The Full Interview

Five-minute RA

Sometimes there's just not enough time for a full RA interview. You might be the only person at the desk, with a quickly lengthening line, or your reader is in a hurry and wants something NOW. So we ask ourselves, how can we come up with 5-10 titles in a few short minutes?

Come up with three "sure bet" sources (some listed below) that you can use to find readalikes. If your reader gives you a title or the name of an author, go to those three sources, look up the author, and look at the similar authors or titles listed. Check the synopses and/or reviews to make sure the choices are appropriate, and jot down 5-10 books that look like they'll work for your reader (Phil Eskew, personal communication, March 19, 2008). Be sure that they are titles that your library actually owns!

"Sure Bet" sources

• NoveList (paid): Look for readalike essays, or "suggested reading" lists
• Barnes and Noble: Look up the author, then check out the "similar authors" listing on the left side of the page.
• LibraryThing: Look up the title, or a popular title by the author, and look at the other titles being recommended.
• Fantastic Fiction: Look up the title, then look for "Similar books by other authors."
• Amazon.com: Look up the title, then look for "Customers who bought this also bought..."