Final blog for Promotions

Wow, this year has been so busy, but thankfully it's nearly over (I'm actually not sure about being thankful, I have really enjoyed having somewhere to focus my efforts and gain a sense of achievement). I chose to do Scenario 1, regarding starting a book club. As I said in my last post (how appropriate for this week - Remembrance Day was just a few days ago) I was hoping to have my assignment ready to hand up this week. I was successful in getting this done without too much drama. I found the most difficult part was the format - it was difficult not to write it as if I was going through the processes. So - I wrote it as if it was already done, and then created another document as the planning for other branches to follow.

We were also required to create a report for submission to the powers-that-be (in this case the Jacaranda Public Library Corporation) to encourage the other branches to start their own book clubs.

Doing this exercise definitely opened my eyes as to the amount of planning any event requires, even the ones which seem so straightforward, there's a lot of detail behind them.

Initially I chose the book club scenario as I'm a member of a book club, although it isn't run by the library. I felt that this did help me with certain aspects, such as knowing that their are notes which come with each copy, etc. As our meetings are monthly and follow a general format, it gave me a basis for the time frame as well.

I chose to work alone, that's just how I roll. I think I achieved more as I was able to pick and choose my times and tasks to suit my lifestyle (hectic).

This module has been a bit mad ..... a bit of event planning never did anyone any harm! The display was a challenge, and I am so glad I had such great partners!

Thanks for the whole experience - I have enjoyed the challenges, for the most part........

I will probably continue to blog, just have to get past a few life challenges first.

Week 12 (during the scenario selection)

Terry did say we don't really need to blog during this week, as overall there were only 3 posts necessary for this month. But I found out so much interesting stuff when I was researching for the scenario I have chosen, that I wanted to put it here (as I can't really put it in our theoretical plan). I have chosen scenario one - setting up a new book club as a particular branch within a library, with certain required documents :
A planning document
A report on the success/failure (god forbid)
I don't know if this was cheating, but I worked back to front - I pretended (to myself) that I had been the book club coordinator, and listed the steps I followed to set it up. Then I realised that it didn't really look like a planning document, it was too specific - for example I mentioned a 30 November cut off date, how many respondents we received, etc. Which you can't really put into a planning document.........anyway, maybe I made more work for myself but that was how I managed to create the planning stage. As none of it was real, the method could still work - bottom up is how Michele puts it, when we speak about Gantt charts and design briefs.
Anyway, some of the cool facts/stuff I found is here :

Central Highlands libraries bookclub has over 110 clubs, a waiting list – and the waiting list is closed. They have 216 book sets (makes for a great selection), 10 books per set.

Albury city library has 10 types of book clubs.

How great is this? Victoria Library (Canada) . They actually lend out the book club sets - unfortunately it's in Canada, but there are several schemes running in Australia too.

AND (sorry, but I really enjoy all of this) look here : Melbourne book clubs there are so many interesting and varied clubs operating - there's bound to be something for everyone here, with a Cult Fiction book club, a 3rd Wednesday book club, etc . Plus there are also reading circles, where members bring and discuss books of their own choice. Which reminds me, my book club meeting is this Wednesday night - and for once I have already finished the book, no last minute skimming required.

There is so much going on there - now that would require lots of planning!

We were given time in class today, once the noise had settled down to a dull roar, to continue on with this task, as it is a major assessment task. We were given the option of working in pairs, but I prefer to work on my own. 

Hopefully by this time next week, I will have my assignment ready to hand in. 

.........

   Marita

Week 11 Event Planning

Now that Morgenne, Cameron and I have actually put up our display, I have a much better appreciation of the work involved. I am so grateful to my team members, as they had so many resources to make our 'Fantasy' themed display truly spectacular. Morgenne, in particular, devoted many hours creating her amazing dragon, which is really the backdrop of the whole cabinet. So many fantasy books between the two of them, a lot of which I'd never even heard of. My contribution was pretty much limited to assisting with the planning, some childrens' books (a very old Alice in Wonderland and a not-so-old Pagemaster) - oh and the fabric for the backdrop and ground. We were in fairly constant communication, thanks to facebook and text messaging. At no point were there any arguments, and discussions were always completely amicable. We all listened to each other and I feel that we worked very well together. (Thanks guys!)

Looking at event planning on a larger scale, whether it is an activity or a simple display, requires several steps:

• Ideas (brainstorming)
• Feasibility (is it achievable)
• Resources (do you have the budget or props to hand)
• Time (do you have enough of it to get the job done)
• Delegation (can you share around some of the work)
• Publicity (within budget / technical support, etc.)

