Empowering Library Users with Passive Readers’ Advisory, a guest post by Monisha Blair

How do we recommend books without a conversation? As librarians, we all craft book displays to highlight current topics and themes. My favorites are always the ones curated by my students, but there are also subtle ways to embed passive readers’ advisory into your library space to build more confident and independent library users.

When I started at my current library a few years ago, I noticed that the vast majority of my students came in looking for a book, but didn’t know where to start. While I love book talking and sharing my favorites, it was clear that the library was not adequately serving my students’ needs. Channeling Ranganathan’s Laws of Library Science, it was time for the library as a living organism to evolve. I needed to make the collection and the space more browseable to match how my patrons use the library and help them be self-reliant.

First on my list was to genrefy the collection. As a passive readers’ advisory tool, if you know your reading mood, it is helpful to have similar books grouped together as you browse. Large, colorful signage helps students navigate the various sections. Borrowed and adapted from High School Librarian Kelsey Bogan, my genre signs add another layer of accessibility. “Signs with clear, engaging visuals and text lead students to the books they want and need; from English learners to students learning to read to students new to a school, the library signage sends the message that there’s something for everyone in the library!” said Natalie Lorenzi, Senior Manager of Library Information Services at Fairfax County Public Schools.

Beyond that, smaller, intentionally placed signage directs readers to areas they may have overlooked. For example, this sign in the Sports Fiction section is an inexpensive picture frame from Ikea with an index card directing students to the 790s for nonfiction books on sports.

Throughout the library, I have colorful shelf talkers to recommend titles when I cannot personally hand patrons the book. By folding a neon index card in half and writing a one to two-sentence description, these shelf talkers grab a potential reader’s attention among a row of spines. Kelli Larrick, a reading support teacher at Key Middle School, called these shelf talkers “enticing.” “Kids are drawn to them. They always incorporate a cliffhanger or something the students can connect to. They are very high interest, but don’t require a huge commitment to read,” she said. While I have created all of the ones currently in the library, eventually, I would love to see students taking this on – increasingly adding their voices to the space and recommending books to one another.

Book lists are another fabulous passive readers’ advisory tool. 2023 School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year Melissa Corey has inspired many librarians with her printable visual book lists and Canva templates to highlight diverse titles in an eye-catching way. I find that digitally curated book lists have the advantage of letting students know what is currently available. As a Destiny Discover user, building Collections on curricular topics or high-interest themes has been a good way to bridge the library’s digital resources with the print ones. By advertising these lists on our learning management system, students will often seek out titles they have found in a Collection.

Ultimately, the goal is to empower patrons to be confident library users. By shifting the discoverability of the right book at the right time to students, we are creating and sustaining an atmosphere of free inquiry. According to Larrick, “independence, self-reliance, and high interest are key to motivating students to read.” She noted that attitudes towards reading can be apathetic and lead to low self-confidence, especially for those struggling with their reading abilities. “If they have the ability to choose and know that they can rely on themselves to do so, their interest, confidence, and most importantly, their willingness to read grows exponentially.”

Monisha Blair is the Head Librarian at Key Middle School in Springfield, VA. She also reviews graphic novels, middle grade fiction, picture books, and young adult fiction for School Library Journal. She served on the SLJ Best Books Committee for Middle Grade Fiction from 2020-2024. You can find her on all social media platforms as @monishablair

Filed under: Reader's Advisory