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Tuesday, January 17, 2017

ALA Midwinter Participation From Home


Due to my previously scheduled work and personal travel, I am not going to make it to ALA Midwinter  which begins on Friday, but that doesn't mean I am not participating in the Midwinter conversation. You can join me too.  Here's how and why.
First, of all you can follow the action on Twitter by clicking here to search for the latest #alamw2017 Tweets. People are very good about sharing the highlights in real time. Between January 20-24, check it frequently. Whether you are a Twitter user or not the link will work for you to view the conversation.


LJ Galley Guide
Click here for details
Second, you can download the Library Journal ALA Midwinter Galley Guide. This guide is compiled by Barbara Hoffert and focuses on the books the publisher's are most excited about. Click here to download it. It is free. Barbara includes info about each title that you can use for collection development right now.

But also, don't forget that as a library worker, you are preapproved to read digital ARCS of any of these hot titles. Just go to Edelweiss and/or NetGalley to get started. The details are here on the LibraryReads site.

And third, Midwinter is when all of the recommended reading lists and awards are announced. There are so many awesome awards, handed out by our fellow library workers-- at all age levels.  Click here for the full list and schedule. My favorites from a helping readers standpoint are the RUSA Reading List and Listen List suggestions. Click here to see where I posted all of last year's adult winners.

I really like these lists because not only do they identify the best genre and audio titles-- something we have precious few best lists for-- but also these are lists you can use for years! Seriously. These are popular AND good titles that you probably already own. Our colleagues have done the work to point out the best ones for your patrons. These are down to earth, real world suggestions that are great to use at the desk anytime. That is something that is rare in the "best" list world.

So whether or not your plans are physically taking you to Atlanta later this week, you have plenty of reasons to direct your attention to ALA Midwinter. The biggest reason of which is to be better at helping patrons find their next great read.

If you are going and have an experience you want to share in a guest post, contact me.

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