Reader's advisory

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Reader's advisory (aka readers' advisory) is the act of suggesting to a reader, based on the reader's preferences and shared characteristics of reading material, what other material s/he might enjoy reading next. The term is widely used in library settings; librarians generally read avidly, read and hear reviews in the course of their work, so they are generally knowledgeable about what reading material is available.

For example, if a patron asks for a mystery novel, the "advisor" might ask the reader to describe a book she's enjoyed reading before; and seek other titles that share the same genre, subgenre, theme, or other characteristics, such as setting or character types. From this dialogue with the reader (called the Readers' Advisory Interview), the advisor can deduce what books might appeal to a particular reader.

There are many books, online subscription databases, and websites dedicated to reader's advisory, such as the What Do I Read Next? series of reference books (from Thomson Gale), the Genreflecting series (from Libraries Unlimited), the Reader's Advisory Guides (from ALA Editions), and the websites listed below.