Events and Displays in Libraries

Frankston Library holds frequent events. They have a section of their website dedicated to upcoming events, ranging from regular workshops to special events such as 'Locked in the Library' (an event for juniors on Halloween); Live Music - Czarina; Poppy making workshops. Most of these are free or gold coin entry.

Cambridge Library holds several events over the year: Kaleidoscope Ensemble for kids, International Games Day, classes for the technologically challenged. However, these are not free - $15 per hour for the first 2 hours, $10 per hour after 2 hours. A bit on the pricey side, I thought.

Here are a couple of displays I thought were eye-catching, for a variety of reasons:

I have been keeping a keen eye out to see what events are being promoted lately, particularly around libraries and/or public events to do with reading. I heard an advertisement on the radio just the other day regarding the Clunes open day event. Clunes is a book town, several hours journey away, but it did catch my attention, so I used our good friend google and discovered that on the Victorian Government website, on the Events Calendar is the 2014 Clunes Booktown Festival. It is  under the category of Arts, Culture & Heritage, and has it's own website http://www.booktown.clunes.org
so I went to the website and here is what I found:
For a $20 entry pass, you can get access to talks, readings, lost trades village, workshops and much more.
Clunes has 3 festivals per year, and I imagine that most of the rest of the year is spent planning for those 3 days.
I was looking for information to help library staff with the basic requirements of planning an event for their library And then I hit the jackpot! 

I found a document (pdf) which has details of a workshop offered to libraries titled "Event management for public libraries: the essentials". I've shared it on the Diploma facebook page, I've read through it and it really covers the basics very well. Particularly as it has been created with Library staff in mind. Here is the link:
http://libraries.vic.gov.au/downloads/Statewide_Marketing_Project/presentation_event_management_workshop_final.pdf

I think that's enough for this entry.........
Till next time,
See ya!

Week 10 CULEVP503A Analysis

Analysis of the Elements, Skills,  Knowledge and Range Statement of CULEVP503A

 Plan, develop and promote activities and/or events.

My understanding of this unit is that it covers what needs to be taken into consideration when planning a public event or display.

For example:
  

• Resources
• Time
• Budget
• Ideas

 Some of the required skillsets and knowledge involved are:

• community and teamwork skills
• initiative and enterprise skills
• literacy skills
• numeracy skills
• planning and organisational skills
• problem solving skills
• self-management skills
• technology skills

Required knowledge

•  subject matter around which activities, events or public programs are developed
•  features of typical policies, procedures and practices relating to the provision of activities, events and public programs
•  concept of sustainable practice and its relevance to the development of public programs
•  sources of advice and specialist assistance for activity development
•  techniques for planning and scheduling activities, events and public programs
•  interpretation techniques suitable for a wide range of audiences
•  resources for planning, promoting, delivering and evaluating activities, events and public programs
• cultural protocols to be observed in developing programs, including those relating to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander contexts
• copyright, moral rights, privacy and intellectual property issues and legislation that impact on the development of activities, including those relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, child protection and trade practices.

Literature - Shelving, classifications & non-English

Today we had Maria for our class, as Terri is off to her daughters'  wedding. I hope it went smoothly and everybody had a wonderful time!
It was nice to finally meet Maria, we've heard so much about her.
Todays' class was very interesting, albeit short! We had a good discussion about this weeks topic. I had no idea that the Harry Potter books are shelved in Monash under Literature and given Dewey numbers - because thesis are being written about them. Who woulda thunk it! I looked for 2 other fiction (popular) novels - Animal Farm and Eragon. Neither of them are filed under literature; the Harry Potter novels really changed the world in regards to children reading, which is why they've been more or less singled out for special treatment I think.

Labeling and Shelving arrangements.

The most common arrangement for fiction in schools and public libraries is in Call Number order, however I think there is a gradual shift occurring, particularly in schools, to shelving them in genre order. When I spoke to the librarian at St. Peters last year, their shelves had been recently re-organised into genre order and it was working well, encouraging more reading. This requires the end-processing to include genre stickers, which makes it easy for a patron to find the type of book they are looking for.
In a school library (using St. Peters as a guide), certain of the books are restricted to borrowers aged over 15; whereas in a public library they are divided into larger sections: early readers, children, teen, young adult are the most common terms used. They are placed on the shelves in a fashion where the children can reach them easily, according to the age group, and most libraries will have story time, where an adult will read to the children. This encourages an early attraction to books, which will hopefully continue as they grow. Having easy access to books is much more likely to facilitate a love of reading than none.

