Right Book, Right Time

Indie bookseller–turned–librarian Stephanie Anderson passionately believes that librarians should be able to give solid book recommendations whether they are fans of a given genre or not. As assistant director for public services at Darien Library, CT, she has been on the forefront of creative ways to help patrons decide what to read, from displaying a trending book on the holds shelf that might entice patrons to starting a service called “You Are What You Read Next,” allowing people to receive personalized recommendations after completing a survey. Anderson also spearheaded a business book club for nonfiction lovers that doubles as an unofficial networking meeting.

One of the founders of LibraryReads, a list of top ten monthly librarian-selected new titles that is disseminated nationally, Anderson continues to serve on its steering committee. Her conviction that everyone from library administrative staff to reference teams should have training in readers’ advisory (RA), often overlooked in library school education, drove her to organize an RA Unconference at Darien Library in 2014, which drew some 80 librarians and readers’ advisors throughout the Northeast.

“Libraries have a unique opportunity to be at the heart of how our communities find, enjoy, learn from, and discuss books, and [RA] gives us the skills to do so well,” she says. “[I]f every reader had the right book at the right time, the world would be a better place.”