Building Community Investment Through Readers’ Advisory Programming

ABSTRACT: Readers’ advisory (RA) services centered solely on personalized reading suggestions limit the potential impact of RA work. Programs, strategic partnerships, and professional development can create an interconnected system that collectively generates sustained community investment and multiplies impact. This case study from the Springfield-Greene County (Mo.) Library District traces the growth of a local genre-centered RA initiative that began with the Donuts & Death book club (2015–20), developed into an annual Oh, the Horror! program series (2017–present), and expanded RA programming district-wide. It further illustrates how recognition, leadership, and sustained involvement with the Horror Writers Association proved to be mutually beneficial for both organizations while fostering the growth of genre-centered RA programming at libraries nationwide. This study concludes that when the development of RA programming initiatives is embedded as organizational infrastructure it yields compounded returns that amplify organizational capabilities for perpetual community impact.