PART 1: The Thinky Part
Knowing Nonfiction
Wrap your mind around this: It's all about subject; subject has nothing to do with it.
Nonfiction is not contained by the stacks (Dewey Decimal). Think types; styles; genres and subgenres.
Knowing Nonfiction Readers
From Catherine Sheldrick Ross*: NF readers often read NF and F; exclusive NF readers like the "real'"; readers pick NF when they expect interruptions; they read to be entertained AND "to take something away"; they are avid readers in general
From Neal Wyatt**: "Reading nonfiction, even highly narrative nonfiction, is a different experience than reading fiction." She calls this the Learning/Experiencing appeal.
A personal definition: Not so much escapist readers as involvist readers
Part 2: The Action Part
Title awareness
Blogs: Bookslut, Citizen Reader, Daily Beast, Early Word, Huffington Post, Readers' Advisor Online Blog, RickLibrarian, Sophisticated Dorkiness
Media: Amazon and Powell's, Magazines, NPR, Stephen Colbert and/or The Daily Show, New York Times Book Review, the review journals (LJ, PW, Booklist, Kirkus)
Bestseller lists and publisher sites
Indirect RA
Nonfiction RA Tips
1. Consider both subject and "mood" cues. RESOURCES *Burgin, Robert, ed. Nonfiction Readers' Advisory. Libraries Unlimited, 2005. Cords, Sarah Statz. The Inside Scoop: A Guide to Nonfiction Investigative Writing and Exposes. Libraries Unlimited, 2009. Cords, Sarah Statz. The Real Story: A Guide to Nonfiction Reading Interests. Libraries Unlimited: 2006. Drew, Bernard A. 1000 Most Popular Nonfiction Authors. Libraries Unlimited: 2008. Reisner, Rosalind. Read On...Life Stories: Reading Lists for Every Taste. Libraries Unlimited: 2009. Roche, Rick. Real Lives Revealed: A Guide to Reading Interests in Biography. Libraries Unlimited: 2009. Saricks, Joyce. Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library. ALA: 2005. **Wyatt, Neal. The Readers' Advisory Guide to Nonfiction. ALA: 2007. Zellers, Jessica. Women's Nonfiction: A Guide to Reading Interests. Libraries Unlimited: 2009. QUESTIONS? Please email me any time at realstory@tds.net.
2. Wikipedia everything.
3. Watch for "deal breakers"--this stuff is real.
4. Try to keep up with current events and pop culture.
5. Don't be afraid to mix F and NF, especially on displays and booklists. (Always indicate which titles are NF.)
6. Find an RA buddy.
7. Write down everything you can, re-use it, and don't be afraid to find and use your own "gems."