NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services and a recognized leader in readers’ advisory, has introduced the Readers’ Advisory Competencies, a new framework designed to help libraries strengthen advisory expertise and enhance reader engagement.
Developed in collaboration with public library professionals across the United States and Canada, the framework provides a shared structure for building staff confidence, supporting professional growth, guiding training, and aligning advisory services with community needs. It emphasizes that connecting patrons with books and other materials is a responsibility shared across the library and can be adapted to different roles and organizational contexts.
Danielle Borasky, Vice President of Product Management at NoveList, noted that in an era of abundant content, libraries deliver value through human connection. She explained that the competencies embed readers’ advisory into the fabric of library services, positioning it as a strategic function. Borasky added that the framework modernizes advisory practices by recognizing that they occur in multiple forms—from one-on-one conversations to displays and digital experiences—and provides a structure to make this work more intentional.
The competencies are organized around eight interconnected areas: advisory philosophy and strategy, story and media knowledge, collection awareness and insight, fostering reading culture, relational advisory, promotional advisory, tools and trends, and collaboration across teams and organizations.
The Readers’ Advisory Competencies are available to the library community at no cost, offering a practical roadmap for advancing advisory expertise and reinforcing the vital role libraries play in connecting communities with stories, ideas, and lifelong reading engagement.
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