, the UIUC guide relies very heavily on screenshots -- thus violating a principle that we tried to stick to in our group's libguide process. On one hand, I can see a very visual libguide being helpful for the type of user who might be passionate about books and is also somewhat unfamiliar with technology in general - but at the same time, are these the individuals who are likely to access an academic library website? This kind of approach would definitely require a lot of upkeep to avoid becoming outdated after a major site update -- and I see that it was last updated on April 12th, 2016, which is fairly recently! Hmm, so I'm not 100% sure of my verdict on this libguide, but it's a neat resource.

Finally, readers advisory with Snapchat. I thought this was so inventive and teen-friendly and just a really great take on an engaging version of readers advisory. I also love Graves' point about Snapchat as a means to make patrons more comfortable geeking out about books:

"Despite these small challenges, Snapchat is an invaluable tool that can help alleviate patrons’ feelings of library anxiety. For example, adults who read young adult books but feel slightly embarrassed about it might prefer watching booktalks on Snapchat to asking for suggestions at the library or browsing the Teen Room when teens are there.""

When I was a kid, the East Branch of the Lexington Public Library was a safe space where I could stop worrying about social anxiety and life and really get lost in ideas and words. But I know that many young folks feel almost the exact opposite -- that books are a place of demands placed by adults ("read this!!") and evaluations of skill ("take this test on the reading") and not a space to be expressive and creative. I absolutely love the last moment in this article:

"One of my favorite Snapchat success stories is when a boy asked me, “Hey Ms. Alanna? Can you put a hold on that comic book that you talked about last Tuesday? The one about the girl superhero who just wants to be normal?” He meant Strong Female Protagonist by Brannan Lee Mulligan. Snapchat helped me convince a young teen boy to read a comic book that was located at another branch. He probably wouldn’t have picked it up, or even known about it, on his own."

Graves' article provides another way to think about social networking sites and emerging technology -- not just a big societal trend to be chased, but a set of tools with which to approach those enduring human processes of boldness and experimentation and expressiveness and curiosity, all of which are familiar territory for librarians and afford us a place to really shine and help others.