Special Topics Short

Reader’s Advisory and its Future

After the 1930s, readers’ advisory didn’t make a strong comeback until the 1980s. Why it is making a comeback in unknown, but Anderson notes that RA seems to flow in 40-year cycles (2016, pp.208), and we just happen to be in the positive cycle at this time. However, Anderson does not provide any compelling evidence to support that RA services will fall off again in the next 10 years. Even though RA services are currently scattered, some libraries today still offer that separate service with the same methods. However, most of them have wrapped RA services in with reference services, and some have moved to use the internet and social media as an RA service platform. Some might even say that the internet and technology will become the future of RA services. 

However, there are some issues with RA services. The first is that many libraries don’t even have RA services or training to be able to effectively help their patrons. Second, there is no universal standard when it comes to RA training. Leading to the debate on whether RA should be a profession within a profession? Also, if libraries should seek to have that separate service they had nearly 100 years ago? Lastly, librarians can’t seem to agree on how to address these issues so that the world of RA services can grow and develop. Crowley also feels that readers advisory should be similar to what is was in the early stages. Where RA was a separate service conducted by specially trained professionals, separate from the library staff. Smith feels that we should focus less on the who and more on the how (2015, pp.12). Meaning that RA skills can be taught, maintained, and developed within a library and its staff without having a separate person or division to do so.  Both are viable options, however having RA as a separate service can be costly. It can also be costly to train all staff in RA techniques, but there is strength in numbers. It seems more cost-effective to train multiple people, so the job doesn’t fall all onto one person. Most libraries would not be able to afford to have RA as a separate service due to their already tight budgets. It may be timelier, but it seems more economical and logical to train the staff already available, rather than open a separate division.

There is no doubt that readers’ advisory services will intertwine itself with technology. Two studies, one using social media to promote RA services and the other using a electronic form based service, were both successful in integrating RA services with technology. So, which is more effective? At this time, I don’t think that is can be determined. There are too many unknowns, both in success and data, to determine one over the other. Hence why the debate is still raging in the library world. Redefining reader’s advisory services will be no easy task. In its current state, there is no prevailing consensus on how to adapt to that change. Many have suggestions, but the lack of hard evidence makes it difficult to get the change in motion. Many tools have been created to aide in providing readers advisory to patrons, but the path is still unclear.  I believe, with a little more research and data collection, readers’ advisory might become more defined on what people are looking for and what direction the service is going to go in. Regardless of the successes that have been made in recent years, the best approach seems to be engaging with readers. By finding out why they like a book, as opposed to what they liked about it, will not only help you find what it is they are looking for but it will also provide data so a new approach can be formed.


Works Cited (in this short version)

Anderson, S. H., Tarulli, L., & Trott, B. (2016). Trends and Directions in RA Education. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 55(3), 203–209. https://doi-org.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/10.5860/rusq.55n3.203

Smith, D. (2015). Readers’ Advisory. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 54(4), 11–16. https://doi-org.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/10.5860/rusq.54n4.11