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:

• How staff that can harness the power of sharing a great read, whether in person or online
• How to become a stronger RA team
• How to improve service to all patrons in these uncertain times

Becky Spratford ~ Biography

Becky Spratford 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, and it’s evil twin, RA for All Horror, and is on the Steering Committee of the Adult Reading Round Table.  She is under contract to provide content for EBSCO’s NoveList database and writes reviews for Booklist. Becky is also known for her work with horror readers as the author of The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror, Second Edition [ALA Editions, 2012] and is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association who are honoring her as a Special Guest of Honor at StokerCon 2017 for her contribution to the genre.  You can connect with Becky on Twitter @RAforAll.