If you attended the webinar Keeping Up with Books: 2023 Year in Review, you learned about 2023's big picture news and trends in publishing and libraries, the bestsellers and critics' favorites, what library users were looking for, and how to apply all that information to your work. We also discussed the importance of using different resources to stay up to date all year.
I know from personal experience how hard it can be to keep up with the book world, even when you work with books every day. This is why using resources like our webinar can make your life easier.
Now, I'm sharing how I use NoveList Plus to find the information I need to help readers. While there are countless useful resources in NoveList, I've found these 4 strategies especially useful over the years, and I want to make sure you know about them, too.
#1: The book was mentioned on...
If a reader has ever come up to you and said they heard about a book on a morning show, you should get to know Media Mentions. Picture it: You're sitting at the desk, and someone walks up saying they heard about a book on the Today show that they want to read, but they need the title. You can go to NoveList's Advanced Search page and scroll down until you see the Media Mentions field. Then, select NBC: Today Show and select search.
From the results page, filter the results by publication date, genre, audience level, and more to help narrow down options based on your reader's needs. You can also use Media Mentions to search for buzzed-about books regularly.
#2: Stay alert for new books
The rise in popularity and critical acclaim of genre fiction was a crystal-clear trend from 2023. That means more readers will be asking for more genres. How can you easily stay up to date with new books? By using NoveList Search Alerts to deliver that information right to your inbox.
Let's say you want to know the latest celebrity book club pick. Using Media Mentions, you can perform a search for Book Club: Reese Witherspoon's Book Club. Then, from the search results page, you can create an alert for that search. With search alerts, you'll be notified when new books that meet your criteria are added right to your inbox!
#3: So many awards lists, so little time
Awards lists are a great way to see what books receive acclaim throughout the year. Books that win major awards will be talked about, and readers will ask for them. So, use NoveList's Award Winners page to easily navigate major awards in one spot. From the NoveList homepage, select Browse By on the top navigation page and select Award Winners from the drop-down menu. Select an award, like the National Book Awards, and you'll see a list of the winners by year.
#4: Keep up with genres
Readers love genre fiction, and there are two resources I've always loved to use in NoveList to learn about genres, particularly those I don't read as often. First is the Genre Browse page, which lets you see new and popular books for all ages in different genres. Go to the top navigation bar, select Browse By, and then Genre. Once you're on the Genre Browse page, you can choose the audience level and genre to browse from the drop-down menu. When I worked in public libraries, I took some time each month to browse through the genres to get a sense of what new books readers might be interested in.
My other go-to for genre information is the Genre Guides. These guides provide overviews of genres for adults, teens, and older kids. Each guide includes information to help you get familiar with or stay up to date, including a brief definition, why readers like the genre, key titles and authors to know, and how to help and market to fans.
Maybe your teen patrons love fantasy, but you don't read it. Use our Genre Guide: Fantasy Fiction for Teens, and you'll feel more confident navigating the world of YA fantasy. To see all the guides, select Quick Links from the top navigation bar and click Genre Guides.
With these NoveList tools and resources, you can easily stay up to date with books to help your readers find the books they want.
Yaika Sabat is the Manager of Reader Services at NoveList. She is currently reading What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher.
