Library Journal is turning 150 this year and they have been celebrating with special coverage. One of my favorite things they have been doing is publishing lists of "Sure Bets" by genre based on a survey they did with library workers last fall. I wrote about the survey here.
For each genre (or format) they have not only compiled the top titles, but also, they have provided a spreadsheet of every submitted title from the survey!
I need to write that last part again-- LJ did a survey of library workers from across the country and asked for their SURE BET titles across all popular reading areas and are now giving all of us access to all of the answers!
Sure bets are a category of books that every library worker has some kind of list for. At my library we pooled our knowledge and kept a list that we could all consult. We shared with each other, but it was very informal. We all need a list of those books that would appeal to wide swath of readers, at our fingertips, that we can turn to on a moment's notice and grab a suggestion.
AND NOW WE DO THANKS TO LJ.
They are still revealing more, but here are the ones they have released so far. Remember, it goes beyond the spotlit titles, download the full lists.
Again, there are still more to come. Click here to see all of the genres which the poll covered. Please keep checking back. Later in the year, I will post more as a reminder.
Download the spreadsheets. Use them to make displays. Do the conversation starter exercise to ask your staff and patrons to add titles to the already existing spreadsheet. Get those titles up in a "Great Reads You May Have Missed" display. Consider making said display a permanent one. If you keep asking staff and patrons for their favorite reads, titles they recommend to everyone they know, etc...., you can keep expanding the spreadsheet of possible titles. And you will never run out of backlist titles to keep adding because as the new titles move into the background, those that struck a chord will make their return on you "Great Reads" display.
You can use this link to pull up all of LJ's 150th coverage. Also click here for the poll methodology.
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