Jennifer S. Baker - The Readers Advisory Guide to Historical Fiction

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JENNIFER BAKER earned her masters degree in librarianship at the University of Washington and now works at the Seattle Public Librarys Reader Services Department as a reference and readers advisory librarian. Baker currently serves on the Listen List Award committee, sponsored by the Reference and User Services (RUSA) division of the American Library Association, and she has also served on the Reading List Council. She reviews historical suspense for Booklist, serves on the consulting team for EBSCO Publishings Adult Core Collection, and is the author of several readers advisory articles in Library Journal, NoveList, and Reference and User Services Quarterly.

2015 by the American Library Association.

Extensive effort has gone into ensuring the reliability of the information in this book; however, the publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.

ISBNs: 978-0-8389-1165-5 (paper); 978-0-8389-1245-4 (PDF); 978-0-8389-1246-1 (ePUB); 978-0-8389-1247-8 (Kindle). For more information on digital formats, visit the ALA Store at alastore.ala.org and select eEditions.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Baker, Jennifer S., 1953

The readers advisory guide to historical fiction / Jennifer S. Baker.

pages cm. (ALA readers advisory series)

Includes .

ISBN 978-0-8389-1165-5 (print : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-8389-1246-1 (epub) ISBN 978-0-8389-1245-4 (pdf) ISBN 978-0-8389-1247-8 (kindle) 1. Fiction in librariesUnited States. 2. LibrariesUnited StatesSpecial collectionsHistorical fiction. 3. Readers advisory servicesUnited States. 4. Historical fictionBibliography. I. Title.

Z711.5.B27 2015

026'.8088381dc23 2014018024

Cover image Andr Klaassen / Shutterstock, Inc.

For my parents

ALA Editions purchases fund advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.

CONTENTS

APPENDIXES

by Georgine Olson

by Barry Trott

Joyce Saricks and Neal Wyatt, Series Editors

In a library world in which finding answers to readers advisory questions is often considered among our most daunting service challenges, library staff need guides that are supportive, accessible, and immediately useful. The titles in this series are designed to be just that. They help advisors become familiar with fiction genres and nonfiction subjects, especially those they dont personally read. They provide ready-made lists of need to know elements such as key authors and read-alikes, as well as tips on how to keep up with trends and important new authors and titles.

Written by librarians with years of RA experience who are also enthusiasts of the genre or subject, the titles in this series of practical guides emphasize an appreciation of the topic, focusing on the elements and features fans enjoy, so advisors unfamiliar with the topics can readily appreciate why they are so popular.

Because this series values the fundamental concepts of readers advisory work and its potential to serve readers, viewers, and listeners in whatever future space libraries inhabit, the focus of each book is on appeal and how appeal crosses genre, subject, and format, especially to include audio and video as well as graphic novels. Thus, each guide emphasizes the importance of whole collection readers advisory and explores ways to make suggestions that include novels, nonfiction, and multimedia, as well as how to incorporate whole collection elements into displays and booklists.

Each guide includes sections designed to help librarians in their RA duties, be that daily work or occasional interactions. Topics covered in each volume include:

The appeal of the genre or subject and information on subgenres and types so that librarians might understand the breadth and scope of the topic and how it relates to other genres and subjects. A brief history is also included to give advisors context and highlight beloved classic titles.

Descriptions of key authors and titles with explanations of why theyre important: why advisors should be familiar with them and why they should be kept in our collections. Lists of read alikes accompany these core author and title lists, allowing advisors to move from identifying a key author to helping patrons find new authors to enjoy.

Information on how to conduct the RA conversation so that advisors can learn the tools and skills needed to develop deeper connections between their collections and their communities of readers, listeners, and viewers.

A crash course in the genre or subject designed to get staff up to speed. Turn to this section to get a quick overview of the genre or subject as well as a list of key authors and read-alikes.

Resources and techniques for keeping up-to-date and understanding new developments in the genre or subject are also provided. This section will not only aid staff already familiar with the genre or subject, but will also help those not familiar learn how to become so.

Tips for marketing collections and lists of resources and awards round out the tools staff need to be successful working with their community.

As readers who just happen to be readers advisors, we hope that the guides in this series lead to longer to-be-read, -watched, and -listened-to piles. Our goal is that the series helps those new to RA feel supported and less at sea, and introduces new ideas or new ways of looking at foundational concepts, to advisors who have been at this a while. Most of all, we hope that this series helps advisors feel excited and eager to help patrons find their next great title. So dig in, explore, learn, and enjoy the almost alchemical process of connecting title and reader.

American Library Association (ALA) conferences seem to be the beginning of many great ideas and more than a few book proposals, and this book is no exception. When Neal Wyatt and Joyce Saricks took me aside at a conference hotel, for a chat, I received their suggestion that I write a readers advisory guide on historical fiction with surprise and delight. They said they had every confidence in me and hoped Id agree to it. That confidence in my ability to write and finish this book hasnt wavered in the slightest during the three years it has taken me to do so. I cant thank them enough for their hand-holding support, great suggestions, and gentle corrections. Both Joyce and Neal have read and critiqued every draft of every word in this book, and I am so grateful.