I'll be honest. I rarely ask for help in looking for a good book to read. Ever since learning how to use the catalog ( the old, everything on a separate card from the days of the dinosaur to today's marvel of the computer), I pretty much look for the books myself. I figure " I'm a big reader, I don't need any help". I'm also figure I might be judged by my reading or questioned " Don't you have to read children's books?. Plus I'm also very shy ( which surprisingly goes away during school visits or story times, especially when I must act like a lost member of the Wiggles. Which I really, really enjoy!)
Anyway, onto the mission.
 |
| image from Cafe Express |
So the library I went to is pretty big ( three stories) and has adult fiction and nonfiction books on it's main level and third floor ( the basement is all children's). The main level does have labels on the shelves, the upper... not so ( the library was under renovations for a few years. When they moved the shelves on the upper level, it was out of order. Things are sort of in order, but not in the way I remember it.) While I could easily spot the reference desk on both levels, I did not see any reader's advisory displays or items ( I did see some books on the regular reference shelves and did find some items on the website, like a link to a Goodreads account of staff-recommended books and various Novelist pages, but also a few links that were missing and a genre blog... that hadn't been updated in a while. Oh well.)
After playing helpless somewhat on both levels, I went upstairs... and saw one librarian who right way could tell I was looking for help. She asked " Could I help you?"
I said yes and mentioned that I just read the first book in Ian Sansome's Mobile Library mysteries from the Valentine Blind Date display and was curious to see if there were more books in the series than the one mentioned in the back preview. She looked over the book and first typed in " Mobile Library" and it came up with the fourth book ( which she then showed me the screen.) I then suggested to maybe type in the author's name and see if anything else came up. She did ( with the screen still facing me) and got five books ( the four books in the Mobile Library series and a stand-alone). She then pointed out where I needed to go ( 1, 2, 3,in mystery upstairs and the stand-alone on the main level. Book four was at a different branch, she didn't ask if I wanted to request it.) For some reason... I was hoping she would lead me to the shelf because I didn't feel like getting lost ( not that I would mind it..hehehe) but I went ... and got a little lost around the regular fiction shelves. I then backed up and eventually found the mysteries( a big label on one of the shelves that says "Mysteries" but no labels of author's last names.) I found books 2 and 3, then went to "spot" the stand-alone for next time.
Reviewing the experience, I am going to say okay but could have been better. Obviously I should have asked more for a genre to get an idea of a full RA interview, but this is also the way I shop. As much as I like suggestions, I prefer knowing what I want. If I really want to dive into books related to what I just read, I'd rather do that myself. Sure I might try to ask for book suggestions in the future ( maybe to help me out for the science fiction annotation but I think I have an idea of what I might do) but for now I think I will stick to searching my way.
I admit that I do like to read kids' books. I imagined myself walking up the counter and saying that I like Artemis Fowl and Percy Jackson and then asking for a book recommendation. I suspect that would have thrown the librarian for a loop. It would have made for an interesting secret shopper experience.
ReplyDeleteWell since those are popular books, I think you might get help ( probably some adult-related suggestions). I know I got into Harry Potter when I was in my late teens, early twenties.
Delete