NoveList and Library Reads To Offer Free Genre Training in 2019

One of my on going pieces of advice is that you need to flex your genre muscles regularly, staying as up to date as possible. I have an entire program on ways to do it.

And now, Library Reads and NoveList have teamed up to make staying in genre shape even easier, by announcing a series of 5 free webinars covering the major genres.  Click here or see the article by Library Reads Executive Director, Rebecca Vnuk, below.

LibraryReads and NoveList team up to offer genre education 

Written by: Rebecca Vnuk

There is a phrase to describe the panicked feeling when you’re asked for help in an unfamiliar area: “genre in the headlights.” Librarians around the world know this feeling. You’re asked about romance novels but are a fantasy reader. Someone wants to know why everyone is talking about Louise Penny, but the last mystery you read was in your RA class in library school (if you were lucky enough to have one!). That heart flutter is probably the reason that genre education was the single most requested topic at the LibraryReads Readers’ Advisory UnConference. 

Knowing that heart flutter as we do, LibraryReads and NoveList have partnered on a series of genre webinars in 2019. We think of the series as a 101 crash course for some of the more popular genres, designed to give librarians a sense of why readers are drawn to the genre; some tips for talking with fans; key books in the genre to know; sub-genres and crossover titles to keep in mind; and tips for searching NoveList for themes, appeal terms, and genre information and more. Whether you’ve never read in a genre or it’s just been a while, we hope these webinars will provide you with the grounding you need to talk with confidence about all books.  

NoveList fans should already be well-familiar with LibraryReads, the organization that produces a monthly list of the top ten books that librarians across the country love. (If you don't already vote for LibraryReads monthly, head here for a primer on how it works!) This webinar series is a great way for NoveList and LibraryReads to extend our ongoing partnership for your benefit. Our shared love of books made this webinar series seem perfectly natural. Each session will bring together some of LibraryReads’ top readers' advisors currently working in public libraries with the book specialists at NoveList—a winning combination.  

Marking your calendar already? The full schedule is below:

• Science Fiction on January 15, 2019, 2-3pm Eastern (optional training from 3-3:15pm)

• Crime, Mystery, Thriller on March 19, 2-3pm Eastern (optional training from 3-3: 15 pm)

• Fantasy on May 21, 2-3pm Eastern (optional training from 3-3:15pm)

• Romance on July 17, 2-3pm Eastern (optional training from 3-3: 15 pm)

• Horror on September 24, 2-3pm Eastern (optional training from 3-3:15pm)

Registration for each session will begin about a month before the session. And—because we know you are all busy—all the sessions will be archived on the NoveList website, so don’t worry if you can’t make it to the one(s) you’re particularly interested in. To receive notifications when registration opens for each session, subscribe to NoveList News. 

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Rebecca Vnuk is the Executive Director of LibraryReads, the monthly nationwide library staff picks list for adult fiction and non-fiction. LibraryReads’ goal is to help connect librarians’ favorite books to as many readers as possible while drawing upon the incredible power that public library staff has in helping to build word-of-mouth for new books, and the important role that libraries play in creating audiences for all kinds of authors.