Crash Course in Readers' Advisory by Cynthia Orr

Author:Cynthia Orr [Cynthia Orr]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781610698269
Publisher: ABC-CLIO

Rule #3—Don't Pigeonhole the Readers

Here are some true stories to illustrate the dangers of pigeonholing readers. For an assignment, a 20-something master's in library science student in one of my RA classes went to a public library anonymously and played secret shopper by asking for help finding a good book to read. Imagine her chagrin when the woman at the desk told her that "the young adult librarian is off today, but the books for teens are over there."

Looks can be deceiving.

A new library branch was built in a primarily African American neighborhood in my city. Librarians, with all good intentions, had purchased a compact disc music collection that consisted mainly of rap, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. The very first reference question when they unlocked their doors on opening day was, "Do you have any opera on CD?"

Many years ago at the beginning of my career, I worked for a librarian who was nearing retirement age. She remembered that during the early years of her career (around the 1940s), the library staff had kept what were considered to be "racy books" behind the desk so that patrons had to ask for them. Here's what she told me: the readers who asked to see the books hidden behind the desk were invariably little old ladies.

While generalizations can be helpful, they can also be your downfall. Remember to use your skills to find out what the reader really wants, and never rely on assumptions or preconceptions about them that may very well be embarrassingly false.

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