Competency #9

The website I have chosen for this competency is Overbooked: a Resource for Omniverous Readers. You can find it at www.overbooked.com. I located this website using the search engine www.google.com.

Overbooked is a site that offers many resources for anyone interested in adult fiction. The site offers such things as a list of starred reviews and a notable books list. You can look up recommended books by genre, or even download and excel file of hot titles.

If you sign up for an account with Overbooked you will get access to their database of authors. Although the database is still growing, such a resource could come in handy for such things as programs involving author visits.

Overbooked also offers numerous links to Reader's Advisory sites. This service comes in very handy when trying to find a patron a book that is similar to one they like.

Overall, Overbooked is a great resource that can help answer patrons' inquiries regarding what to read, as well as offering information that can help with programming and collection development.

Competency #8

This graph shows the program attendance statistics for the Fresno County Library from 1998 to 2008. I chose this image because one area of public library service that I am interested in is adult programming. This graph gives the program attendance over time for both children and adults. It is very interesting to be able to compare the two. It lets you see that adult program attendance is lower, and therefore it possibly needs more promotion, or newer and more interesting programs to encourage adult participation. It is also very ineresting to see that attendance has increased over time.

I would be very interested in getting adult program attendance information for the library system where I work. Such information could help plan future programs and future marketing techniques.

Copyright Information: (2008). Fresno County Publi Library. Retrieved March 23, 2009, from the Fresno County Library website: http://fresnolibrary.org/help/measure/progstats2.html

Competency #7

My focus is on public libraries, and my area of interest is adult services. This includes such things as adult reading preferences, adult programming, and readers' advisories. To better understand this area of library service it helps to understand reading trends in the adult population.

The National Endowment for the Arts has conducted a study of literacy reading rates in adults from ages 18 to 75+, and covering the period of time from 2002 to 2008. The study has found that there has been a significant rise in literacy reading rates in adults. Information such as this can come in handy when working in the public library. It can effect such things as collection development and program planning. The more information you have about reading habits and trends, the better you can serve your patrons.

Copyright Information: (2009). Reading on the Rise: A New Chapter in American Literacy. Retrieved March 23, 2009, from the National Endowment for the Arts website: http://wwwnea.gov/research/ReadingonRise/pdf