Easy to talk about books, hard to talk about reading?

So for the past couple of weeks I have been guest-blogging at the Readers' Advisor Online blog*, and I'm happy to report it's going pretty well. By this I mean that I am largely keeping up with (nearly) daily posts and I've avoided blatantly offending anyone. And yes, that is about the best one can expect from my work product: borderline reliable, and not overtly offensive. I like to set the bar high.

The RAO blog is the front page for the Readers' Advisor Online database, which is a paid-subscription database that librarians and patrons can use to find other books to read (think Amazon, without the overt evilness of Amazon, and with book recommendations made by actual people, not a relational database). I love the database, and I enjoy writing for the blog. But sometimes I find it a frustrating blog to write for. We don't seem to get a whole lot of comments, which surprises me. (Based on the few sources I know how to check, it's got a pretty good number of subscribers/readers.) I know it's primarily a blog for librarians, and they probably don't have the time anymore to comment much on blogs during their workday. But I don't know if I believe that, since there seems to be a lot of commenting action on blogs such as The Annoyed Librarian.

So I'm wondering if it's the nature of our subject that keeps commenting low. Although we do offer lists of new books, and "most wanted" books, and "under the radar" books, we tend to talk more about reading and the process of reading than we do about actual books. Is that the problem? Is it just a lot easier to talk about books than it is to talk about reading?

Anyway. I just wondered if anyone had any thoughts on that. Likewise, if there's any reading or book topics you'd like us to cover at the RAO Blog, just let me know!

*I'm only doing the guest blogging because the regular blog editor, Cindy Orr, who is a fantastic librarian and readers' advisor, is recuperating from an operation. I'm mainly hoping not to embarrass us while she's taking some time off.

Comments

[Rachael]

Librarian blogs are bizarre. The only one I've seen with many comments is AL. If you look at other librarian blogs, just about the only thing you'll see in the comments are trackbacks and Twitter retweet notifications. It drives me nuts, but I don't want to be the one to buck the system.

That's in part what I like most about your blog--people clearly either care enough or are interested enough to participate.

[Tripp]

The comment thing is odd. Sometimes I think it is like food carts, no one likes to go to a cart with no line. If there aren't any comments, people may avoid making the first. If there are plenty, people get attracted to more. Just a theory.

[Melanie]

I left a comment over there just for you. I read the blog every day and I have lots of the posts saved in my blog reader. I find that it's a very informative blog.

[laura]

I have to admit that I was not previously subscribed to the RAO blog, although I've rectified that. It looks like your RSS feed has gotten hacked somehow, though--a bunch of gunk came through for your latest post.

[Citizen Reader]

Rachael,
You know, I've found that too (about librarian blogs). I find it so interesting, because when I meet or hang out with librarians, I find us to be kind of a chatty bunch (in the best way).

That's my FAVORITE part about my blog--my posts are just an excuse for me to read all the comments. I so appreciate them and have learned about a lot of different books and topics from them. Whatever reasons people have for commenting here, I'm eternally grateful that they do.

Tripp,
I think you're probably on to something with the cart theory. It probably also helps that the Annoyed Librarian is usually saying something controversial. I'd like to do that too, here or at RAO, but I just don't think I have as much energy as the Annoyed Librarian has!

Melanie,
Thank you for the comment at RAO!! I appreciated it--and I'm not surprised that you didn't use Kirkus. Do you prefer PW to Library Journal, too? (I might ask that over at RAO too; if you're inclined to answer, please do either place, you don't have to fuss with both.)

[Citizen Reader]

Actually, Laura, I have a question for you about the RAO blog, because of the blog you write...I'll be in touch.

And thanks for the heads up about the RSS feed--I'm so sorry! I'll have to look into that--sigh. If only I understood anything I was looking at.

[Venta]

First, I can't believe you haven't offended anyone. C'mon. Step up, CR! We expect a lot from you.

I read RAO when I can. Since I work in an academic library where we don't care about RA (see, that's how you go about offending!), sometimes the posts are interesting, but I have nothing to add. Working in an academic library I get frustrated that we want adult students to read but we don't put any energy, time or resources into showing students how to find good, accessible books - fiction and nonfiction.

I'm also becoming more interested in literate adults who don't read. Is college the last place librarians have an opportunity to create readers? What can libraries - public or academic - do to get nonreaders to read? I'm seriously thinking of a wine & cheese event.

Finally, sometimes reading blogs, watching youtube, browsing petfinders.com and facebooking interferes with t.v. watching. I'm old school.

[Thomas at My Porch]

I am not sure the fact that it is a librarian's blog that keeps the comments low. I suspect that it is because it is an organization/product/service. I never comment on blogs put out by organizations. I always feel like they have ulterior motives for blogging and becoming my online buddy isn't one of them.

[Citizen Reader]

I know, Venta:
They tend to discourage me taking pot shots at Jodi Picoult and Thomas Friedman over at RAO, so I guess I just don't have that many other things to be offensive about.
All of your questions about college students and literate adults who don't read are very good ones. I think about my own college years and kick myself for not reading more.

Thomas,
Well, yes, you're probably right about that. But as far as organizations go, it is a blog in support of a reading database, so our hearts are in the right place. But it's a very fair point.

[Rachael]

Am I the only one who was embarrassed in college when she realized that university libraries don't carry books you actually want to read? (OK, I did find a Fanny Burney book I hadn't read, but I don't think they actually expected people to read it.) I marched right off my freshman year and got a card at the main branch of the DCPL, and still miss being hit on by the homeless guys who hung out in the courtyard in front of the main MLK library.

Venta, my PL does food events (no wine) all the time. Our intl cheese tasting and chocolate & tea events were huge hits, as was a gentle yoga & tea tasting night. They're never about books, per se, but they bring in crowds who aren't necessarily readers, aren't aware of your services, and you can find sly little ways to market your collection or services to them. Just getting them into the building can spark them to maybe take something home--I'm always hearing that from patrons (esp. our men).

[laura]

I'll look forward to hearing from you and hope I can be of help!