Chen Su-May Sheih*
Associate Professor
Department of Library and Information Science, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
E-mail: synn@ntu.edu.tw Shu-Hua Chang
Librarian of Reader Services Division National Tsing Hua University Library Hsinchu, Taiwan
E-mail: shchang@lib.nthu.edu.tw Abstract
The purpose of this study were to explore the demands for fiction readers’ ad-visory service in public libraries. Semi-structured interviewing method was employed that amounts to 22 fiction adult readers in Taipei metropolitan area.
The results of this study indicated that readers’ advisory service will be helpful in finding the desired fictions for the 22 adult participants who are heavy fiction readers. Based on the findings, Implications and recommendations in terms of applications to library administration and education were proposed for future research.
Keywords: Readers’ advisory service; Reading guidance service; Adult readers of fiction; Public library
SUMMARY
This article focuses on the difficulties and possible solutions for the adult fiction readers in the public libraries. Patrons’ perceptions and expectations about readers’ advisory service offered by public libraries are also investigated. By con-ducting semi-constructed in-depth interviews with adult fiction readers in Taipei City Library, Taipei County Library, Xindian City Library, and its branch librar-ies, opinions about readers’ advisory service were collected, analyzed, and struc-tured. It is hoped that this study can obtain new insights and ideas for setting up the readers’ advisory service for adult fiction readers in the public library.
This study interviewed 22 adult readers, including 4 males, and 18 females.
The interviewees, all fiction readers, are frequent visitors to not only Taipei City Library, Taipei County Library, Xindian Library, but also some other local
librar-* Principal author for all correspondence.
ies in the Taipei Metropolitan. In order to get deeper understandings of the view-points on the readers’ advisory service, the interviewees were asked to give their visiting experience not limited to Taipei City Library, Taipei County Library, and Xindian City Library.
The results of the study are categorized into “adult fiction readers’ retrieving difficulties and possible solutions in the public library” and “adult fiction readers’
perceptions and expectations for the readers’ advisory service”, which are de-scribed in the following sections.
Adult Fiction Readers’ Retrieving Difficulties and Possible Solutions in the Public Library
The most often used alternative solutions for readers who are unable to re-trieve interested fictions are “borrowing other titles”, “abandoning the search”, and “visiting a bookstore, using book renting services, or going to other libraries”.
The reason adult fiction readers are reluctant to ask for help from a librarian is because the interviewees think “librarians are lacking of common knowledge rel-evant to this book”.
This study also shows, when adult fiction readers experience trouble in find-ing what he/she wants, some of them do not expect “the librarian proactively pro-vides help”. Those who expect “the librarian proactively propro-vides help” believe that the librarian should know better about the library collections. Besides, these interviewees expressed that the sense of satisfaction would be increased if the li-brarian proactively supports readers; readers would also be encouraged to return to the library as well because the sharing of books could be exchanged when the readers’ advisory service is provided by the library.
As for the readers who dislike the readers’ advisory service from the librar-ian, they often feel “being interrupted”, “searching novel is a mode of digging, should be a matter of ease and coziness”, “having pressure from the librarian”, and “being pushed to select certain titles”.
Adult Fiction Readers’ Perceptions and Expectations for the Readers’ Advisory Service
In this study, the researchers learned from the interviewees that they believe when “the library collections are properly displayed and managed” and when
“readers are informed by newsletters”, they are able to receive adequate help in retrieving needed fictions. The most needed service, proposed by the interview-ees, is “providing a bibliography list that includes books on exam keys”. Besides, the interviewees also indicate “a dedicated department and dedicated staff to provide readers’ advisory service” is a solid solution for helping readers retriev-ing needed fictions. Therefore, the above mentioned suggestions could serve as a
reference for future planning of the readers’ advisory service in public libraries.
The interviewees of this study confirm the necessity of the readers’ advisory service. They do believe that it would save the searching cost when first discuss with the librarian about the scope of the possible reading interests. They also think providing a certain index or tool for retrieving fictions would help adult fic-tion readers search more efficiently.
The interviewees, at the end, express a positive attitude towards the value of the readers’ advisory service as it “helps readers retrieve needed books effi-ciently”, “helps readers receive relevant information about the fiction for further readings”, “helps readers come closer to the author and the fiction itself”,
“helps promote the reading habit”, etc. These benefits all contribute to helping readers find what they want. Finally, the interviewees provide recommendations in four areas for the public library when planning the readers’ advisory service in the future, which are the staff, the reading environment, the service, and the gen-eral administration.
Based on the results of the study, the researchers recommend that public libraries should start to plan the readers’ advisory service. What could be pro-ceeded are: paying attention to collecting various types of fictions, improving the shelving method of fictions, working on reference tools for the readers’ advisory service, providing staff training for the readers’ advisory service. For the aca-demic, the researchers also suggest offering courses related to readers’ advisory services and planning a series of “on the job trainings” for related topics combin-ing the efforts and resources from the library as well as the library association.
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