I conducted my Reader's Advisory secret shopper assignment by visiting a new-to-me library looking for a historical fiction book. My book club read Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan last year and we all enjoyed it. Therefore, my thought was to find another World War II novel but one based in another country.
While the library staff members I spoke with who were working that day were not well-read in the genre I chose, we were able to come up with a handful of titles that might work. After some back and forth with additional criteria, we landed on The Alice Network by Kate Quinn and The Lilac Girls series by Martha Kelly. She appeared to find these by running searches in the library's catalog system but I didn't get to observe her entire search to confirm this. There was one part in the search where she tried to recommend a book she had read from a different time frame which was probably not the best move from a Reader's Advisory perspective but it is possible she was trying to see how set I was on a WWII novel.
Overall, I think my secret shopper experience was above average in service but I also think that she was able to cherry-pick recent titles popular in the genre and recommend those rather than trying to find a good fit. I wish she would have asked more probing questions about the kind of book I was looking for and what I liked about Beneath a Scarlet Sky instead of going straight to best-sellers, but I think part of the reason she did not was the fact that she was mostly unfamiliar with the genre. I also wonder what results she would have procured if she had referenced Novelist or another resource that gave a more direct path to read-a-likes. The staff members I interacted with were both friendly and helpful, but unfortunately just didn’t have a depth of knowledge in the genre for which I was seeking help.
The titles that were recommended to me were ones I was aware of prior to my visit but they were not really familiar to me nor had I read them. I would say my expectations were met but not exceeded as I was hoping to find something new and exciting. I actually was able to find a book that she didn’t recommend while using my Goodreads account during our conversation that I think I will take to my book club to consider as well as it excited me more than the picks recommended. I would probably go back to the desk for future recommendations if at this library, but I’m not sure I would drive to this library for a recommendation, unless I was looking for something in the fantasy, suspense, or true crime genres. I think I would have had a truly great experience if my interest had better aligned with the staff members’ interests.
If I was the librarian in this case, I would have passed out with excitement! That is my favorite genre. So of course, I was a bit disappointed that that your experience wasn't spectacular. But then I realized that if someone would come up and ask me for recommendations in the romance genre for example, I would be in the same exact situation as the librarians you spoke to. So it is certainly understandable that the patron will not always find someone familiar with exactly what they want.
ReplyDeleteI like how you bring up not being able to see what they were searching. When I did my shopper assignment, I couldn't see the computer at first and was confused on whether I should ask what she was using or not(and possibly give myself up!). I was thankful when she turned the screen to show me what she was doing. It made me realize the importance of not just finding a book, but showing the patron how to find items themselves.
Great summary!
ReplyDeleteI probably would have had the same tendency as that librarian if I was unfamiliar with a genre to look up the new releases instead of actually asking specific questions about what authors or books they liked, because sometimes it's easier/faster to find something quick to show them. I always feel awkward or like I'm taking too long if I do a more in depth search, but I should remember that it pays off to go above and beyond, of course, as long as the patron has the time and patience.
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