Recently, NoveList introduced a new way to help match readers with the perfect book-- “Themes.” So now you can search by subject heading, appeal factors, and themes. What are themes and how can you use them to help readers? Well, here is a great intro article from the NoveList blog that begins to answer those questions. From the first paragraph of that article:
That’s where I come in. Along with Cathleen, one of the metadata librarians at NoveList, we will present a webinar on how to “unlock” the power of themes. Cathleen will talk about the backend- how the themes were created, built, linked etc.... all the stuff you need to know in order to use them properly. And I will be talking about how you can use themes to have more natural, “water cooler” conversations about books in the library. I will even use some real life examples of when a theme was more useful than appeal terms.
I can’t tell you more because it will give away all of our secrets but I can share this, we are totally ready to geek out on our love of stories. Even my son noticed. He got home early from the first day of 8th grade and I was still in a planning call with NoveList. When I got off he asked who I was talking to. I told him it was for work. He said, “You sure were laughing a lot for a work call.”
So even the 13 year old noticed how much fun we were having. And that’s just the planning stages; wait until showtime!
Themes are popular and recurring plot elements found in fiction. Many readers have strong preferences about what themes they like or don’t like. For example, I’m a romance reader, and I’m *here* for a good Sudden Baby story but have no patience for Secret Baby stories. Preferences like mine are great for readers’ advisory because tapping into themes helps you narrow down your readers’ fantasy preferences down to the Hidden Heritage books they really love. Add in appeal and genre, and you’ve got all NoveList’s story elements working together to help you find a book your reader feels was especially written for them.But there is so much more to themes, how they were developed, cataloged, and even how we use them in conversation with readers-- whether you have a subscription to NoveList or not.
That’s where I come in. Along with Cathleen, one of the metadata librarians at NoveList, we will present a webinar on how to “unlock” the power of themes. Cathleen will talk about the backend- how the themes were created, built, linked etc.... all the stuff you need to know in order to use them properly. And I will be talking about how you can use themes to have more natural, “water cooler” conversations about books in the library. I will even use some real life examples of when a theme was more useful than appeal terms.
I can’t tell you more because it will give away all of our secrets but I can share this, we are totally ready to geek out on our love of stories. Even my son noticed. He got home early from the first day of 8th grade and I was still in a planning call with NoveList. When I got off he asked who I was talking to. I told him it was for work. He said, “You sure were laughing a lot for a work call.”
So even the 13 year old noticed how much fun we were having. And that’s just the planning stages; wait until showtime!
Click here to register. It is free and even if you cannot make it, by registering you get the recording faster. And it is meant to be helpful even if you don’t have NoveList. Although those of you who do subscribe, we will have a 15 minute post show where we will do a demonstration and tackle specific questions.
But don’t wait. NoveList announced this webinar last week and I am not kidding there are almost 1,000 people already signed up and they can only accept 2,000 total. So get on it. Of course, if you cannot get into the Live Event, I will post the recording on the blog too, but if you are there in person you can ask questions.
I hope to “see” you there.
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| Click here to register |
From Rookie on the Beat to Secret Babies, there are dozens of themes that your readers adore. Let RA expert Becky Spratford and metadata maven Cathleen Keyser show you how adding themes to your RA toolbox can supercharge your readers’ advisory, circulation, and programming.
We welcome anyone interested to stay for an additional 15-minute training to help you find all those great themes (and the books that go with them) in NoveList.
Date: Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Time: 2-3 pm Eastern
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| Click here to register |
Panelists
Becky Spratford is a Readers’ Advisor (RA) in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up and trains library staff worldwide on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All and is on the Steering Committee of the Adult Reading Round Table. Spratford is also known for her work with horror readers as the author of The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror, 2d ed. (ALA Editions, 2012) and is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association. You can follow her on Twitter @RAforAll.
Cathleen Keyser is Metadata Strategy Manager at NoveList. Cathleen leads a team of metadata librarians whose work includes assessing and redefining our taxonomies to create clearer access points and targeted reading recommendations for every reader, from fans of Lovecraftian horror to tea-sipping cozy mystery aficionados. Together they build and refine dynamic metadata standards that respond to trends in the publishing industry and keep pace with readers’ evolving interests, such as creating an #ownvoices access point. Cathleen likes to read true crime, gossipy memoirs, and scary stories, especially ones about vengeful ghosts, bloodthirsty killers, and tacos. Her favorite themes involve revenge and body horror. Her favorite taco is carne asada.
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