Research Based Readers’ Advisory For Young Adults

Jessica E. Moyer

Rules of Leisure reading

“Never apologize for your reading tastes” - Rosenberg’s First Law of Reading

“Every reader his [or her] book. Every book its reader” - S. R. Ranganathan’s 2nd and 3rd Laws of Library Science

“ No two people ever read the same book.” Diana Herald, RAO Blog

Guidelines for Young Adult Readers’ Advisory

Do:

  • Stock popular materials and replace them when they wear out or walk out
  • Have nonfiction, graphic novels, magazines and audiobooks in your YA collection
  • Read nonfiction, graphic novels, manga, magazines and adult fiction, and listen to audiobooks of all types, even if it is only in “10 Minutes”
  • Keep a journal to remember what you “read”
  • Suggest nonfiction, graphic novels, manga, audiobooks, and adult fiction
  • Be specific, not abstract when describing your suggestions
  • Admit your likes and dislikes when asked – be honest with your teens!

Don’t

  • EVER make any kind of judging statement when talking to teen readers
  • Suggest really old materials (as in I loved that when I was a teen)
  • Push your favorite books
  • Encourage teens to read “quality” books or “move them up” to better books
  • Tell teens only books (or fiction) count as really “reading”
  • Read only YA books
  • Forget the Rules of Leisure Reading

Readers’ Advisory is:

“[O]ne in which knowledgable, nonjudgemental staff help fiction and nonfiction readers with their leisure reading needs.” (Joyce Saricks, Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library, 3rd edition, emphasis addded)

“Quite simply, it is the act of putting people together with the books they love.” Diana Herald, Genreflecting website

“The art of readers’ advisory [for teens] involves masterfully articulating various elements of a book to pique interest and entice the prospective reader.” Heather Booth, Serving Teens Through Readers’ Advisory

Recommended Resources

Booth, Heather and Michael Cox. RA4YA Wiki.

Booth, Heather. Serving Teens Through Readers’ Advisory. ALA Editions 2007.

Fraser, Elizabeth. Reality Rules: A Guide to Teen Nonfiction Reading Interests. Libraries Unlimited, 2008.

Herald, Diana Tixier. Teen Genreflecting. 2nd edition. Libraries Unlimited, 2008.

Moyer, Jessica E. Research Based Readers’ Advisory. ALA Editions 2008.

Moyer, Jessica E. Research Based RA Wiki.

Pawuk, Michael. Graphic novels: a genre guide to comic books, manga and more. Libraries Unlimited, 2008.

Ross, Catherine, et al. Reading Matters: What the Research Reveals About Reading, Libraries, and Community. Libraries Unlimited, 2006.

Thompson, Jason. Manga: The Complete Guide. Ballantine Books, 2007.

Jessica E. Moyer, YALSA Symposium, November 9, 2008