Classification of Literary works in Academic Libraries

Literary works are catalogued under the dewey classification 823. I can't really tell at what point they are classified - it may be once they have theses written about them, it can't just be by popularity or according to prizes (eg, Booker prize), as I searched for several other novels which were prize-winners in their day and they had not been allocated a Dewey number. I would like to understand this point better and intend to investigate this more fully. For example, in the Latrobe University catalogue I searched for 2 George Orwell novels, 1984 had a Dewey classification No., but Animal Farm just has a call number, not a Dewey number. So; you'd really have to know whether it was considered as literature or just a novel to find it. Confusing!

Subject headings for literary works including fiction

I found this information on http://lib.guides.umd.edu/content.php?pid=132359&sid=3308846

Subject Headings for Literature fall into several categories, offering many ways to search for information on an author, work, genre, or time period:

• Individual Literary Authors
• Literary Works by Author
• Literary Works by Title
• [Name or Topic] in Literature
• Literatures by Region/Genre
• Authors by Nationality
• Miscellaneous Subject Headings

I couldn't find any information regarding the Literature subject headings in Australia, I would assume they follow the Library of Congress rules, as we do in so many ways.

Non-English Literature and ESL (English as a second language) shelving

From what I can find, shelving for books which are not in English are categorised firstly by language and then by author. For example, a book by Yibin Jiang in Chinese would be catalogued and shelved with the label CHI JIA. This was the most information I could find, but I will look next time I'm in a large library.

My local library does not have a LOTE collection (in Carrum Downs) however I'm not sure about the Frankston branch. I don't go there very often but will try to make the effort over the holidays and check it there.

Whew, this entry took me ages, it was quite hard to find adequate information to answer the dot points for week 9!

Til next time.....

Literacy

• What is you opinion of the statisitics in the above ABS documents and do you think there is a role for government, schools and other organisations in raising literacy levels and fostering reading?
• Find some examples of  the promotion of literacy and/or  reading by different organisations - libraries, schools, adult education venues, ESL courses bookshops, the media, book councils,  literacy or reading associations etc.
• Has there been any research done on the success of any promotional activities or prgrammes in encouraging reading and the acquisition of higher levels of literacy ? (perhaps a couple of articles could be found  in some scholarly journals)

Start with the basics.
What is a definition of Literacy?
On dictionary.com the definition is :
The quality of state of being literate, especially the ability to read and write; the possession of education; a persons knowledge of a particular subject or field eg computer literacy.

I found a pdf http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Pdf/Literacy dealing with literacy in the curriculum for Australian schools, and one of the lines reads "Language, verbal or non-verbal skills is critical for the development of literacy skills. The definition on the Australian Curriculum website is:
Literacy encompasses the knowledge and skills students need to access, understand, analyse and evaluate information, make meaning, express thoughts and emotions, present ideas and opinions, interact with others and participate in activities at school and in their lives beyond school.

I was shocked at the statistics in the ABS documents. I would like to see the tests that were done to gather the figures. I do believe they were helpful in forcing the government to allocate funding to schools, which is never a bad thing.
In my opinion, the government should have a role, at least in providing funding, to aid in raising the literacy levels. This is the future generations we're talking about, after all!
I looked at the smarter schools site, and read about the results gained from the Smarter Schools National Partnership for Literacy and Numeracy. The funding that went into this program was noteworthy - the minimum being $6.1 million for the ACT, up to 136.0 million for NSW.
The focus on literacy and numeracy was decided upon as they are, after all, foundation skills; allowing young people a better chance of achieving at school as well as when they have finished school. The particular focus was on underachieving students, where the biggest gains could be made to most effect.
Searching for promoting literacy, I came across an article from the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) where I found out that the 8th September, 2014 was International Literacy Day 2014 with the theme of Literacy and Sustainable Development.

Here is a sample of literacy promotion, which has been created to give schools ideas on how to promote literature using awards, bookmarks, etc.  http://www.nwt.literacy.ca/resources/famlit/howtokit/caught/caught.pdf

I also found this list of 10 charities that promote literacy :
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/10-charities-that-promote-literacy_b42231

Last year the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) held several promotions to support National Bookshop Day on 10 Aug 2013.

Literacy Programs and their success.

I found a pdf which covered a LOT of research, and included a variety of programs.
Eduweb Victorian Government
In section 5 there is a list of the different programs; it also covers the strengths and weaknesses of the individual programs.
Continuing to read through this extensive pdf, it became apparent that most of the programs were more highly successful than had initially been anticipated.
In some cases, simply raising the awareness of literacy issues can be the trigger to get interventions (if required) in place, The encouragement and enjoyment that most students gain from proving to themselves, and others, that they are capable of improving in their literacy goals can be a huge step forward, for the student, the family, the teachers and the schools.

