Best lists are an excellent resource to help our patrons find a sure bet, good read. In 2016 I did an entire webinar on this topic. Please click here to read more about why I think best lists are a great sure bet option for general library patrons.
Today I want to point you to Time Magazine's "Must Read 100 for 2020" as an example.
On first glance many library workers might think this list is not a very useful because it is simply organized in alpha order by title with no divisions or comments about if it is fiction or nonfiction, genre designation,...nothing; it's just a list of books in alpha order with the covers. Now if you click on a cover, you get a useful annotation, but there are 100 books to click on.
Here's the thing about that argument though...you are thinking like a library person and not a general reader. And guess what? You are helping a general reader so maybe you should think like them.
General readers, do not care about genre as much as we do. They are drawn to a cover that interests them [see my post about why we need to judge books by their covers as a resource to help readers], so that graphic recreation of a book display is a perfect browsing experience for many readers.
But more importantly, on average, American adults read 3-4 books a year. Let that sink in. They don't have a lot of leeway to pick a bad one. They want to guarantee it is worth their time to dive in since they have so few opportunities. Even when the book is prepaid from the library, they still worry. [Reminder post-- library books are not free, they are prepaid.] So best lists-- especially ones like this that are very general, appeal to the widest possible audience, and are super fun to browse-- are a perfect option for the average reader looking for a good read.
If someone else deemed it a "must read," that's already a step in the right direction for them. Now they only have 100 to choose from instead of the millions available. You can help them narrow it down from there, but 100, unclassified, is a number they can deal with, especially when it is so beautifully laid out.
This Time list is also a great resource for the average patron because it is from a resource that hits in the middle. What I mean by that is, it isn't a stuffy award or fancy literary magazine best, but it also isn't People. I for one like lists from those places, but in terms of the average patron, Time falls solidly in the middle of those options. It has enough gravitas to trust but isn't too full of itself. Again, think like a reader. This stuff matters to readers even if it is subliminal.
The title and organization of the list even hints at that middle space. It is a "must read" list not a "best" list. It is not overly organized. It looks like a shelf you would browse. It doesn't tell you upfront about why you NEED to read the book. You can click in to the ones you are interested in and figure it out for yourself.
This list is also a great display prompt for that same reason. Instead of "best" lists, why not promote "must read" lists? Best sometimes has the connotation that the book is going to be literary, stuffy, or not fun to read. We know this is not true, but again, think like a reader, they do often feel this way.
Let's spend more time looking at our resources as a reader. Here's more by me from this summer on that topic. Trust me you will help more people that way, and isn't that the goal.
And post the Time "Must Read 100 for 2020" for your patrons now. On Social media, website, and build a display of the books you have in the building now.
