One of the non-negotiable things I present in my training programs is outlined in this post: Promote the Books Patrons Will Not Find On Their Own.
It is in my 10 Rules and in almost every presentation I give. I use it to introduce the fact that people like James Patterson, Nora Robert, Colleen Hoover, and Stephen King should not ever be put on display. Why? Because they don't need your help. That post explains it in detail.
But I ALSO use this mantra to introduce the next point-- marginalized voices need the most help and you should be intentionally diverse in what you promote and display.
Now, that first statement gets people agitated. I have had people interrupt me in multiple training programs arguing that I cannot possibly asking them to not put these authors on display because as we all know they are our most popular and we need to display them.
I counter with -- you just proved my point. Why are we showing people the books they know we have, the titles they have heard of. If they don't see a huge bestselling author they most likely will assume there is a wait and they will ask to be put on hold for it. And we still have shelves and shelves of books by those authors.
Where we show our worth at its best is when we help people find the books they could never find without us. When we show them titles they never knew about and end up loving as a result....that is the pinnacle of our work.
Eventually, I can get most people to go with this, but when I add that second part, well people get big mad or, and this is actually worse than getting mad, give me all the excuses as to why they cannot be intentionally diverse. Some even try to tell me it will get them fired. In 99% of those cases, it will not get them fired, but they try to be dramatic all in the name of not promoting books by non-white straight, best selling authors. (Honestly, it is exhausting how hard people work to not do their job)
I have counters to every excuse. In fact, Robin Bradford and I have been countering every single one of them together since 2020 and we are offering a brand new version of our class through ALA next month where you can learn how to be actively anti-racist in your readers' advisory practice. This idea of being internationally diverse in all of your lists and displays is but a small part of it.
Today, however, I am offering an example from someone who is not me or Robin, an example I have added to my part of the ALA presentation to show you how it is done, an example from my colleague, Alex Brown. They not only make sure that in every place where they work (as a librarian or with free lance writing) to push books from smaller presses and/or written by marginalized authors, but also like Robin and I, they make a point to remind everyone it is intentional.
Below is a screen shot (and link) of their post on Bluesky and a link to the list of Fantasy books from Reader's Digest.
This is how you lead by example. This is also how you use your privilege and platform to promote books. Your platform might not be Reader's Digest, like Brown's is here, but your platform at your library is bigger than you think. You have the potential to reach everyone in your community, and if you post the list online, to people all over the world.
When you go out of your way to make sure as many identities and experiences are reflected in every single display or list you make, you are 1. showing members of your community that their identity matters and 2. you are providing great titles which will allow you readers to enjoy a book that might take them to a new place or allow them to see something they thought they knew from a new perspective.
But in both cases, you are not sacrificing a good read. Books that are not by the bestsellers (who are predominantly white and straight) are not of lesser quality. There are more great books out there that are not bestsellers than are. Take Brown's example again. When you click through the title is Must Read Fantasy Books According to a Librarian. And then this introduction:
When it comes to the imaginative worlds found in the best fantasy books, anything goes. Wizards? Yup. Dragons? Yes, please. Monsters? Of course! For both kids and adults, fantasy is one of the most loved—not to mention highest-selling—book genres today.
As a book critic who specializes in speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy and horror), I read a lot of fantasy novels. And as a librarian, I can tell by the empty shelves and the frequent patron requests for titles just how popular fantasy books are. I’ve been doing both jobs for more than a decade and have seen publishing trends come and go, but the demand for fantasy is a mainstay. And they’re not just popular—some are legitimately the best books of all time.
Given the sheer volume of good fantasy books out there, it can feel like an impossible task to figure out what to read next, especially as some fantasy book series require a major commitment to get through the whole thing. But I’ve got you covered: These 28 selections are the fantasy books I love the most, the ones I recommend the most often and the ones that are so good they’ll set your heart racing.
So read on for the best fantasy novels from someone who’s read them all: me!
Now go to the list. All of what they say is true. The books are "must read," they just also happen to be by marginalized voices or from small presses. They are books that Brown, an expert, loves and has had success suggesting to readers, they just also happen to not be the books that get the most sales or attention.
Brown is setting an example for us all. No one called them out for this list. Reader's Digest didn't reject their list because th most popular voices were not represented on it. No. Just the opposite. The list was published and now these titles have a "must read" tag. It is out there on the internet and will lead other people to try those titles. Some of those people will come back to their library and ask for these titles. And when that happens, the library will add them. Now more people can find these great reads-- but only if you help promote them.
As we begin 2025, how are you planning to use your privilege and platform to promote books by marginalized authors and small presses? What are you going to do to get the books people would love if only they knew about them?
What are you waiting for? Because let me tell you, it isn't getting better out there. Do you want to just sit back and watch it get worse? Or, do you want to do something?
You know what I say-- do something.
Monday, I will be back here with a guest post that will demand action as well. Again, not by me, but promoted by me. And yes, the timing of that post was planned. More Monday. But today, think about how you are going to add intentional diversity to your own displays and lists. Maybe you can't get everyone on your team to do it, but you can absolutely start with yourself.
