Adult Readers Advisory: Secret Shopper

Using a public library where you are not known or a librarian who does not know you, ask for a good book to read. Discuss what happens: What questions were you asked? What tools if any did the librarian use to help you? Did the librarian successfully find a “good book” for you to read? If yes, how so? If no, why not? 

For my Secret Shopper assignment, I went an undisclosed library near my hometown. I found it easy to find where I needed to go. The service desk was staffed by two people.

I first went to wander around the stacks for about 10 minutes, to see if a staff member would approach me. Nobody did, although a staff member did walk past me as I browsed. I then went to the desk. The man I approached was friendly, although both staff members were clearly busy with other work.

I told the staff member that I had just finished a book, and I just didn’t know what to read next, and asked if he could help me find something to read. He asked me what kind of book I wanted to read, and I answered “romance.” After confirming that I had said romance, he showed me two spots - one where new fiction books are displayed, and the other where there are fairly recent paperback books. In the paperback section, he showed me a few spindles where there were romance novels shelved. I said “Thank you,” and he left.

The staff member I encountered did not conduct a readers’ advisory interview. He did confirm that I wanted to read romance, but did not ask me anything else about what kind of romance novel I wanted to read. I didn't get a sense that he was embarrassed about my choice of reading materials, nor did I feel judged, so I do not think that he did not conduct an interview because he was embarrassed to discuss romance further in depth or that he was looking down on my choice of reading materials.

I just think he didn't have much experience in the romance genre. I was disappointed, because romance is very diverse and means different things to different readers. Did I want a cozy romance or a steamy one? Contemporary or historical? Paranormal? Do I read Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Hoyt, Kresley Cole, Heather Graham, Danielle Steel, Janette Oke?

I didn't feel like the staff member had any real readers advisory training. I do think that they sections he led me to may have recently moved, so he may have automatically and understandably thought that I couldn't find books because they had moved. However, I tried to open our conversation with key words that should have indicated a readers advisory transaction, including the sentence: "I don't know what to read next."

The staff member also did not use any readers advisory resources, nor were there resources for patrons to pick up and use. This was especially disappointing to me, because the library I visited subscribes to NoveList. At the very least, I expected that the staff member I encountered would tell me about NoveList and tell me to search there for a book.

I also got the impression that both staff members at the desk were very busy with other work, and it was possible, even likely, that the staff member I approached was in the middle of another task not related to public service. This is something that any public librarian understands, but it doesn’t represent good service to the patron.

I also was not invited back to ask more questions if I couldn’t find what I wanted. Most of the books were not quite what I was looking for, but I didn’t feel like the staff member could give me any more help. Had I been a patron without library training, I’m sure I would have felt like the library didn’t have any books for me, when, in fact, the library certainly has books that I could enjoy.

The upside of this interaction is it inspired me to be a better readers advisor, and to be more proactive when I'm working at a public desk. I'm resolving to ask patrons who are wandering the stacks, especially the fiction stacks, if I can find them something to read. I also want to listen carefully for sentences and key words that may indicate that readers advisory would be helpful. I do not think patrons always realize that they can ask for help finding a book to read - I know I didn’t before I began working at a library - but I want to make sure that if they need that service, I can provide it. Finally, it strengthened my resolve to be conscious of patrons and to never look too busy when I'm working on a public desk. My job is to help the patrons!