Spring in North Carolina is a perfect time to stay indoors if you have allergies as bad as mine. Not that I mind. I hit the library, stock up on books, and read away a couple of days. I don't usually ask for help choosing materials but when I run out of books by favorite authors, I head to the information desk. "What do you have?" "Where is it?" "When will you get it?" These questions and more are compressed into a single RA interview. What kind of scenarios do you encounter?
Help a reader articulate what he wants. Becky Spratford tells us that It’s all About That Frame -- the details that a reader finds appealing in a story. Discovering a reader’s frames such as topics, geographic locations, and character backgrounds make it much easier to provide great recommendations.
Use popular culture as a conversation starter. As Jennifer Brannen points out in #Sherlock Lives, Sherlock is a much-loved character whose many retellings are as popular as his original stories.
Need more graphic novel and comics suggestions? Get up to speed on the latest web comics (that often find their way into print) in Zack Smith's Comics on the Web.
Booklist's sixth annual Mystery Month kicks off with a webinar that features representatives from several publishing houses discussing new and forthcoming titles! Register even if you can't attend so that you'll receive a link to the recorded archive.
It's All About That Frame
by Becky Spratford
Librarians are well versed at asking about genre and appeal preferences. We remember to bring up issues like preferred pacing, desired tone, and favored writing style but we often forget one vital question as we talk to leisure readers...Continue Reading
Around the Web with Jessica Zellers
Each month Jessica Zellers adds a few items to your web-surfing itinerary. Take a look at these lists, articles, reviews, and the best of new RA materials and advice.
First Leonard Nimoy, then Terry Pratchett: this has been a difficult season for the nerds of the world -- though, as many obituaries for both men observed, you don't have to be a nerd to enjoy their work. Science and science fiction...Continue Reading
#SherlockLives: An Investigation into the Enduring Appeal and Many Sides of Sherlock Holmes
by Jennifer Brannen
Sherlock Holmes is back from the dead (again), but there are those that would say that he never left. Statistics would seem to bear this belief out: According to The Guinness Book of World Records, Holmes is the second most portrayed character in TV and film ever. That's a formidable cultural presence...Continue Reading
Comics on the Web
by Zack Smith
Online comics or webcomics represent some of the most diverse and widely read examples of the comics medium, employing a wide range formats, subject matter, and artistic styles. They are often produced by cartoonists using...Continue Reading
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