Music to your ears!

Not wanting to overwhelm you with too much information and too many blog posts, Susan & I have decided to combine our two weekly posts into a single Monday post. The Monday post will give the group opportunity to discuss a Readers, Viewers or Listeners Advisory topic, and will also provide a meaningful web resource that will hopefully add to the discussion topic. It's two, two, two posts in one! Refreshing!

So, here's this week's entry:

We've tried to touch on the RA, VA and the audio book part of LA, but haven't really talked much about music as part of the "advisory service" that we provide to our patrons. Music is a tough advisory, since it is such a personal choice as to what we like and don't like (For me, I like almost anything except country - I think it's the need for country artists to wear cowboy hats and sing with a twang - I realize that's being judgmental & superficial but we all have our shortcomings).

I don't think I've ever had anyone ask for a "music" advisory (as in "what should I listen to?") but I have had questions helping patrons find types of music (French, Hawaiian, Salsa, Polka, Blues, Rap) in our collection, or from patrons who were looking for a particular song, but weren't sure of the artist or album. Searches for genres has been made easier due to the recent changes to & ongoing re-cataloging of music genres by creating Rap, R&B, Blues, Celtic, World, Latin, & New Age categories, and moving away from the confusing ANSCR letter classifications (oh, of course... P means Folk music, and B means Opera). As for finding specific songs, as long as the song titles are listed in the catalog record (and they normally are), a keyword search in the catalog helps usually will identify CD's that contain a specific song.

So this weeks discussion topic is what are the music advisory issues that you are facing? Perhaps we can answer those nagging questions!


Monday Morning Website: allmusic.com
It's a huge website with information about artists in all genres, lists of artists with similar styles, reviews of CD releases, definitions of genres and styles, new release information, music samples, music videos, and a music blog (if you need another blog to read). Well designed, easy to access and navigate, and a good music resource.

Monday, Monday (once again) RAVALA Time

Hope all the RAVALA members have had a great weekend.

The topic for this week is - “ Have you read/listened to/watched anything out of your usual favorite genre recently? Something that either challenged you or gave you pause or you really loved or hated? If so, what was it and what did you think about it?” For example: I just rewatched "The Departed" and got a lot more from it the second time - the storyline was clearer and the acting amazing - but since neither the violence nor the constant flow of profanity is my cup of tea, it was a struggle to stay with it.

So - hop on the bandwagon and let us hear about your new/different viewing or reading experiences!

Susan C.

TT: Readers Advisory websites

While trying to find something interesting for this week's Thirsty Thursday link, I came across two sites that I wanted to share with you:

readersadvisory.org states that it is... "A place to test and share ideas, projects, notes, etc. For librarians who provide RA services" - A deceivingly simple home page is merely a facade for the amounts of information lurking within. Click on the "Web 2.0" link and you'll find blogs, wikis and social sites regarding readers advisory. The "RA Links" and "RA Professional Development" lead to dozens of websites; some for the general public, the other written for the librarian. Mucho RA stuffo!

overbooked.org is the other site and it also is filled with Readers Advisory information, but mostly in the form of book lists. The site says it is a "resource for readers - providing timely information about fiction (all genres) and readable nonfiction." I'm not sure what "unreadable nonfiction" is exactly, but they have the readable kind. I'm sure some of you have experienced "unreadable fiction" but that's another post! Anyway, lots of good book lists there and some RA resources too!

Alla Salute!

Andrew R.

Something "New" to Talk About?

The stimulating question of the week for all you RAVALA folks (and many of you should feel comfortable commenting) is:


What is the best “debut novel” you’ve read this year? And- - what comments do you have about it? For example, my favorite was “Mudbound” by Hillary Jordan. It is a truly compelling story of the dynamics within and between two very different Southern families after the end of WWII. The character development is fantastic as is the strong sense of place.


It's always great to hear about and share a work by a never before published author so share away!!

Susan C.

Thirsty Thursday - science fiction and fantasy!

