READS Fall Conference: RA for ALL

RA for All: Becky Spratford

9:30-11am Eastern: Flip the Script and Think Like a Reader [Covid Edition]:

2020 may not have gone the way anyone planned, but the one thing that this year has definitely taught us is that no matter how much libraries had tried to promote themselves as "more than books," when things were turned upside down, in our world and with our service models, patrons still looked to us, first and foremost, to help them identify a good read. Library workers around the country took the challenges thrown at them and figured out a way to keep RA Service going through a pandemic, without their physical spaces, and in some cases, made huge improvements along the way. Join International Readers Advisory expert Becky Spratford as she walks you through her 10 Rules of Basic RA Service, completely updated with lessons learned from our Covid experience, explaining how every member of your staff can get involved providing this vital service to readers. Participants will learn why a staff that can harness the power of sharing a great read, whether in person or online, will become a stronger team, improving service to all patrons. And the best part, it all begins with you, the individual staff member, and more specifically, your personal love of your favorite books.

 1-2:30 pm Demystifying Genre:

Nothing is scarier than trying to help a fan of a genre you yourself don’t enjoy. You want to help that, for example, Romance reader find the perfect book, but you are having trouble knowing where to begin because...eek!... you don’t read Romance. You are afraid they will find out you are a fraud. How can YOU possibly help THEM?!? Never fear, in this program, Readers’ Advisory expert, Becky Spratford, will teach you the basic appeals of the major genres, give you the inside track on what a fan of that genre is most drawn to, and provide you with talking points to get your genres readers to tell you what they want. This program focuses on providing you with a diverse and inclusive list of up to date authors with at least 40% of the example titles representing “own voices”. You will leave this session with the confidence and skill to help fans of every genre, regardless of whether or not you have ever read a book in that genre yourself. And that will leave a trail of happy patrons in your wake.

Bio: Becky Spratford [MLIS] is a Readers' Advisor in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All. She is under contract to provide content for EBSCO’s NoveList database and writes reviews for Booklist and a horror review column for Library Journal. Becky is a 20 year locally elected Library Trustee [still serving] and a Board member for the Reaching Across Illinois Library System. Known for her work with horror readers, Becky is the author of The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror, Second Edition [ALA Editions, 2012] and recently completed the 3rd Edition which is available for pre-order now and will be released in Summer 2021. She is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association and currently serves as the Association’s Secretary and organizer of their annual Librarians’ Day. You can follow Becky on Twitter @RAforAll.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement: RA for All’s programs are crafted and delivered with the understanding that increasing the collection, discovery, and circulation of titles written by marginalized voices in all public libraries is not a trend. It is a requirement. By contracting with RA for All, library organizations must take the position that libraries are not neutral, and understand that the goal is to become an anti-racist library, an organization that does the work to begin actively breaking down the walls of the systemic oppression of marginalized view points, walls which have been built over centuries but cannot be allowed to stand any longer. This work is not easy and will be uncomfortable at times, but getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is part of this process. RA for All is committed to helping you craft an actionable plan to begin this important journey.