Library Lovers Week with EveryLibrary (and Me): RSVP Today

Next week EveryLibrary is celebrating Library Lovers week with a series of author interviews. You can click here for the details and to register.

I am excited to announce that I will be moderating two, live event on Tuesday night:

7pm EST with Jennifer E. Hilt & Sara Rosett (Alliance of Independent Authors - ALLi) - "Pyramids to Plot Twists: Crafting Stories That Captivate"on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/events/1129658792042176
on YouTube Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE-Srqv34lE

9pm EST with Mary G. Thompson & Sarah Beth Durst (Tachyon) - "Imagined Worlds and Reimagined Lives"
on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/events/3971479529730575
on YouTube Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWWUOASCRTc

For those who do not know EveryLibrary, here is their mission statement from their "About" page:

EveryLibrary helps public, school, and college libraries win funding at the ballot box, ensuring stable funding and access to libraries for generations to come. We also support grassroots groups across the country defend and support their local library against book banning, illicit political interference, and threats of closure.

Please click through to see everything they do and consider making a donation to help them fight for all of us.

Back to Library Lovers Week specifically. We could all use some joy in our lives right about now, and book joy is the best joy. Go to this page to RSVP for Library Lovers Week 2025. As is explained on that page and below, when you RSVP you will get the links to join each live conversation and you will also receive links to watch said conversations after the fact. It's a win-win with one click.

I hope you can join us live or at a time that works better for you. Just be sure to RSVP so you don't miss the book joy.

RSVP to Library Lovers Week 2025 Book Fest from EveryLibrary Live!

Celebrate Books, Authors, and Libraries This Library Lovers Week!

Join us for an unforgettable celebration of reading, storytelling, and the magic of libraries during Library Lovers Week, February 11–14, 2025! EveryLibrary Live! is thrilled to bring you an exciting lineup of renowned authors and literary stars, supported by some of the biggest names in publishing.

Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with your favorite authors, explore fresh perspectives, and dive into engaging conversations about books, the art of writing, and the incredible impact of libraries.

Event Highlights

12 Dynamic Author Panels
Meet over a dozen incredible authors from diverse genres, including Neal Shusterman, Sandra Brown, Jami Attenberg, Rochelle Alers, Joe Finder, Sara Rosett, and more! Topics range from thrilling mysteries to heartwarming stories that will captivate readers of all kinds.

Live & On-Demand Access
Catch the live broadcasts on Facebook Live and YouTube Live every evening—or watch on-demand at your convenience.

Major Publisher Support
Enjoy exclusive content from participating publishers, including Gibbs Smith, HarperCollins, Hachette, Kensington, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Tachyon, and more.

A Joyful Celebration of Reading

Help shift the focus from censorship to the pure joy of books, the creative process, and the transformative power of libraries.

When you RSVP, you’ll receive the full festival schedule the evenings of February 11–14, 2025 directly in your inbox. Sign up now to get daily reminders to make sure you don’t miss your favorite panels. Get exclusive updates and insider information about the event and participating authors. 

Meet the Authors:
Here’s the list of amazing talent you’ll encounter:

• • Lisa Genova, Neal Shusterman & Lynn Painter (Simon & Schuster)
  • Sandra Brown & Robyn Harding (Hachette)
  • Rochelle Alers & Kemper Donovan (Kensington)
  • Jennifer Adams & Alison Oliver (Gibbs Smith)
  • Jami Attenberg, Anna Montague Joe Finder, & Christopher Bolen(HarperCollins)
  • Jennifer E. Hilt & Sara Rosett (ALLi)
  • Mary G. Thompson & Sarah Beth Durst (Tachyon & Tor)
  • Samantha M Clark, Naima Simone, Angelina M. Lopez (AABB)
  • Chris Bohjalian, Fiona Davis & Jennifer Ryan (Penguin Random House)
  • Kathleen Fuller, Melissa Furguson, & Amy Clipston (HarperCollins Christian)

RSVP now to secure your spot for the live events and gain access to all the links to watch the 'on-demand' sessions whenever you like. Don’t miss out on this exciting celebration of literature and libraries!

