A Study of Sturdiness: Online Readers’ Advisory in Public Libraries Ten Years Later

Connecting readers with books is a long tradition of the public library. This study explores the ways in which public libraries use their online presence to perform readers’ advisory services for adults and how those practices have changed in ten years. By replicating a 2015 study, summarized in Reference & User Services Quarterly, the current study a) gathers quantitative data regarding online RA practices by public libraries and b) compares said data to that collected ten years ago. Nearly 200 public library websites across the U.S. were randomly selected and examined. The findings indicate that though techniques of online RA have shifted slightly, the practice of online RA continues to be a foundational element of public librarianship. Data from this study allows librarians to consider the status of their own RA services in an ever-changing  world.