This topic was a popular one during our initial meeting, so here's a site dedicated to the subject.

"The SF Site: The Best in Science Fiction and Fantasy" www.sfsite.com appears to be a very comprehensive site on the genre. There are current reviews, award winners, "best of" lists, podcasts, interviews, and much more.

I found an interesting article on the site - "Science Fiction & Fantasy: A Genre With Many Faces" gives a nice description of sub-genre's that fall within the SciFi/Fantasy umbrella.

May the force be with you, live long and prosper, etc.

good flix!

Let's talk viewer's advisory!

Back in the day when I worked at Koelbel as the media librarian, I used to keep a list of what I called "good flix" - movies that I could recommend to patrons who were looking for something different. These films weren't blockbusters, they were often those indie films that come and go rather quickly from the theaters, but they were great recommendations because most patrons hadn't seen them. They could be R-Rated, but I liked to pick films that were probably not going to offend the viewer, and I'd be sure to explain (to the best of my memory) why a recommended film was rated R, so the patron could make up their mind based on their tastes.

Last weekend I was watching the DVD "Son of Rambow" - a British movie set in the '80's about two boys (one wealthy, but without any parental guidance, the other from a strict religious sect that forbids watching TV) who decide to make their own movie version of Rambo. It's a fun film that certainly would make my "good flix" list.

A couple of other titles that were on my list were The Station Agent and Secondhand Lions.

So let's share. What are some films you might recommend as a Good Flix?

Let's keep it to two or three titles per person, so that everyone has a chance - if you want to include a brief description of the film(s), go right ahead.

When we're done, I'll compile the list so you can use it and be a super Viewer's Advisor!

Andrew R.

Thirsty Thursday - Parental Advisory!

An important area of the advisory process is helping parents make good decisions with (and for) their children.

ALD places the responsibility of parental supervision on the parent, stating "It is not the library's policy to decide what ideas your child should be exposed to; therefore, we hope you will continue to participate in the learning process by helping your child select materials and by sharing them at home." This means that all our patrons have access to any book, movie or music in our collection and we ask that the parent is involved to make sure the material is appropriate for their child.

Which brings me to this weeks Thirsty Thursday resource: Common Sense Media - www.commonsensemedia.org - providing what I'd call "Parental Advisory".

It's a site dedicated helping parents make good decisions regarding media. The CSM staff reviews movies (in theaters & on DVD), TV shows, music, video games, websites and books. They give a review of the title and provide parents some discussion points when talking with their kids. They "rate" the Content (Sex, Violence & Language) as well as the social message that is given. The ratings aren't good or bad, just if they are appropriate for the recommended minimum age for the item.

The site also provides the opportunity for both adults & kids to rate the "age appropriateness" so you aren't limited to the opinions of the staff reviewer. They do want you to register (it's free) via a pop-up, but you can decline the invitation if you want to avoid the weekly email. I'd suggest clicking on the "More Rating Info"
in the left column to get more info on how the thing works.

There are other parental advisory sites out there, but this one (once you figure out how it works) is probably the most comprehensive.

So the next time someone wants to know why a movie is rated what it's rated, or whether that PG13 movie is appropriate for their 6 year old ("they are really advanced for their age"), or are just looking for good advice on making good media decisions with their kids, you've got a site to recommend.

Cheers! (seemed like the thing to say on a Thirsty Thursday)

Instant Recall? What Are Your Favorite Tips/Tricks

Hello dear RAVALA membership! Question of the week: What tricks or tips do you use to remember what you've read/watched/listened to? I used to carry around a small steno notebook in which I had jotted down titles, authors, and a descriptive word or two if necessary that would trigger a memory. Now that we no longer take materials to the desk, I keep a reading log on my remote desktop. I just have to remember to add to it when I finish something. Is there a more organized or productive way to do this? I know there are some readers' websites out there that allow you to record or tag to your reading history. Does anyone have a terrific one they use? It will be great to hear your ideas!

Susan the RAVALA nag