Given the opportunity to participate in a literacy program, most schools will be happy to get on board. Good teachers are usually able to pinpoint students who would benefit the most from the programs on offer.

Week 7 Reader Advisor

Our task for this week was to look up several websites and jobs in relation to a readers advisory position. We don't really recognise this as a separate task in Australia, it's sort of put-upon the existing library staff to educate themselves in order to assist their patrons. There are many sites we can use to help us to keep up with the latest release information. Listed below are several, I particularly like the 3rd website listed, but I would always refer to Goodreads as well.

Websites

http://www.readersadvisoronline.com/ranews

Readers' Advisor News

An e-newsletter published quarterly by Libraries Unlimited, this is a good resource with many articles regarding trends and other items on issues, this release is particularly aimed at Reader's Advisories who may work in an Academic Library and recreational / pleasure reading services.


 http://www.readersadvisoronline.com/blog/index.php??ws=WS_RA&as=blog%2findex.php&token=1A3E54B96CC87894CB2562DB3DD226B8

The Readers Advisor Online

The readers advisor online is a blog which is based on Libraries Unlimited's Genreflecting Advisoy Series.It has been created or readers' advisors and people who work wih readers. Look here for the latest news, tips, fun stuf, and a list of books both non-fiction and fiction which are about to be published. There is a plethora of links on this page which would be useful.

http://www.ebscohost.com/novelist/novelist-special/readers-advisory-blogs-you-may-have-missed

NoveList - Readers' Advisory Blogs you may have missed

This is a great article, originally published in March 2012 in the RA News Newsletter, which includes a list the author suggests should be checked at least once a week. They provide quite a lot of information which would be useful, particularly for someone employed (or wanting to gain employment) as a readers advisor.

These jobs are all in the United States, and I'm stunned at the fact that the salary is not very good for a position which requires a College Degree.

Jobs

https://www.governmentjobs.com/jobs/937258/library-technical-assistant-reader-advisor
This position was for a Library Technical Assistant - Reader Advisor. The wage range was $26,139 - $48,361 p.a., as a full-time position at the State Library at Richland County. SC.The responsibilites were :
Provides comprehensive reader advisory service to Talking Book Services patrons.  Selects recorded, Braille and large type books and matches all to selected reader interests.  Responsible for one-to-one contact with patrons via telephone, mail, email and in person.  Responds to incoming calls throughout the day as scheduled.  Advises patrons in the selection of books.  Researches general reference questions.  Keeps patron computerized request files current and processes request lists received by mail, phone, or in person.  Keeps patron records accurate and current.  Reviews new reader applications and initiates contacts.  Creates computer profiles on new readers and updates current profiles.

https://www.tsl.texas.gov/jobs/ral.html
This position was for a Readers Advisory Librarian with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission; Monday to Friday 8 - 5pm, and the pay was $2,500 - $2,600 per month. This position was advertised at the end of 2013, and initially I thought it was the same as the previous one, but it's in a different state, so that's not the case.

This position provides reader’s advisory, reference, research, and technical support services for the Talking Book Program. This position provides service via telephone, email, postal correspondence, and in person to patrons with visual, physical, and reading disabilities that prevent them from reading standard print. Work is performed in a call center environment. Works under general supervision, with moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

http://www.darienlibrary.org/general-information/we-are-hiring-part-time-readers-advisor
This position is part-time, 10 hours per week, primarily weekend hours at Darien Library in Connecticut.  The pay is $15 per hour, but the required qualifications are a college degree! You are also 'preferred' to have enrolled in a library science or information science graduate program.

The Darien Library is looking for an enthusiastic librarian to join its Readers’ Advisory department. Readers’ Advisors staff the Library’s Welcome Desk and do a little bit of everything, but most of all, are counted on as trusted recommenders of books and other entertainment. We are big believers in the power of librarians connecting readers with their perfect book, and are always looking for new ways to do so.

Work Placement Notes

This task is not quite the same as if I'd done my work placement in a library. The images above are of large boards which surround the study area, near reception, in the main building. They are used as backdrops when they attend seminars / conferences.
I basically spoke to each department head (as well as the CEO, Mike) and asked them what they did to promote the service/s they provide.

When I spoke to the CEO, Mike, I specifically asked about marketing and promotional material. There is currently no specific person in charge of marketing - a situation which is being revised, and he anticipates that in the near future they will be employing a business manager. This new role will encompass the marketing side of Caval, in addition to several other tasks.

Promotions is not really at the fore-front of the business, I suppose that is partly due to the fact that what they actually do has been rapidly changing over the last several years, and it has been a learning curve within their own business as the need / opportunity to expand has come about.

