Special Topics: Passive Readers' Advisory

I don’t know everything, but I do have a lot of deep-rooted opinions.  I feel that a lot of humans in 2020 are accustomed to finding information on their own and are less prone to ask for assistance.  I feel that plenty of people will follow the direction that they’re given.  I believe that one bad experience can often cloud an opinion and result in an unjustified, poor Google review.  I believe many people are mentally taxed and need a break so gentle nudges are appreciated.  I believe that the bulk of humans walking around these days needs entertained constantly due to their regular stimuli and this poses an interesting task to every business out there to stay interesting and relevant.  As a library director, these opinions coupled with my mission to push materials and stay a relevant, useful tool to the community means that I employ a lot of passive readers’ advisory at my branch.  Yes, patrons will often ask me for recommendations and I’m happy to accommodate them, but passive methods to steer patrons to materials they might like that will send them out the door, happy with their library is key.  Passive readers’ advisory in my building means fun displays that change regularly, changing material spotlights, social media posts to entice readers, and book flagging systems that facilitate in reader satisfaction.

Timothy Collins stated it well, “While the term implies that this is a passive activity, passive readers’ advisory requires an active approach from librarians,” (Collins, 2014).  

The primary method of passive readers' advisory that we use all the time is our New Materials section (that would fall under the category of book flagging).  Having all new materials grouped together gives patrons a clear starting point when they come in the building.  Without asking for any assistance at all, they can quickly locate the hot, new titles.  

The second method of passive RA that we use all the time is displays.  These changing, eye-catching  arrangements are grouped on our tables, at the end of the stacks, or in the windows.  They are themed and encourage patrons to try out new titles in specific categories.  They are often accompanied by some type of incentive (like candy or a ticket into a drawing). 

Social media is an unnamed requirement in 2020 and is one way that we create community presence.  We use social media to announce new arrivals, advertise promotions, announce programming, and make RA suggestions.  We use social media to show the public what we're reading.  Something I find quite interesting, personally, is that many of the people that "like" our social media posts aren't people that come into our library.  It definitely serves as a method to get conversations related to RA going with people we don't always see and it helps to elevate our image in the community, even if these people don't walk in our doors. 

Lastly, material spotlights are a highly utilized form of passive RA.  While there is some overlap of this category with displays and flagging, material spotlights deserve their own place as these are materials that are singled out for one reason or another and we're able to give them more details.  Unlike a display that will be comprised of many items, a material spotlight will feature one item and attach extra details that the reader might find helpful in directing them.  Personal recommendations, readalikes, or even a rating system to just let the patron know how that a title has buzz.  

There are many, many kinds of passive RA.  Not all patrons want a librarian right over their shoulder and not all librarians have time to follow a patron around, offering help.  Passive readers' advisory helps with both of these items and, I feel, creates a welcoming environment for patrons.