Invite your friends and fellow book lovers to join us for this unforgettable event. Spread the joy of Library Lovers Week by sharing on social media using the hashtags #LibraryLoversWeek2025 and #EveryLibraryLive.

RSVP now and be part of the celebration!

Click here for the full schedule.

What I'm Reading: Booklist February 2025 Issue Edition

The February 2025 issue of Booklist is live and I have two reviews in the magazine. Before we get to those, I do want to mention that the Booklist Online site has had a refresh and there are exciting things to share about that. I have invited Booklist to the blog to tell you all about that as well. So look for that sometime next week.

Now back to my reviews. As usual, I am posting my draft review here on the blog with bonus appeal info.

First up, the hotly anticipated follow-up to White Horse

The Haunting of Room 904

By Erika T. Wurth

Olivia is the most sought after paranormal investigator in Denver, but her successful business is rooted in deep personal trauma– her sister, Naiche, committed suicide in room 904 of the Brown Hotel almost five years ago. When the hotel contacts Olivia to prove that Naiche’s death is part of a cycle of violence that goes back generations, repeating exactly every five years, Olivia and her partner agree to take on this time-sensitive case. However, it is more dangerous than Olivia realizes as there are multiple forces at work, connected to a massacre of Native women and children in 1864, and these forces will stop at nothing to get what they want, even if it destroys Olivia and everyone she holds dear. Readers will eagerly follow Olivia’s investigation, getting to know her diverse and endearing friends, as this harrowing story twists and turns, winding its way from past atrocities right up to the present. For fans of emotionally charged supernatural thrillers, such as Shutter by Emerson and Forgotten Sisters by Pelayo.

Three Words That Describe This Book: supernatural thriller, great characters, emotionally charged

Further Appeal: First of all this is NOT White Horse. That was a straight up Horror novel and I think some people may be frustrated that this is different. They should not be though. This is a very well done supernatural thriller. It will appeal to horror fans because there are some serious monsters here, but it is has a huge investigative element-- one that I hope leads to more books in a series (because there is room for that).

The heart of the story is the trauma of the Native experience in America in general AND in the Denver area, specifically. The entire book is framed by a real historical event-- an awful one-- the Sand Creek Massacre. The tendrils from this slaughtering of Native women and children (who were told they were safe) are reaching out into the present. But it is also the story of a personal trauma-- Olivia's-- as she is coming upon the 5th anniversary of his younger sister's suicide and how it changed her life forever.

The past is reaching into the present from both sides of the massacre. Wurth provides resources to learn about the real event at the end of the book, but out of respect to the survivors she does not name it in the narrative itself. It is just “the massacre.”

One of the best things about this book are the charcaters-- the awesome, diverse (in every, realistic way) and loving friends who work together here. Olivia is the main character and the only narrator, but her best friend and business partner in her paranormal investigation business, her ex, a Jewish paranormal investigator, her two best friends, and even her mother-- all of them make a great team of flawed, but believable characters who love each other. I loved spending time with all of them in this story and I want a sequel to spend more time with them.

Further Readalikes: The two in the review above are STELLAR examples of emotionally charged and thought provoking supernatural thrillers. I would also add Cranberry Cove by Piper and anything by Simone St. James as readalikes as well. 

Last year I also read and reviewed What Grows in the Dark by Evans. That novel is also a good match here, but every other book I have mentioned, including the Wurth is better. The Evans was a good debut though and worth a try if thrillers reaching supernatural investigators is something you or your readers are particularly interested in.

Next up a SF-Horror hybrid that is sure to terrify you.