Within the University circles, Caval has always just 'been' there, with the storage and retrieval service well known, therefore not really requiring any marketing for Carm1. I'm not sure how the Carm2 storage system was marketed, I was under the impression that it was basically word of mouth, and I was too gob-smacked at the amazing things in there to ask proper questions (sorry!).
Speaking to Rob and Jaimie from the LOTE express service, the majority of their marketing is done via networking, building up trust within the library / librarian community. This 'grows' their business as they build the trust with the relevant staff, and prove they are reliable.

Caval has a stall at Library Conventions and Seminars - notably the ALIA conference which will be held in Melbourne in September 2014. Other than the website, this is where they will hand out pamphlets, flyers & folders which hold information about the services they offer.
The website is the first port-of-call for anyone wanting more in-depth information. It is very well structured, with several good, informative you-tube tutorials embedded in the pages about :

• D2D
• Storage
• LOTE Express
• Cataloguing 
• MK Systems
• Digitising
• Library Leadership Program

Caval is a not-for-profit organisation.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay with the Caval personnel, and feel like I learned a lot.

Reviews, Prizes and Awards

Looking at: Literature reviews, literary journals, literature promotion organisations, literature awards

Unfortunately I missed class this week, so I'm working from the notes on Moodle.

Where to find literature reviews?

I like to use goodreads.com to see what other people say about something I'm considering reading. I also look at my local library catalogue to see if anyone has submitted a review - although they usually haven't. I click through to the 'more about this book on googlesearch or librarything - that's my favourite method. But that is only useful if I have the name of an author/book, goodreads is better for a quick browse. I've also recently discovered (from researching for school) that a number of bookstores and libraries make recommendations about recently released books. I notice on Terri's powerpoint that there are a number of magazines available, which I wasn't aware of. Good Reading Magazine - what a great idea.

Literary journals for adults and children.

I really love the fact that doing this course continues to educate me in ways I hadn't thought about before - such as finding out about all these great things. Here are a couple of the magazines I found, all Australian.

• Overland (Motto = Temper Democratic; Bias, Australian)
• Meanjin (journal of ideas, buil around books, to encourage free expression and intelligent criticism, to put forward 'advance guard' material, develop contacts abroad - a Literary Lend-lease.)  
• Quadrant (a conservative publication, aligning itself with right-wing politics)
• buzzwords (an emagazine dedicated to childrens books)
• Reading Time Online (from the Australian Children's Book Council)
• Viewpoint (Australia's major Young Adult review journal)

Regular literature promotional activities in the English speaking world.

• Bookweek (still searching to see if this is the same everywhere) began in the Netherlands as an annual festival which ran for 10 days to highlight Dutch literature.
• Writers week (different in each major city of Australia).
• There are a number of Literary Festivals around, which are predominantly held in October, although different weeks.

Two well known 'book towns' - Victoria & UK.

1. Sedbergh is one of Englands 'Booktowns'. It is officially recognised as one of the 4 Booktowns in the UK. It has brought together a number of small businesses based on reading, writing, publishing etc. and promotes their town to attract booklovers as a source of income. Sedbergh looked to this after the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001, and was officially elected into the International Organisation of BookTowns in 2006. A lot of visitors enjoy the beautiful countryside, and to browse in the many second-hand bookstores, looking for that rare piece to add to their collection.
2. Clunes in Victoria is the only booktown in the Southern Hemisphere! I had no idea - I will definitely have to get there at some point. Clunes is famous for it's bookshops, and was elected into the International Organisation of BookTowns in 2012. Again, it is rural, with delightful countryside, making it particularly attractive to wander around and enjoy the scenery after browsing through the bookstores.

Well known Literature Promotion organisations in Australia & the English speaking world.

• 4imprint is in the USA and provides a variety of promotional material.
• Janway is one I've come across before, and promotes itself as the librarians best friend.
• Boost promotional products come under the banner of Public Libraries Australia, and are located in Queensland. They produce a variety of items, including bookmarks, mugs & uniforms.
• Library Display Design Systems.American based, begun by a librarian in 1987 who wanted good merchandise.

Literary Awards: Australia, US & UK, Children / Adult fiction / Poetry

Miles Franklin Award - for the best Australian published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases.

