Special Topics Paper: Reader's Advisory for Parents

I work with kids on a daily basis and so to tie that in with this class I chose to write about conducting Reader's Advisory with Parents. Working with parents can be very tricky and they often come up asking for books to give to their kids - especially teens. Teens can be so busy that they don't have time to come into the library, and sometimes they don't really want to read so parents are trying to make an effort to find a book that will get their teen to enjoy reading. Parents don't always have a great idea about this, and may not understand that their child might be really into graphic novels (as an example) and doesn't see the literary merit in them. Those are the parents who may be like "I want my son to read quality literature, like the Great Gatsby." It's difficult to find a way to please the parent but also find a book that the child will actually read and enjoy reading. I found an article from YALSA that addressed this topic really well. Who is the real patron in this situation? The parent? The Child? Both? What do you do when your patron isn't in front of you at the reference desk but by proxy (the parent)?

The YALSA article reminds the reader that parents are our allies in connecting kids with books and seeing the library in a positive light. That being said, it's top priority that despite how difficult it may be sometimes we need to make sure we provide our parents with excellent readers advisory service. We can steer our reader's advisory interview towards asking the parent questions about the child. What have they read recently? What books have they liked in the past? Does the parent know what the child read recently that they didn't like? Is there a particular reason why a parent is looking for a specific type of book or what about The Great Gatsby makes it a 'quality' book in their eyes? Understanding the parents rationale and as much information about the child's personality and preferences will help greatly with the search for book suggestions that will make both parent and child happy. I also found a great reader's advisory form online from a library that has great questions that could be asked in an in-person interview or a great way for the parent or even the teen to fill out and turn in if they have the time for the librarian to search thoroughly for book suggestions.

You can see the form here: http://www.dewitt.lib.ia.us/children/books-reading/readers-advisory-personalized-recommendations/parents-form

I also wrote a little bit about Reader's advisory for parents that are seeking materials on parenting advice and how uncomfortable it might be for a librarian who isn't also a parent. I delved into that topic as well because from my own interactions with parents in a library I can sometimes be automatically seen as an expert based on the fact that I represent the library. I'll have parents asking me all sorts of parenting questions and I have no real experience. What I learned for that is to make sure to weed and build a strong collection for parenting that embodies many parenting styles and cultures since it is so different.

Booth, H. (2006). Reader's Advisory by Proxy: Connecting Teens and Books through Positive Interactions with Parents and Caregivers. Young Adult Library Services, 5(1), 14-15.