Special Topics Paper

If you look on the ALA website for a definition of readers advisory you will mostly likely find these two definitions.  Defined by Herald, “readers' advisory is the act of putting people together with the books they love." While Saricks defines readers' advisory as “a patron-oriented library service for adult fiction readers. A successful readers' advisory service is one in which knowledgeable, nonjudgmental staff help fiction readers with their reading needs."  While Saricks specifies adult fiction readers, this idea can be transferred to readers’ advisory for youth.  However, I would contend that readers advisory for youth provides more challenges, not only are they(youth) busy forming their own likes/dislikes and opinions much like an adult, but also because of parental and school constraints and reading levels.  Keasler recommends, “don’t pay too much attention to reading levels.”  Scales states “we’re treating reading too much like a science. It needs to be treated more like an art form. Science is exact, art is looking at the whole composition—to create a painting of a reader, [we need] to look at them as a person.”

Reader's advisory for our children in the public library and in the school need to be treated as art, as a whole person.  While in a public library, librarians may have direct contact with parents they typically won't have this contact in a school library.  Either way it is important that we do our best to uphold the ALA Library Bill of Rights interpretation for minors,  "Equitable access to all library resources and services should not be abridged based on chronological age, apparent maturity, educational level, literacy skills, legal status, or through restrictive scheduling and use policies".

Additional challenges faced in the school library is leveled reading.  While some teacher embrace and respect the child's right to choose others focus on students selecting only within their reading level.  It is important then as a school librarian to have your own policy in place that states students have the right to self select a minimum of one purely recreational read of their choice.  School librarians also need to help students that have a desire to read at the level of peers, when their own reading skills don't match the level.  By shelving easier to read chapter books with other chapter books students have that sense of security.  

Teaching younger patrons, in the public or school library, to self-assess is valuable.  Can they look at a book and ask themselves is this a ‘just right book for me?’  We are here to foster their love of reading and learning, if we don’t allow them to explore fiction, non-fiction, easy books and too hard books, then we are robbing them of the opportunity to express themselves through reading.