Secret Shopper

My Observations

What questions was I asked?  I was only asked two questions: “Can we help you?” and “Anything specific?”

What tools if any did the librarian use to help me?  The only tool she used was the ‘Read- a-like’ binder that was pulled out from behind the circulation desk.  She showed me how to use the EverGreen online catalog.

Did the librarian successfully find a “good book” for me to read?  Why not?  No, she did not.  She really just showed me several authors who wrote Women's Literature.  She did show me the book she read several years ago, but her description was not so appealing that I would want to read it.

Was this the experience I was expecting?  The experience I was expecting was something like Saricks described in the introduction of the text.  “Advisors have the pleasure of helping readers find titles that they will enjoy, that will enrich their lives, and that will speak to them about their life concerns and dreams.  Advisors respect readers’ choices, listen and respond to their interests, and help them navigate the fascinating and fulfilling world of stories” (page xv). I would have to say that I was very disappointed with my experience at this library.  I don’t believe the assistant had a bad day because she jumped right in after I asked my question and she was pretty perky and talkative throughout the whole encounter. I had asked to find a good book and what I got was a list of authors, but no specific book or a few to choose from.  It might be my imagination, but the assistant seemed to assume I had never been in a library before. She explained how to use the EverGreen Catalog (albeit very briefly) and how the fiction books were organized in alphabetical order.

Would I go back and have them recommend another book?  Yes, I would go back just to see if they would do anything differently, like ask me more specific questions.

Could they have done anything better?  According to Vnuk, “It’s important to get to know what your reader is in the mood for.  All readers’ advisors should be aware of different appeal factors and what they mean: mood/tone, language, story, character, and so on (pg. 1).”   I believe this experience could have been much better. The assistant should have asked more specific or leading questions after finding out I know nothing of this genre. A few questions to ask should have been: “What have you just finished reading?”, “What are some of your favorite authors/books?”, “What time period are you wanting to read, contemporary or historical?”, “What geographical location(s) would you like in the novel?”, “Any specific type of relationship you want to read about (Male/Female, LGBTQ, Interracial, Family oriented)?”, and a follow up to the last one could have been “Do you like your relationships to be ‘steamy’ or ‘clean’?”  I also think she could have used more tools to help me find a ‘good book’ to read. With answers from the above questions, the assistant could have found some books in the binder, but a better tool would have been NoveList or GoodReads or even Amazon.

On a side note, I learned that J.D. Robb and Nora Roberts were the same person, just writing different subgenres under Women’s Literature.

Works Cited:

Saricks, J.G. (2019). The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. Chicago: ALA

Vnuk, Rebecca. (2013). Jack of All Trades Readers' Advisory: How to Learn a Little About a Lot. Public Libraries Online.