Aurealis Award - for Australian science fiction, fantasy & horror fiction (annual)

Victorian Premier's Literary Award - for contemporary creative writing

Blake Poetry Prize - for dialogue regarding religion, spirituality and poetry

Childrens book of the year Award - (various, issued by the Childrens Book Council of Australia)

Arthur Rense Prize - given triennially to an exceptional poet by the American Academy of Arts & Letters

Bancroft Prize - given by the trustees of Columbia University for books about diplomacy and the history of the Americas (a very prestigious award)

Edgar Allen Poe Award - presented each year by The Mystery Writers of America to the best mystery fiction written in the previous year

Hugo Award - A set of awards given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works of the previous year. Named after the author of 'Amazing Stories' , a pioneering science fiction magazine

Pulitzer Prize - possibly the most prestigious of them all, there are several categories, including fiction, history, poetry & drama

Carnegie Medal - a British annual award for an outstanding book for young adults or children

Lord Ruthven Award - an International award presented by the Lord Ruthven Assembly, a group of young scholars for the best fiction on vampires and vampire culture

Bram Stoker Award - presented by the Horror Writers Association for superior achievement in dark fantasy and horror writing. Who would have thunk it!

Agatha Christie Award - from Japan! In honour of Agatha Christie's 120th Anniversary, presented by Hayakawa Publishing Company in association with the Agatha Christie Association. It is the literary award for unpublished mystery novels.

Well this has all been extremely interesting, but that's enough for tonight.

Till next time,

Displays and Promotional Material

Today we discussed different types of displays which libraries and / or bookstores construct, and why.
The main point for a display in these organisations is to encourage people to read but with different reasons behind them:
The library wants patrons to borrow their books and use their services, which keeps them alive and a vital part of the community.
The bookstore wants their customers to purchase their books - which also keeps them alive!
There are so many different types of material produced, it's hard to know where to start....looking on pinterest there was an incredible array of images. What a great excuse to spend some time on pinterest!

Some of the most common items which bookstores and libraries produce as promotional material are :

• personalised bookmarks
• flyers
• posters
• newsletters
• stickers
• book bags / totes
• key chains

I found a company (based in America I think) called JanWay who are 'Librarians' #1 Choice Custom Printed Fundraising and Promotional Items'. They produce all of those items, plus more.

Websites:
Winnipeg Public Library http://wpl.winnipeg.ca/library/.The home page is FULL of links. Links to search their catalogue; to look up current events; facebook; blogs; twitter; dvd's; movies; when I clicked on the 'events' link, there is a calendar with details of all the events they hold, and there are a lot! The minimum on a weekday was 6! With the ability to search by age group, type of event, presenter, I can see that it is a very interactive site.

Canberra Public Library http://www.library.act.gov.au/ . This was an interesting page - when I reduced the size of the screen, the menu automatically changed to read down instead of across - as if I was on a smaller device (ipad, phone, etc.). The links on the home page were very  helpful, with the ability to do everything from reading the latest newsletter; book a computer; check the catalogue to looking up how to join the library, make a payment or of course, 'how do I'. Always useful. You can also look at the latest survey from book clubs, COOL Awards (Canberra's Own Outstanding List Awards) - for Aussie Childrens books. They also recommend books for purchase.You can follow the library online, with news and information posted regularly via Facebook, or via RSS feed. They have regular programs and special events, all posted on the website, with a variety of holiday activities, story time, guest presenters, etc.

Southwater Library http://www.telford.gov.uk/libraries . This library website is not a stand-alone site, it is part of the council website. There are (again) many links to enable patrons to see what is going on in the community, the library catalogue, opening hours, different services offered - at the library itself but also from the council. There is a lot of community information links on this page, and also the ability to vote on the page itself - a great idea. You can download forms, look at the news, renew/reserve items. It is about the library, but it is more than that too. If I lived locally, I would definitely use this site.

Dymocks www.dymocks.com.au has a scrolling tab at the top of their site, which I imagine would change according to the season - at the moment it has 1. 25% off our best 50 biographies 2. YA suggestions 3. Gifts for Dad for Fathers Day and 4. Get your kids on the path to reading. Gets you thinking - then you can click to find your local store; meet the staff; read about their past. And then come the books.... from the new releases, to the bestsellers, to the favourites, after which you can see the most popular searches - using clever images as links. Then you have the 'News' where you can join up to gain rewards. Overall, this is a commercial site, created to gain book sales. It's not like looking at a library website.

Abe Books www.abebooks.com is an International bookseller. The top quarter of their website looks like a library catalogue, where you can enter the Author, Title, Keyword or ISBN and click the red 'Find Book' button, or there is also an advanced 'More Search Options' where you have more refinements. Other than that, they offer a 30 day refund policy, which will always make people buy with more confidence. They have a sidebar where you can choose from the ten most popular subjects (or browse all subjects).  There are many options to choose from - you can click on brand new books, cheap textbooks, etc. And for interested collectors, you can look at what were the most expensive books sold in July - rare book sales. Great for an insight into what it's like to have enough money to splurge! They do also have discount books for us mere mortals. The bottom tab is full of great links too - and of course there are links to social media too.

