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When we attend library conferences we often rush back to our libraries excited to implement some of the ideas that we've heard. Lucy Lockley presented a session at the 2012 Public Library Association Conference that focused on a staff-wide, all-inclusive readers' advisory model. With an "all for one, one for all" mentality, we receive a vision for including all staff in readers' advisory services and strengthening a service that is growing in popularity within our libraries. For those of us unable to attend the conference or her session, I asked her if she would be willing to be a guest author so that she could share her ideas with all of us. Fortunately, Lockley agreed to write an article for this column that explores her ideas on a readers' advisory model as library-wide initiative and the success that can be achieved when all staff are included in book discussions and readers' advisory training.--Editor Alexandre Dumas had the right idea with his motto for the Three Musketeers. Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and their young friend, d'Artagnan, worked as a team and supported one another, all while defending King and country. Library staff can also be "all for one, one for all" by working together to provide great customer service, which promotes the library and supports their community. A major component of customer service is readers' advisory and encouraging reading is what libraries are all about. One way to build a group of library Musketeers is to have all staff trained in readers' advisory and encourage them to develop their reading interests. Libraries have found that a readers' advisory query can come not only in many forms, but also can be asked of any and all members of the staff. Therefore it shouldn't matter whether a staff member is helping an individual find a copy of the current bestseller or assisting someone in understanding how to download an e-book. Nor should it matter if staff are talking about authors and titles while participating in a book discussion or if they are engaging a customer in a quick conversation about reading during the checkout process. The best way for libraries to continue providing good service to their users is for all staff to receive training in readers' advisory. Customers do not always wait to ask for reading assistance at a service desk. Some library users seem to be afraid to come to the desk, and seek out staff in a more comfortable or personal setting before asking for help. Reading is, after all, a personal matter that is specific to the individual. What appeals to one reader does not necessarily appeal to another. Libraries have found that a staff member who is shelving in the stacks is just as likely to be asked about readers' advisory as someone working the reference or checkout desks. Therefore it would be useful if every member of the library staff was able to offer at least one title suggestion from every popular genre, know of a coworker who reads the same author, be familiar enough to point out a display containing titles of possible interest, or mention that the library has electronic readers' advisory resources that may be able to help. These are all basic tenets of readers' advisory and good customer-service practices. One of the best ways to develop reading interests is to talk about those interests and engage others in talking about books. Book discussions are not only fun but can be empowering and inspire creativity. Discussions, especially book discussions, involve more than one person and can act as a catalyst for ideas. They also can help to improve teamwork, often present new areas of interest, and encourage understanding. Some library systems have developed genre study programs open to all members of the staff to ensure that their employees can provide readers' advisory services. Such programs often use a book discussion format or a combination of book discussion and book talk meetings to cover multiple genres and nonfiction topics. …

All For One, One For All