The Perfect Stranger

By Brian Pinkerton

Pinkerton presents a fast paced, near future, earth set AI-Horror nightmare that will chill readers to the core. Linda works as the PR professional for the public energy company in Chicago. With everyone mostly remote, finding and keeping new employees has been difficult. When her latest assistant quits, Linda immediately hires the most promising applicant, without a background check, Alison. However, she quickly regrets this decision as Alison appears to not only be too good at her job, but she is also working behind the scenes to not only push Linda out but discredit her through fake messages through the work portal. Also why are all the smart devices in her home acting weird? Readers beware as this story goes from general unease to terrifyingly realistic, quickly, hitting very close to home. For fans of earth based SF-Horror as written by Blake Crouch generally, but more specifically stories where AI becomes a sentient monster such as in Daemon by Suarez, Sea of Rust by Cargill, or the Robopocalypse series by Wilson.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Rise of machines, terrifyingly realistic, fast paced

Further Appeal: You want real world inspired near future terror-- Pinkerton has you covered. 

More plot based than character centered-- with just enough character to get the reader invested-- this is the story of a work place where everyone has stayed remote and an AI infiltrates as an employee masquerading as a real person not only the workplace (which is a public utility!) but also attacks its boss, our main character,

This has everything a good AI/horror crossover story should including the 2001: A Space Odyssey turn/twist, but having it set in a very real feeling Chicago, following very real life things from remote work to smart homes, to deep fake viral social media posts and more... makes it more chilling.

This is a must read for fans of the space where near future/earth based SF and Horror overlap. You want a seriously terrifying (to the core) AI Horror novel...this is it.

But again, I need to stress-- it is terrifyingly realistic. You need to be ready to have this book's terror follow you off the page.

Just Say No To AI: Add the F Word to Your Searches and Google's AI "Insights" Disappear

This post is part of a series entitled, "Just Say Not to AI." Click here to pull up all the posts in this series (in reverse chronilogical order). For the first post in this series, click here.

So the other day, I was just minding my own business when I was alerted to this viral Tumblr post where someone asked how they can stop the AI results from coming up first in  their search results, and someone replied: 

I added alt text, but that screen shot reads:

"Swear in your search request. I know it sounds ridiculous, but the most effective way I've found of it not doing the AI summary is just to add "fucking" go my search."

Click through because the post includes examples of the same search with and without the word "fucking."

This is HUGE news for everyone trying to avoid "AI Insights" when you do a Google Search. 

Now being a librarian, I did not simply trust a person on Tumblr, so I did my own quick search for reliable information and it appears, that at least for Google, this information is 100% accurate.

It turns out that Google's AI is programed specifically to avoid generating offensive content. Makes sense. But, a direct result of not generating offensive content is the 100% avoidance of offensive content. Meaning you curse and Google's AI won't look at your question let alone answer it.

Now as this article in LifeHacker points out, there are many ways to disable the AI results in Google but none is more fun than cursing at it. 

Interestingly, this makes cursing an act of resistance against AI. It also this leads me to think about whether or not we should be creating content with cursing so that cannot be scraped by AI as well. 

But I am not sure we, as libraries, can or should go that far. By including cursing we do alienate some suers. However, this entire situation provides a glimpse into a serious limitation of AI (of which there are many limitations). Clearly, this loop hole makes a lot of sense from a programming perspective. But it leads me to ask-- 

What other limitations in how AI models are built can we exploit to make sure we don't feed the AI machine and/or don't inadvertently use it?

So yes, this is fun to have a post telling you all to curse, but if that was the only reason I had to post this, I would not have wanted my time or yours.

Use the provocative example here to think more like a computer. How can we do better at avoiding AI as we act as the conduit between people and information? Thinking about how AI actually works-- which is very literally-- can help us try to stop it being applied in every instance.

As you can see by clicking on the link in this post's header, I am mad at how so many library workers and organizations are telling us that AI is inevitable and instead of avoiding it, we should embrace it-- eagerly and all the time.

NO.

