Provide outstanding service to readers, inside and outside of the library walls.
Keeping Up with Books: Year in Review 2023
Keeping up with the seemingly countless books published each year can feel impossible. This course will get you caught up with the bestsellers, publishing news and trends, and how to use that information to provide better service to your readers, plus give you a preview of what to expect in 2024. Full course description and purchasing options.
Everyone Can Recommend Books! Quick Tips for Creating Positive Reader Experiences
Do you ever feel panicked when someone asks you to make a book recommendation? By implementing a few quick tips, anyone working with readers can make meaningful reading recommendations and enhance customer service. In this course, you’ll learn strategies for helping readers find books they love and customer service principles that will keep them coming back for more. You’ll also hear from library staff addressing common reader scenarios and see how the power of NoveList can save you time and build your confidence. Full course description and purchasing options.
Understanding Your Reader: How to Recommend the Right Book at the Right Time
This course will prepare all staff to recommend books by giving them an understanding of reader engagement. Learn strategies for providing excellent customer service to all readers, gain an understanding of the concepts of appeal, genre, and themes, and learn to value service to readers as a critical service to the overall mission of your library. Full course description and purchasing options.
Be Genre Confident: How To Recommend Books in the 8 Most Challenging Genres
Do you want to help your staff have a basic understanding of a broad range of the most popular and challenging fiction genres? An expert from NoveList will introduce participants to many genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mysteries and thrillers, romance, horror, Christian fiction, mainstream/literary fiction, and historical fiction. Full course description and purchasing options.
Using Story Elements with Readers
Whether your readers love a steamy marriage of convenience romance or can’t get enough of thought-provoking first contact stories, the NoveList story elements — appeal, genre, and theme terms — provide a great way to talk to your readers. Full course description and purchasing options.
The Art and Practice of Providing Outstanding Reading Recommendations
Connecting readers with books they love is a core library service. But talking with readers about their tastes, and then trying to match those readers to books is a lot harder than it sounds. Learn how to navigate common scenarios librarians face when working with readers, how to find and use the best tools and resources available to you, including the NoveList database, and how to evaluate whether your readers’ advisory services are making an impact. Full course description and purchasing options.
Deep Dive into Building Relationships with Readers
Conversations are the heart of connecting readers to the books they want and need. These conversations can be one of the most rewarding parts of your work... or one of the most challenging! NoveList co-founder Duncan Smith shares his time-tested readers’ advisory methods, the goals to strive for in every conversation with a reader, and how to create a lasting connection between your organization and your community based on the value you provide to readers. Full course description and purchasing options.
Actively Anti-Racist Service to Readers
Providing robust readers’ advisory service that values equity, diversity, and inclusion principles is essential to anyone working with readers. In this course, you'll hear experts talk about the action steps libraries have taken to provide actively anti-racist reader services. You'll also come away with tangible skills to build enthusiasm for reading and discovering titles that make up a well-rounded, well-represented collection. Learn how others have created actionable plans to incorporate inclusive values into readers’ advisory practices. And you'll have a chance to participate in a thoughtful discussion with our expert instructors. Full course description and purchasing options.
Strategic Readers’ Services: A Complete Plan
This course is for anyone who is a practitioner of readers’ advisory. Use this self-guided toolkit to develop your own strategic plan for working with readers, which you can share with your administration. When you complete this course, you'll be empowered to advocate for reader services and guide your own work in these uncertain times. Full course description and purchasing options.
