Hearing stories, not keywords: teaching contextual readers' advisory

Abstract

Purpose The concept of appeal has traditionally been considered a cornerstone of readers' advisory (RA). Critically revising the foundational works on appeal that have guided RA for more than two decades, this article aims to discuss the best ways to approach teaching RA as contextually grounded practice. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a critical review of RA foundational works and of selected RA tools and publications; a comparative analysis of two empirically generated models of reading; and discourse on the possible application of research interviewing methods to the RA interview. Findings Given the disclosed unutilized potential of the existing theory of appeal and in light of recent empirical research, the concept of appeal should become less compartmentalized and should be broadened to include the reader and his or her reading context. Reading studies should be seen as directly relevant to understanding appeal. The SQUIN (single question aimed at inducing narrative) technique, borrowed from narrative research interviews, can be used in RA interviews to collect contextually grounded information about the appeal of reading. Originality/value This article will be of interest to LIS educators, practising readers' advisors, other public services librarians, reading scholars, and library and information science students. It takes a radically different approach to the concept of appeal, which has remained relatively stable since its conception in 1989, and uses it to propose not only a more holistic approach to RA but also some practical ways to teach it to future readers' advisors.

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