Promoting Literature and Reading

This week we talked about readers advisory, which is the recommendation of material to a library customer based on what they've liked in the past and what characteristics most appealed to them. We also discussed some other resources to encourage literacy Resource 1 - The Better Health Channel The Better Health Channel website has a 'Children and Literacy' page which offers advice to parents and carers on how to build their child's literacy skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It provides suggestions for building literacy skills at home, for example by ensuring there are plenty of age-appropriate books available, playing word-oriented games, or leading by example and ensuring your child sees you reading and writing regularly. The information offered is conventional knowledge that aligns with what I have previously learnt, however it is incredibly important and central to the role a library plays in literacy. Resource 2 - 1000 Books Before S...

This week we talked about book groups, how they work and whether they help to build literacy skills. Resource 1 'General Guidelines for Book Discussion Groups'  (Class handout, published by Casey Cardinia Library Corporation) This offers some guidelines for running a book group, much of which is common sense and incorporates a basic structure of a book group session. It is helpful, particularly as I have never participated in a book group before, and the structure ensures everyone gets something out of the book club and that it runs smoothly and effectively.  Resource 2 'Facilitating Discussion' from ilovelibraries.org   This  resource included tips on how to facilitate a book group discussion, how to participate in one, and some questions to consider relating to fiction books and non-fiction books. It contained similar information to the class handouts, although it also included some icebreaker type activities and tips for facilitating a discu...

This week we looked at how to find books to recommend to others, based on books that have been selected as winners or shortlisted for literary prizes. We also looked at some websites that offer recommendations or information to help you choose a book or author. Resource One: The Stella Prize    This is the website for the Stella prize, an annual $50,000 prize given to a work of literature by an Australian woman that was published in that year. The website details the winners and shortlisted titles by year. Just because a book has won or been shortlisted for a prestigious prize doesn't mean it will be any good, or what someone is interested. However, it can be a good way to find a book that may be a current talking point. The Stella Prize shortlist is also useful if you are searching for new work by Australian women in particular. Resource Two: Fantastic Fiction Fantastic Fiction lists written works chronologically by author. It is very helpful when wanting to find th...

Resource 1: Goodreads is a book reviewing platform that allows users to submit reviews and ratings for books. Resource 2: Book Marks i s a website for book reviews that works on the same premise as Rotten Tomatoes does for films. It compiles reviews of books published by well-known sources such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and creates a rating based on all the reviews. The website shows an excerpt of each review, the link to the review, and assigns the review an overall descriptor from the following options; rave, positive, mixed and pan.  Resource 3: Below is a com parison of b ook reviews of two different books, comparing the reviews from television program 'The Book Club' (season 11 episode 8) with a written review for each book from the program. Book 1 - The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy The review panel on The Book C lub includes Jennifer Byrne, Marieke Hardy, Jason Steger, Colson Whitehead, and  Natalie Haynes. T...