Contribution to a thematic issue devoted to the Internet and acquisitions. As readers' advisors, librarians attempt to match users with books they will enjoy. Typically done with fiction, this service is important for 2 reasons: fiction circulation figures are consistently high in public libraries; and users often rely on recommendations for fiction reading material since the contents of novels are not as clearcut as non fiction books, which are sorted by subject. To be successful advisors, librarians must know their collections and their users' reading preferences, and then bridge the two. Librarians can learn their users' reading preferences using specific interview techniques, and they can learn their collections using readers' advisory aids such as the latest Web resources.