The Book Depository www.bookdepository.com . I have to admit, I am a regular customer here. The website is well organised, and you can have fun with the interactive map on the right-hand side, where the latest sales show. And of course, the best selling point - NO delivery charges. With a 'bargain shop' (up to 50% off) to entice you in, the bestsellers listed front and centre, a side bar with the most common categories making it easy to look for what you want, or just to browse if you're not looking for something specific. If you want award winning noves, they have a category for that too. New releases, and 'in the news' to keep up to date with the latest trends. And the top picks are always worth a look.

Task 2 - Three examples of each genre and MORE !

Genres and sub-genres

Fiction

                The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

                To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

                Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Poetry

                The Complete Poems by Emily Dickinson

                Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

                The Waste Land and Other Poems by T.S. Eliot

Childrens

                Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

                Charlotte’s Web by E.B. Whie

                A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Young Adult

                Just One Day by Gayle Forman

                Splintered by A.G. Howard

    The Shadowhunter’s Codex by Cassandra Clare

Drama (mainly intended to be performed in a play)

                Hamlet by William Shakespeare

                Macbeth by William Shakespeare

                Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Crime

                In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

                The Godfather by Mario Puzo

                And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Mystery /Thriller

                Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow

                The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

                Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

Romance

                Effortless by S.C. Stephens

                Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

                Slammed by Colleen Hoover

History

                A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

                The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

                Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Fantasy

                Dune by Frank Herbert

                Enders Game by Orson Scott Card

                Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Adventure

                King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard

                Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

                The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

Supernatural / Paranormal

                Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

                Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones

                Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Horror

                Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

                Salems Lot by Stephen King

                Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Western

                True Grit by Charles Portis

                Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey

                The Virginian by Owen Wister

Literary Fiction (eg Salmon Rushdie, Margaret Atwood)

                Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

                To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

                The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Humour/Comic

                Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams

                The Zombie survival guide by Max Brooks

                Your still hot to me by Jean Kittson

Science fiction

                The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

                The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson

                Divergent by Veronica Roth

Hybrid – a combination of 2 or more genres

                The Invisible Man by Herbert George Wells (Sci-Fi & Romance)

                World without End by Ken Follett (Historical & Adventure)

                The Mosaic of Shadows by Tom Harper (Adventure & Romance)        

      

Erotica

                The Mammoth Book of Erotic Romance and Domination by Maxim Jakubowski

                Shadow’s Stand by Sarah McCarty

                A Girl Walks into a Wedding by Helena S Paige

Short story

                Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell

                The Burial of the Guns by Thomas Nelson Page

                Bellflower by Guy de Maupassant

Novella

                The Third Man by Graham Greene

                Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

                Three Blind Mice by Agatha Christie

Graphic Novels

                The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill

                Hellboy: Library Edition Volume 1: Seed of Destruction/Wake the Devil by Mike Mignola

                Marvels (New Printing) by Kurt Busiek

Abridged or condensed novels (Readers Digest)

                Crossfire by Dick Francis

                Letters from Home by Kristina McMorris

                Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne

Translated Fiction

                Horses of God by Mahi Binebine (from French)

                Blinding by Mircea Cartarescu (from Romanian)

                Tirza by Arnon Grunberg (from Dutch)

Non-Fiction

                The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

                Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

                Freakonomics: A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything by Steven D. Levitt

Biography

                John Adams by David McCullough

                The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

                Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Autobiography

                Angelas Ashes by Frank McCourt

                The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

                Night by Ellie Wiesel

Memoirs

                Eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert

                Running with scissors by Augusten Burroughs

                Naked by David Sedaris

Titles of 3 well-respected scholarly books on literature that you would find on the reference shelves of a university library

The Collected Letters of W.B.Yeats: Volume IV 1905-1907 by John Kelly, Ronald Schuchard

Adonis to Zorro. Oxford Dictionary of reference and allusion Third Edition by Andrew Delahunty, Sheila Dignen

Cervantes in Seventeenth-Century England / The Tapestry Turned by Dale B.J. Randall, Jackson C. Boswell

Other useful reference books (at least 5) on literature and/or fiction and/or reading as a cultural activity

