Book Buzz Chicago 2017: Free Tickets Now Available

Real quick post today to let you know about this FREE pre-ALA event at the Chicago Public Library- Book Buzz Chicago 2017:

Click here for all the details

Use this link for all of the details and to register. It is free but space is limited.

This is a great option for local library workers who aren’t going to get to go to ALA Annual and out of town people who get in early and want to get a preview of what they will see at the conference. Also, it’s just a great networking opportunity.

Personally, I like going to Book Buzz events like this because you get to stay in one place and all of the publishers come to you. They are going to talk to us about the books for which they are most excited.

This one is also unique because it is for all age levels.  I signed up for lunch and Adult only, but there is nothing stopping anyone from going to both.

However, before you sign up, let me remind you all that you are not there to grab as many ARCs as you can. That is not why I love these “buzz” events. Why they are most useful is that we can get a quick snapshot of what the publishers think are the biggest trends and the best titles coming out. Yes we will get the names of promising debuts, big name titles coming soon, and some midlist authors with a new title that will knock your patrons’ socks off.

But, listen harder to the publisher reps as they book talk each title and then compare across publishers and you get a very good sense of what trends will continue and which ones are emerging. In past events like this, I have seen how the addition of subtle horror elements was creeping into mainstream fiction. At another one a few years ago, I saw every publisher include a book with a suburban, unreliable female protagonist. Hmmmmm......

The point is, this event, and others like it, give us a chance to learn about books that we should order for our libraries and why they fit our patrons’ needs, but also, if you allow yourself to take a step back and assess the bigger picture, you will learn much about the entire leisure reading industry and where to expect things to go next because you have a group of the major publishers all in one place, together.

I am already registered and will be live Tweeting the adult portion that day [#bookbuzzcpl] for you all to follow. I will then post a follow up assessing the larger picture trends and issues I saw emerge.

See you there?