Look, I have made my entire career out of refusing to accept what "they" tell me I have to do, use, or believe. I changed the entire field of RA because I refused to provide service to readers in a way that required those doing it needed a Masters Degree AND because I refused to leave my personal reading tastes out of the interaction. 

I have nothing but time and no one stopping me because I work for myself. I am not backing down, which means, yes, I am going to be typing a whole lot more curse words into my searches, but I am also going to spend some time thinking about what this loop hole means as part of the larger generative AI picture. And use it while you can because now that they know we know about the loophole, you better bet they are working on closing it as I type this.

In the meantime, I am going to be on the lookout for more ways that you can resist AI as you help your readers.

Resource Alert: 2024 Locus Recommended Reading List

Each February, Locus Magazine comes out with their Recommended Reading List. It is an exhaustive list of all the best Speculative Fiction of the last year. Literally it is one stop shopping for your Speculative Fiction readers...all of them.

This is an excellent resource to help readers and develop your collections for a variety of reasons. 

First, take the list itself, and check your collections. Do you own these books? You should. These are some of the best titles in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror from 2024-- I personally reviewed quite a few of them.

Second, use it to help readers who want books in these genres, but also, to help readers who want to give these genres a try-- especially the stories and novellas. These are proven winners, titles you can suggest with ease as they were vetted by a group of experts. [see below for a list of those experts]

Third, especially in the collections, anthology, and all of the shorter fiction categories, pay attention to the authors producing these stories. Many will become the novelists whose books you will be clamoring to get soon. I know this because...

Fourth, they make this list every single year, so there is a great BACKLIST! You know I love the backlist. Seriously though, you need to assess your collection, you want a suggestion that is on the shelf, you want to discover a newer voices in the genres, you want to make a display? For all of these things and more, you need to look back more than just one year. Don't worry. I made it easy on you.

Click here to pull up a list of each year's list beginning with the new 2024 list and going backward. It's a link that is RA and Collection Development gold. And it remains one of my favorite resources. One I eagerly anticipate every single February. Bookmark it and use it for guaranteed crowd pleasing suggestions for your speculative fiction fans all year long.

Below is the intro to the 2024 list by the editors of Locus Magazine. 

Welcome to the annual Locus Recommended Reading List…

We saw some fabulous books come out last year and are so pleased to let you know about them!

This list is compiled by the Locus editors and columnists, outside reviewers, and other professionals and well-known critics of genre fiction and non-fiction. This year we looked at 678 titles between short fiction and long fiction. Note: any one of our voting critics would have a different exact list – the list we end up with is our combined sum of opinions, assessed with a great affection and care for the field. We did not see everything that came out last year (though we tried!) and there will always be books that didn’t make it. It is especially hard for us to assess international books or books published in December that we didn’t see in time, or that none of us read, though as a group we read very widely. We do extend eligibility to the next year for some first-US editions, and allow for small-press and international constraints. No one in the group is allowed to vote for any titles they worked on or acquired.

The Locus recommending group this year included editor in chief Liza Groen Trombi; reviews editor Jonathan Strahan; Locus reviewers Liz Bourke, Jake Casella Brookins, Alex Brown, Paul Di Filippo, Sean Dowie, Paula Guran, Niall Harrison, Rich Horton, Gabino Iglesias, Paul Kincaid, Russell Letson, Adrienne Martini, Archita Mittra, Ian Mond, Colleen Mondor, Charles Payseur, Alexandra Pierce, Wole Talabi, Gary K. Wolfe, and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro; staffers Bob Blough and Tim Pratt; anthologist and editor Ellen Datlow, and outside critics James Bradley, Cheryl Morgan, and Graham Sleight. Input for the non-fiction section also came from John Clute, Mark Kelly, and Farah Mendlesohn. The art book section had counsel from Arnie Fenner, Karen Haber, and Locus senior editor Francesca Myman. Short fiction recommendations added in anthologists and reviewers John Joseph Adams, Maria Haskins, Allan Kaster, Nisi Shawl, Bogi Takács, and A.C. Wise.