On writing: A memoir of the craft by Stephen King
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol 1: The Middle Ages through the Restoration & the  Eighteenth Century by M.H. Abrams
The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory by J.A. Cuddon
The Reader's Companion to World Literature by Lillian Herlands Hornstein
On Literature by Umberto Eco
How Fiction Works by James Wood
A Reader's Manifesto: An Attack on the Growing Pretentiousness in American Literary Prose by B.R.  Myers
New Maps of Hell: A Survey of Science Fiction by Kingsley Amis
Terrors of Uncertainty: The Cultural Contexts of Horror Fiction

Readers advisor - give a description (reasonably current) - what do they do and what skills and knowledge do they need?
Doing a bit of research about readers advisory gives me the impression that it is more a service rather than a  person - a service which a lot of libraries try to offer in one form or another. It is something that a lot of people who work in a library will face - the request to recommend a book. A reading adviser needs to understand that they cannot just recommend their own favourite books, as that would not be a broad enough base. One of the databases which can help is the Ebsco Novelist database, where you can find the 'Adult Popular Fiction Checklist, which contains many genres, and nearly 300 different authors. Discussing with friends, too, can be helpful. It is vital to keep up-to-date with the latest authors, as well as not losing track of the classics. Using resources such as goodreads and librarything can certainly be helpful as well. The right questions must be asked of the patron, but sometimes they may not be prepared to answer a lot of questions, just looking for something which they can pick up quickly.
It would probably be beneficial to keep some sort of list for yourself - which can be easy to check if someone requests a specific genre. 
With the advent of these databases, it can be a very simple matter to offer this service, particularly as many of them also offer the opportunity to leave a personal review. 

http://www.librariesalive.com.au/RA_sites.htm

As per the instructions from last weeks class, here is the basic information for this course :

Promotions 2 

CULINL501A Promote Literature and Reading 

Skills and knowledge to be acquired as per the training.gov.au website : 

Required skills 

• communication skills to: 
• conduct interviews in a reader advisory role 
• provide customer assistance 
• share information with colleagues 
• use social networking to promote literature 
• information literacy skills to: 
• process information from a range of sources 
• recognise different types of literature and how to access them 
• initiative and enterprise skills to develop and implement strategies to promote literature and reading in ways that take account of different reading levels and tastes 
• learning skills to improve own knowledge about literature and reading 
• planning and organising skills to: 
• implement strategies to promote literature collections and reading 
• systematically organise information in a collection to promote access and encourage  
• reading 
• research skills to: 
• identify current or emerging technologies 

• locate literary works and information to meet customer needs 
• self-management skills to: 

• follow workplace procedures 
• prioritise work tasks and meet deadlines 
• technology skills to search electronic databases, the internet and online catalogues. 

Required knowledge 

• concept of literacy and the role organisations play in promoting reading 
• scope and arrangement of literature collections in libraries and related organisations 
• literature information sources, such as: 
• blogs 
• catalogues 
• databases 
• websites 
• methods for arranging literature collections 
• frequently asked literature requests and strategies for answering such requests 
• literature reference resources and their applications 
• categories and genres into which literature is divided. 

A working definition of literature : 

On About.com the definition of literature is ‘a term used to describe written or spoken material. Used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.’ 

Reading other definitions gives me the impression the term literature is generally used when describing books or other written works (essays, plays, etc.) which are considered to be of merit – written well, reflecting values and cultures of the times, using excellent language. 

Find a working definition of literature and compile an annotated list of websites for yourself which deal with the promotion of literature and reading with special emphasis on Australian websites.  

http://www.childrenslaureate.org.au/about/ 

Australian Childrens Literature Alliance 

Their mission :  

 Promote the value, importance and transformational nature of reading •          Influence the reading habits of Australian families •          Raise the profile of books in the lives of children and young adults •          Champion the cause of young Australians reading. 

ACLA are the instigators of the Childrens’ Laureate  initiative in Australia. The Laureate is appointed to promote the power of reading, creativity and story-telling in the lives of young Australians. They act as a national and international ambassadors for Australian childrens literature. 

www.insideadog.com.au 

State Library of Victoria / Inside a dog is ‘a place for teen readers and the home of Inky, the reading wonderdog.’  

This site has reviews done by teen readers on recently published books. There are forums, book clubs, awards and more. The News section contains a lot of interesting articles on a wide variety of subjects. 

www.thelitcentre.org.au 

The Literature Centre 

Slogan : Nurturing excellence in children’s and young adult literature 

Their blurb  

The Literature Centre provides quality student workshops and writing programmes across Western Australia, inspires teachers through professional development, and supports Australia’s talented Authors and Illustrators of literature for children and young adults. 

Looking at this site it is aimed at schools, running programmes and workshops, and involving teachers through professional development days. It is funded and sponsored by several government departments as well as some large corporations.