Learn how to become more comfortable providing readers' advisory (RA) services. Through practice sessions, learn how to use RA tools, craft annotations, read in genres, articulate appeal, and experiment with methods to offer RA services. Readers' Advisory 101 is tailored for support staff, library technicians, newly hired reference librarians, and those librarians who want to brush up on their skills. The topics covered are introductory in nature. Class segments are geared to cover issues of interest to staff in all types of libraries.

Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library by Joyce Saricks will be the course textbook. This well-regarded textbook is published by the American Library Association and available for sale online.

At the start of the class, students will be asked questions about one genre book from the list below (they are welcome to read more than one). It goes without saying that if you register, proceed to read the book well before the class begins! The four books will be used as examples during the class to illustrate many of the subjects and be used in the book discussion session.

• Romance - The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
• Mystery - Still Life by Louise Penny
• Speculative Fiction - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
• Action/Thriller/Suspense - Ice Station by Matt Reilly

This course includes practice chat sessions conducted online. The chats will take place at 3 p.m., Chicago/Central Time on Thursdays, and will last 1-2 hours. Those students who miss a chat may comment on the chat transcript. Students will have the best learning experience if they attend all of these chat sessions.

• Teacher: RUSA Admin