You can let us know what your favorites were by voting in the 2024 Poll & Survey. The Poll decides the winners of the Locus Awards, planned for June 2025, and is open to all to vote on. The Survey helps us be a better magazine. Thank you for participating!

Click here to see the entire list. And consider voting in the Poll & Survey as linked in the paragraph above this one. Promote the link to your readers so they can participate as well. They will love to have the chance to advocate for their own favorites and they will remember that you were the one that brought them that joy.

Last Chance to Signup for Keeping Up With Books: Year in 2024 Review-- Happening Tomorrow!

Starting the week off here with a reminder that one of the best programs I put together every year is my annual Year in Review program. I have been doing this for various organizations for a decade now. This is my second year presenting this program in collaboration with NoveList and my friend Yaika Sabat. 

I am not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best programs I put together. While I am always updating my standard programs and am sure to refresh the information and advice every time I give them, this program is special.

Why?

Because it is the only time of year that I dive into the data from all angles. I assess bestsellers, "best" critics picks, and library checkouts all at once. It was a labor of love for many years, but having a partner like Sabat to work with has been invigorating. 

As much as I loved last year's program, this one is even better. We have been looking at lists, data, and think pieces since October. We were including reports until late last week. We look at all of the individual pieces to paint you an overall picture with a focus on the real world applications of it all. Both of us are pros at putting together and presenting training programs, so trust me when I say, this is one of the best we have done. 

Below is the post from a couple of weeks ago when NoveList announced the class and opened registration. I have been assured that you can sign up until right before the event (tomorrow at 2 pm Eastern), but why not click through and do it today so you don't forget. Last count we had over 700 of our closest friends joining us.

But before tomorrow, I need to share some critical information about the actual viewing of this program and the limitations to the FREE version. First, I need to be up front about this. I do not work for NoveList. I am being paid to work with Sabat on this as a freelancer. That being said, I have no say in how this information is decimated beyond only agreeing to do it if the live viewing was going to be free. 

If your library has a subscription to Learn with NoveList, you can ignore everything I am saying below. Those with a subscription have unlimited access to the recording, handouts, slides, even last year's program for comparative purposes.

Everyone else, the following information is very important.  

You much watch the class LIVE in order to be sent the slides and the handout. 

Now, as someone who worked 15 years at a public service desk, I know that for many of you, taking the time to watch this live may not be an option. You have to be on the desk at this time and there is no way around it. Even some of you, reading this today, who think they are all good and have scheduled time to watch this off desk-- someone will call in or something will change tomorrow, and you will find yourself unable to watch. I get this. I have lived this. And I have advocated for you, but I can only do so much as an outsider.

I wish I had more control over your access to a recording, but since I do not here is my advice because even if all you get are the slides and the handout, I promise you, they are worth your time: signup and just make sure you have the program running on a computer (hopefully in front of you) with the sound off. But even if it is running in a back office, as long as a computer is running it through the link you are sent, you will be emailed the slides and handouts.

To combat this inconvenience, I have also posted about many of the things I will be saying during the presentation. Those posts are in the hand out, but they are also here on the blog. 

Reach out to me if you have questions. I hope to "see" you there. Here is the post from January 23rd with more details and the signup link.

As I have mentioned a few times here on the blog, I have been working on the 2024 Year in Review with Yaika Sabat to present for NoveList.

Well the FREE webinar is now up for you to register. We cannot wait to see you there. Details and direct registration link below. There is no need for your library to be subscribed to NoveList to signup. All are welcome.  However, please note, you can only view this live for free. Only those with  a Learn With NoveList subscription will have access to the recording. Anyone can purchase just this class though.

We just did a full run through yesterday and I think it is very good. You will want to join us for sure! Okay, now the details...

