“Can you help me find a good book?”: Readers Advisory in the Bookstore

Booksellers help readers discover new titles every day. We know firsthand that matching the right book with the right reader is a complex skill that takes time and experience to develop, and that booksellers play an instrumental role in getting books in peoples’ hands. The field of study and practice in library sciences called Readers’ Advisory aims to train librarians on how to most effectively suggest books to readers. MLIS candidate (and staffer at Iron Dog Books) Mizuki Giffin will present basic best practices and tools for how Readers’ Advisory might be integrated in a bookstore setting, addressing topics like:

• Using appeal factors to sell customers on the “feel” of a book over its content

• Integrating readers’ advisory in training to help new booksellers become more confident offering suggestions

• How to talk about books in genres you don’t personally read or enjoy

• Measuring the success of a readers’ advisory interaction 

• Tailoring the readers’ advisory interview to build relationships and loyalty with customers

Presenter bio: Mizuki Giffin (she/her) is an MLIS candidate and student librarian at the University of British Columbia. She is also an independent bookseller, currently working as event coordinator at Iron Dog Books in East Vancouver. Whether in libraries and bookstores, she is passionate about connecting readers with books, and creating spaces where communities of readers can come together.