Seeking Advice, 2

Going to visit a couple of fifth and sixth grade classrooms in a couple of weeks to get kids excited about our SRP. I’ll be meeting them (maybe 20 at a time) during their library time. So far, working once a week through the winter and with no school year programming (yet!), I’ve only met one or two of these guys.

I’m planning on bringing reading logs and program calendars, and also plugging our big-budget event, the Hunger Games Training Day, really hard. I was also thinking maybe I could do some sort of quick book trivia warmup (“What’s the name of Prim’s cat?” “What is Tris’s original faction?,” etc., with maybe, like, packets of Pop Rocks as prizes?).

Have you done something similar? Or are you a teacher or school librarian, who knows what she’d like to see in a visit from the local public librarian? Advise away!

libraryjournal: bookavore: Readers’ advisory practice So cool. I want to play this at librarian parties. (Hypothetical reference challenges were my favorite part of the notoriously demanding Reference core course at Simmons, and maybe of library school in general. I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER BUT I KNOW WHERE TO FIND IT.)
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libraryjournal:

bookavore:

Readers’ advisory practice

So cool.

I want to play this at librarian parties. (Hypothetical reference challenges were my favorite part of the notoriously demanding Reference core course at Simmons, and maybe of library school in general. I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER BUT I KNOW WHERE TO FIND IT.)

(via libraryjournal)

Source: bookavore

Holler If Ya Read Me: African-American Writers-€”and Readers-Fret Over the Future of Thug Lit

bookstacks:

But Ms. Clark actually went one step better. Or worse. She switched places with her husband. She was released from prison in 2007 after serving nine and a half years for mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. She’d been the ringleader of an illegal scheme that solicited thousands of dollars from consumers to put into a pot and then paid out to different “winners” at different times. She wrote her fiction longhand on yellow legal pads, the pages of which circulated through the jail compound at Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, W.Va., with prisoners reading one page at a time then passing it on. It was there that Ms. Clark served time with a wealthy mogul named Martha Stewart, who served as an inspiration and an occasional business adviser. “She did her little five months like a trouper and was always willing to help you out if she could,” Ms. Clark told the Urban Book Source in 2007.

YES YES YES. Don’t know a lot about Street Lit? Love Street Lit? @Brentwood, we try to keep abreast of all the hottest books. Anything you want ordered? In time for the start of Summer, Just Let us know!

When I was browsing for myself lately on C/W MARS’s OverDrive, I discovered we have A LOT of urban fiction. I wonder, though, if this is a good format match. Seems like it would be better to have cheapy paperbacks, although at least with digital you don’t have to worry about theft. What’s your feel on the genre?

Some Kind of Fairy Tale, Graham Joyce (2012)

Scenario: After disappearing as a teenager twenty years ago, Tara Martin reappears on her parents’ doorstep on Christmas Day with an incredible explanation for her absence.

Pros:

  • Tara’s explanation kept me reading, hoping, suspecting, fearing.
  • A compelling, modern update on the fairy story that draws on the English folklore tradition but doesn’t feel derivative or too fantastical.
  • Tara’s extended family and its response to her arrival broadens the novel from being simply about the one question — Where was she? — to address, more broadly, how a family can move on (or not), love (or not) and trust (or not) in the face of tragedy and mystery.
  • The working-class setting is refreshing, and the descriptions of the English countryside lovely.

Cons:

  • Some pretty strong language and sexual content, if that’s a concern for your reader.

Bottom Line: I need to try more Graham Joyce. This book could be a good fit both for literary and fantasy readers, though the content definitely puts it squarely in the adult camp.

responses to seeking advice, 1

So, last week I asked the tumblarian community how they handle workshop enrollment, after I had a lot of no-shows. I got a lot of helpful responses, which I thought I’d share here.

mauramae:

So, I do adult programming. Most of our programs are open, but on occasion we’ve had to limit. I make that super clear- Registration required on all marketing. Our calendar system sends out an email to everyone, which helps, or I will do the same. No email addresses, we call. We ask people to confirm as there is a waitlist and we’d love to extend to other people if they can’t make it. I also let people know that sometimes there are no shows so they are welcome to come the day of and see what happens, no guarantees though. I haven’t experienced any repeat offenders… but this seems to work well. Good luck!

youtastelikenachos:

This really grinds my gears as well. Two things that have helped:

1. I send out an email reminder the day before any registered program. If there is a waitlist, I include in that email the fact that there is a waitlist. I hope this makes people feel guilty enough to cancel if they are not going to make it.