Keeping Up with Books: 2024 Year in Review

Do you feel like there are too many books and not enough time to stay up to date? Trying to stay "in the know" is overwhelming with countless books across genres. That's why we're offering the webinar Keeping Up with Books: 2024 Year in Review. If you feel like the year flew by, you barely got a chance to look at everything published, can't get enough of the "Best Of" lists, or want to know how to use these trends to provide better service to your readers, this webinar is for you.

Join Becky Spratford, Readers' Advisory Specialist at RA for All, and Yaika Sabat, Manager of Reader Services at NoveList, as they discuss:

• Library and publishing news and trends
• 2024 bestsellers and "Best Of" lists
• The books and authors library patrons searched for and checked out
• How to use this information to help readers
• What you can expect in 2025 

The webinar takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. EST.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Using Awards Lists As a RA Tool: National Book Critics Circle Edition

This is part of my ongoing series on using Awards Lists as a RA tool. Click here for all posts in the series in reverse chronological order. Click here for the first post which outlines the details how to use awards lists as a RA tool.  

Well there sure were a lot of awards lists over the last week or so. I think I am through the backlog, for now. 

The National Book Critics Circle Award Finalists were announced here. Since 1974, the NBCC, made up of mostly literary critics, honors outstanding writing and fosters a national conversation about reading, criticism, and literature. 

The finalists are in 8 categories:

• Fiction
• Nonfiction
• Biography 
• Autobiography
• Poetry
• Criticism
• John Leonard Prize-- Best First Books
• Gregg Barrios Book in Translation

Of note, the John Leonard Prize is for any first book, not just fiction. I find that fascinating. I believe it is the only award that is given for simply a first book, full stop.

Also, the separation of nonfiction, biography, and autobiography not only allows for more nonfiction to be honored, but is acknowledges the big difference between biography and autobiography both the obvious distinction of how it is written and the fact that the appeal for readers is different as well.

I always like comparing the National Book Award finalists to the NBCC. They are fairly similar, but you can see distinctions, especially if you follow reviews as I do. The NBA is chosen by a group of mostly authors, while the NBCC is driven by the critics. You can especially see trends emerging over time if you look at both. Thankfully, both awards make the backlist easy to access. [There is a box on the top right gutter of the "Awards" page for the NBCC.]

This year for example, while James is on both lists, the other nominees are all different. This gives you many more "best" options for readers. Add in the Booker Prize and you get the big picture view of the best books published in English in any given year.

While "best" books aren't always the most popular with readers, they are the harbinger of larger movements. For example, as award finalists have gotten more diverse, the demand for more titles by marginalized voices has made it way into the conversation about all books.

Also, the emergence of small presses into the larger spotlight is another trend that I have noticed. Here we see Two Dollar Radio with a best novel nomination. But go down the whole list, there are a bunch of very small presses with nominations here.

So use this award list as a resource as I note in the introduction to this post above, but also, think about grouping similar awards together, consider their backlists from the last 5 years, and see if you can notice a few trends or changes yourself. When we embrace trends and larger movements as they are developing, we show our patrons we understand them. Anticipating what they want is not that hard if you pay attention and it leads to more check outs.

All of our work with readers starts with resources, and awards lists are one of my favorite resources.

Using Awards Lists As a RA Tool: Audie Awards Edition

This is part of my ongoing series on using Awards Lists as a RA tool. Click here for all posts in the series in reverse chronological order. Click here for the first post which outlines the details how to use awards lists as a RA tool. 

As part of my Year in Review presentation for NoveList on 2/4 (details and registration link here), Yaika Sabat and I have a lot to say not only about how much audiobook listening is growing, but how ubiquitous listening to an audiobook has become.

Look at this mind blowing report from the APA about the ubiquity of audiobooks right now. That information is in general, but then there is also this report that came out earlier this month, done with LJ and SLJ-- DIGITAL AUDIOBOOKS LEAD GROWTH IN LIBRARY CIRCULATION FOR THE SECOND YEAR.

And then, The Guardian UK went on the declare 2024, The Year if the Audiobook back in December.

All this is lead up to remind you that even if Audiobooks (and especially eAudio) are not part your general area of work, if your job is more print (physical and ebooks), you cannot sleep on audiobooks. You need to know about how the appeal of audio can be different than print, about who the best narrators are, and which books translate best to the audio format. And that is just the tip of the iceberg,

I begin my general RA training program with a reminder that audiobooks (and graphic novels) are reading and that this information is non-negotiable. If you disagree with me, I explain, you are wrong and you need to get over it. There is no room for discussion here. 

I have been saying this for over 10 years now, and I think the library world is finally catching up with me.

Knowing all of this, the announcement of the Audies long lists are a treasure trove of a resource. First, the current list of finalists. From the APA's Audie Awards Press Release for 2025:

JANUARY 22, 2025, NEW YORK, NY – Today, the Audio Publishers Association (APA) announced finalists for the 30th Annual Audie Awards®, the premier awards program recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. Full list of finalists below. Winners across 28 competitive categories will be revealed on March 4 in New York, which will be hosted by Emmy® nominated actress, comedian, and author, Amy Sedaris (2008 Audies finalist). 

“As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Audie Awards, we’re reflecting on three decades of honoring the incredible talent and innovation within the audiobook industry,” said Sean McManus, President, Audio Publishers Association. “This year’s finalists represent the very best in storytelling, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate their achievements. We’re also thrilled to have Amy Sedaris as our host—her wit, charm, and unmistakable sense of humor will bring a unique spark to the evening. It’s a perfect match for an event that celebrates the art of voice and performance, and we can't wait for everyone to join us in this special celebration!”

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be hosting the 30th Annual Audie Awards this year,” exclaimed Sedaris. “It’s such an honor to celebrate audiobooks and the many talented voices involved—especially since mine is usually reserved for explaining how to glue things together or reading instructions on soup cans.”

Click here to see the 28 categories and the list of nominated audiobooks.  I will note, for our work (matching books to their best reader), understanding the different categories is as important as the titles that are listed under them. Why? Because these categories help us to work with readers. For example, do they want a full cast recording? Or are they like me, do they prefer a specific genre or nonfiction category for their audiobooks? (I love mysteries, memoir, and history of science in audio--more than reading them in print).

And because this I say blog, notice the Horror category which has 2 Stephen Graham Jones releases and Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle-- all 3 of which are among my favorite reads of 2024. The Bury Your Gays audio has many narrators, including Stephen Graham Jones. 

Again click here for the entire list.

Make sure you have as many of these as possible in your eAudio collections. If you have the means, add a few to your "skip the line" collections. Personally I just got Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham, Narrated by Jacques Roy through this exact method.

And thankfully, after years of frustration and me having to do deep searches on the APA website in order to find the backlist press releases and nominee lists so that you could have easier access to them all, the Audio Publishers Association has created easy to access lists of the last few years of nominees and winners on the main Audie Awards info page, as well as  providing a link at the bottom of that page to downloadable spreadsheet of every nominee and winner ever! Since it is a spreadsheet, you can sort it however you want-- by year, by category, by narrator, etc. Have at it! And tank you APA for this wonderful resource of backlist goodness.

Remember you can make lists in Overdrive, in your catalogs, or on your websites to connect people directly to "displays" of eAudio. Or add QR codes in your buildings to get people to the lists from their phones as they browse.

Our patrons no longer look at format as much as we do. The increase in downloads of eBooks and especially eAudio means people will try to get a book in the format that comes the fastest. They don't always make the same distinctions or set up the silos we seem to be obsessed with. Make sure they know all of their options, especially their "best" options, by pointing them to Audio specific awards lists-- including those from the last 2-5 years.