2. I haven’t had to do this yet, but look for patterns. If you have a repeat offender, I think it is totally fine to follow up with them and say something like. “Hey, I noticed you were not able to make it to the last two programs we had you registered for. If you’re not going to make this program could you just let me know so I can let someone off the waitlist.” 

nerdylikearockstar:

We’ve had this happen quite a bit especially with Children’s programs. Here are some things that have helped:

We only put out the signup sheets two weeks before the programs so not too much time passes in between. 

We emphasize to patrons that if they sign up but they can’t come, they should call so we can fill their spot. 

We don’t have waitlists. Instead, we tell the parents who are interested after the program is full that if they come to the library on the day of and there are spots, we’ll get them in. This doesn’t work for some people but for a lot of others even if they can’t get in to the program they can still enjoy a trip to the library.

It’s frustrating to turn patrons away only to find out that you would have had room for them; with kids there are going to be days where things don’t go according to plan. But these things have helped mitigate the problem at our library. Good luck!

notyourstereotypicallibrarian:

I always ask for e-mail addresses b/c it’s so much easier to send out a mass reminder instead of calling each person one at a time.  Plus, I hate talking on the phone…

schooledlibrarian:

From working at a school, especially for our Open House events, I’d think email addresses and follow-ups are key. The email we send out to those that signed up is usually just framed as “confirming” that that person is on the list; we add a few more details on the event that they might need, then ask for RSVPs if they don’t plan to come. Sometimes the people that sign-up simply forget about the event, and others will hopefully do the courteous thing and let you know if they aren’t coming. We also tend to overbook to make up for the no-shows.

sarahbethlibrarian:

we do have a signup sheet (online) for most of our programs, but it means basically nothing. we’ll have programs with 35 people registered and 10 show up, and we’ll have programs with 10 registered and 50 show up. So mostly, I just hope for the best and figure I know my community and what they like, and we get a good turnout. 

There are a few exceptions: For computer classes, we require registration, make reminder calls the day of the class, and call the waitlist for anyone who cancels during their reminder call. For classes with really limited supplies, like art or cooking workshops, we require registration, REALLY emphasize it, but DO allow walk ins. We just wait by the door with a sign-in sheet and just let people who haven’t registered know that we are technically full and may not be able to accomodate them. Luckily, we’ve never actually had to turn anyone away even then— it just always works out. But it still makes for lots of nail-biting situations when I don’t know if anyone will show to a program I’m super excited about!

deweyscloset:

If there were a lot of no-shows, and you had a wait list, definitely hold them accountable.  Talk to the parents and let them know what’s going on.  Say that there was a long wait list for the program and that when they didn’t show up it put you in a tight spot.  They may not have thought it was a big deal or not have known there was a waiting list so you need to let them know.  Let them know that if something comes up to please call in so that you can let other parents know that a spot is available.  If it is a new program or you have new parents it wouldn’t hurt to call the day before to make sure they can make it-but then again if you have 100 kids that’s a pain.  For my smaller art class I only have 5-8 kids and I call the day before when a few didn’t show up.

reasonsimsinglealsobutts:

I’d usually go with ritualized sacrifice of the no shows, but I’ve been told that’s no longer acceptable.


Instead, email addresses work as well, otherwise I’d do first come first serve in the future.  No sign ups, just a queue. Email reminders might work though.

This really helps with SRP planning. I think I’ll go with email addresses and a mass reminder with mild guilt trip when I create the sign-up for my summer reading Hunger Games Training Day. We’ll take it from there, depending on how things work out this time.

Thanks, youse guys!

librarymayhem: thecardiganlibrarian: themugglelibrarian: carrieryan: I have a new eOriginal short story set in the Forest of Hands and Teeth World coming out on May 14, 2013!  Similar to Hare Moon, this short story, What Once We Feared, will only be available in digital formats and you can get it anywhere ebooks are sold: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million | Google [I’ll add more links as they become available - some sites don’t have a way to pre-order digital works] What Once We Feared is a 7,000 word story set right at the moment the Return (aka zombie apocalypse) hits and follows a group of teens trying to survive. SO excited for this!! Can we talk about the phenomenon of electronic-only low-priced, short-form promotional tie-ins to YA novels? Is there an analog equivalent? How do we feel about this as a trend? How do we handle these in our collection development? It’s happening with adult authors, too; Lee Child is the first to come to mind. I have patrons who request them and when I tell them it’s in digital format only, they usually respond exasperatedly, because they don’t own a Kindle or a Nook or a whatever. I might be able to license it for my library’s downloadable collection, but even they still wouldn’t have access to it unless I also load it onto a checkoutable eReader for them. We do circulate preloaded Nooks, so I guess I could pay for five copies of each title and have them on those… But there’s something about this that just makes me bristle. And I don’t mean to single out any authors in particular - it’s just not a publishing trend I have positive feelings for. And who is driving this trend? The authors? Or the publishing companies? I didn’t know about the adult authors! Our consortium has access to some of these mini teen titles through Overdrive, which is where I first encountered them. (We don’t have checkoutable ereaders, however.) Right now I’m reading Requiem, and just read Hana, the short tie-in story that (I guess?) precedes it, through Overdrive. And the little story, while an entertaining way to pass the time in waiting for your copy of the anticipated sequel, is definitely not necessary to following the plot of the “real book.” I could see Hana being a fun, almost fan-fiction-y treat for the true Delirium devotee, though. As a complicating factor, even if budgets allow for the acquisition of these materials, I’m not sure how many teens are into e-reading, even if a fair number of them could theoretically download Kindle apps to their smartphones.
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librarymayhem:

thecardiganlibrarian:

themugglelibrarian:

carrieryan:

I have a new eOriginal short story set in the Forest of Hands and Teeth World coming out on May 14, 2013!  Similar to Hare Moon, this short story, What Once We Feared, will only be available in digital formats and you can get it anywhere ebooks are sold: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million | Google [I’ll add more links as they become available - some sites don’t have a way to pre-order digital works]

What Once We Feared is a 7,000 word story set right at the moment the Return (aka zombie apocalypse) hits and follows a group of teens trying to survive.

SO excited for this!!

Can we talk about the phenomenon of electronic-only low-priced, short-form promotional tie-ins to YA novels? Is there an analog equivalent? How do we feel about this as a trend? How do we handle these in our collection development?

It’s happening with adult authors, too; Lee Child is the first to come to mind. I have patrons who request them and when I tell them it’s in digital format only, they usually respond exasperatedly, because they don’t own a Kindle or a Nook or a whatever. I might be able to license it for my library’s downloadable collection, but even they still wouldn’t have access to it unless I also load it onto a checkoutable eReader for them.

We do circulate preloaded Nooks, so I guess I could pay for five copies of each title and have them on those… But there’s something about this that just makes me bristle. And I don’t mean to single out any authors in particular - it’s just not a publishing trend I have positive feelings for. And who is driving this trend? The authors? Or the publishing companies?

I didn’t know about the adult authors! Our consortium has access to some of these mini teen titles through Overdrive, which is where I first encountered them. (We don’t have checkoutable ereaders, however.)

Right now I’m reading Requiem, and just read Hana, the short tie-in story that (I guess?) precedes it, through Overdrive. And the little story, while an entertaining way to pass the time in waiting for your copy of the anticipated sequel, is definitely not necessary to following the plot of the “real book.” I could see Hana being a fun, almost fan-fiction-y treat for the true Delirium devotee, though.

As a complicating factor, even if budgets allow for the acquisition of these materials, I’m not sure how many teens are into e-reading, even if a fair number of them could theoretically download Kindle apps to their smartphones.

Source: carrieryan

Love my library job…

  • because I get to order YA books and get it into the hands of teen readers
  • because the programs I plan involve such disparate elements as collage and laser guns
  • because not only does my baby son get to visit me at work, he can check out the newest picture books at the same time
  • because I don’t pay library late fees
  • because public librarianship, for me, offers just the right blend of introverted and extroverted work, and of physical and mental work

themugglelibrarian: carrieryan: I have a new eOriginal short story set in the Forest of Hands and Teeth World coming out on May 14, 2013!  Similar to Hare Moon, this short story, What Once We Feared, will only be available in digital formats and you can get it anywhere ebooks are sold: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million | Google [I’ll add more links as they become available - some sites don’t have a way to pre-order digital works] What Once We Feared is a 7,000 word story set right at the moment the Return (aka zombie apocalypse) hits and follows a group of teens trying to survive. SO excited for this!! Can we talk about the phenomenon of electronic-only low-priced, short-form promotional tie-ins to YA novels? Is there an analog equivalent? How do we feel about this as a trend? How do we handle these in our collection development?
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themugglelibrarian:

carrieryan:

I have a new eOriginal short story set in the Forest of Hands and Teeth World coming out on May 14, 2013!  Similar to Hare Moon, this short story, What Once We Feared, will only be available in digital formats and you can get it anywhere ebooks are sold: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million | Google [I’ll add more links as they become available - some sites don’t have a way to pre-order digital works]

What Once We Feared is a 7,000 word story set right at the moment the Return (aka zombie apocalypse) hits and follows a group of teens trying to survive.

SO excited for this!!

Can we talk about the phenomenon of electronic-only low-priced, short-form promotional tie-ins to YA novels? Is there an analog equivalent? How do we feel about this as a trend? How do we handle these in our collection development?

Source: carrieryan