Back tomorrow with one more post to round out this awards list heavy week.

Unshelve Your Collection in 2025: A Guest Post by Lila Denning

One of my regular guest posters is Lila Denning, an expert presenter on library book displays. In early January she proclaimed 2025 the year we "unshelve our collections" on her Passively Recommending Books Blog.

From that post:

While we all re-evaluate what will be different in 2025, I want to encourage you to unshelve your collection more this year. I've chosen that well-used library phrase to describe taking books out of the stacks and moving them around your building to show off what treasures are in your stacks. 

You can keep reading that post here.

While Denning plans to post on this topic all year (you can pull up all if her "unshelve" posts here), after I read it, I asked her to expand upon this introduction for my readers. The simplicity of the idea and the fun word play makes this an easy to promote strategy.

And so, here is Unshelve Your Collections by Lila Denning.

Shelves and shelves of book spines can create a great picture but it's not always the best way for a patron who is browsing your stacks to find their next great read. That's why this year I am encouraging everyone to unshelve their collections. All this means to find as many ways as possible to get your collection away from being lost in your stacks and out where it can be discovered by someone. 

There are simple ways to accomplish this. The easiest is to purchase some easels and put one book face out on every shelf. You will be amazed at what will be checked out simply because you put it face out on a shelf. This also is easy for any library worker to help keep filled; all that has to be done is pick a book from that shelf and place it on an empty easel. There is a sort of serendipity to this as everyone in your building will likely pick a different book so what’s faced out will constantly change. 

Book displays are another way to unshelve your collection by curating a small collection of materials on a theme and grouping them together. I cover basics and try to provide ideas on my blog and in my presentations for library workers. The magic behind book displays is that when the covers are faced out, they will always catch someone’s eye. Mix up fiction and non-fiction. Move materials to a part of your building that is far from where the rest of the collection is located. Add audiovisual materials to a display with books. Keep the signage and decorations simple. The focus should be on the covers.

Your eBooks and eAudiobooks are a treasure that not everyone in your community knows about. You can unshelve them by setting up a book display with covers from the titles included in your digital collection. Add QR codes to the website and information about how to sign up for the service. You can mix the face outs on your shelves by adding signage on some shelves with suggestions for titles in your eBook collection. 

Whatever social media accounts your library uses can also help you unshelve your collection. One idea I have suggested is a “Five for Friday” series. Just pick five titles on a theme and take a picture. You can put them on a cart, table, or have a staff member hold them. A schedule can be set up and anyone who works in your library can have a chance to pick a theme and their five items. Add a short paragraph explaining the titles and provide information about how to put them on request. If staff are comfortable, you can have a short video where the staff member explains their choices. 

If a topic pops up in the news, use that as a reason to add a post with some titles that might be of interest to someone who wants more information. Find a theme similar to what you would use for a book display and create a grouping of covers for your social media. If someone has the interest and skills, you can create clever graphic or just use a series of book cover images. 

Don’t limit your unshelving efforts to your building. Partner with local businesses and get small posters and fliers out into your community that include titles and covers from your collection. You can use local celebrations and events for inspiration. Create bookmarks with covers that can be given away. Make some themed posters and book marks with coffee related titles for a cafe or pizza related titles for a pizza shop. There are pet speciality stores that are popping up. There are many pet related titles in our collections. Remind the people in your community who don’t regularly come into your building how amazing your library is. 

These are but a few examples of unshelving your collections to get you started thinking about the concept. For the rest of 2025 I am going to try to discuss many ways of unshelving your collection that can be used by libraries regardless of size or budget. Reach out to me if you have ideas that your library has used to show off the titles in your collection. I would love to share them! Let’s use this year to help readers discover what treasures are waiting for them on our shelves. 

Click here to join Lila in her "Unshelve Your Collections" year of posts. Let her help you get your ideas to get started and then reach out to her (as she mentions above) if you have idea that worked for you so she can share them with others.