March Madness for Books: Resources and Fun for Every Library Worker and Reader

March Madness used to only refer to the NCAA basketball tournament but over the years it has spread into everything else. The book world was fairly early to jump on the March Madness marketing phenomenon by creating rankings, brackets, and competition of stories.

Today, I am going to offer you 3 examples. Each of which is fun to share with our readers with links, social media posts, displays, and maybe even a little tourney of your own. But they also make for an awesome resource of "sure bet" reads.  

Oh, and of course since this is Becky's blog,  all have a solid backlist. 

Let's begin with undisputed #1 seed of all book tournaments-- The Morning New's Tournament of Books. I have written about this event as a resource. Not only is the ToB fun, I argue all of the time, that their expanded definition of "literary fiction," of what is the overall best, has helped to expand the entire literary world's version of literary fiction. It is one of my favorite sure bet resources for our most avid readers. Click here to read my detailed discussions of ToB over the years.

ToB Backlist: Not only does the event go back to 2005, but on the main page for the ToB, you can see a "Wall of Champions," featuring each winner with a link to that year's competition, meaning you get access to all of the books included in that year's competition.

The ToB is adult book focused, but teens also love March Madness. There are many options and in fact, teen based tourney's are more common at local libraries than adult ones. Today, I offer a longstanding, local (to me), YA tournament of Books: The Illinois Library Associations Young Adult Services Forum's 2025 Tournament of Books. Just like The Morning News, the ILA YASF Tournament of Books can be used as a resource for displays, collection development, and online content. It is also a great way to assess trends in Teen fiction. These are the most popular books of the last year as determined by YA library workers; therefore, they show what teens want to read the most. Trends are important so that we can craft lists and add more titles to our collections, but even more important, trends in teen become trends in adult. As the readers age, they bring their tastes with them and those tastes become adult trends. Recent examples are Romantasy and (further back) Psychological Suspense. 

ILA YASF Backlist: Right at the top of the page is a list of the links to find the pervious tournaments going back to 2014. But please note, YA tends to age faster than adult, so I would use the links from 2020 forward to help readers and see how trends have emerged, matured, and start to fade away.

And then there are wildcard tourneys-- book centered March Madness about something more specific. This year's example is AWESOME as LitHub is doing a bracket tournament of The Best Villains in Literature. This one is elaborate. First the four divisions are: Authority Figures, Monsters & Boogeymen, Manipulative Bastards, Anti-Villain.

Then, within the divisions, each villain was given a ranking and then paired up just like the NCAA tournament. There is an essay about each villain, why they are evil and then anyone can vote. Currently there are on Round 2. But here is the link to see how the votes shook out in Round 1.

What is so fun about this tournament is that villains are the catalyst for our protagonists, therefore the very best make our favorite books better and their villainy stays with us. Also, once we get a winner out of each "region," I am actually more interested in which type of villain wins. 

Since this tournament is voted on by actual readers, there is so much we can learn about what readers enjoy most in their stories just by standing by and watching this competition unfold.

And in terms of using this as a resource, each villain's entry ends with links from LitHub where this villain previously came up.

Can you tell, I just LOVE this?

If you want her hear more about how LitHub created this tournament, listen to this episode of the LitHub Podcast (it's the final story).

Best Villains Backlist?: Yes this is the inaugural tournament BUT all of the villains are from book we know. By definition this is a backlist tournament, which is refreshing as the other two are all focused on 2024 books.

I hope you have fun perusing all of these brackets and get a chance to vote for your favorite villain.

I know there are many more. Feel free to add your favorite March Madness Book Brackets to the comments.  

Learn All About Horror with Three Free Summer Scares Webinars Via Booklist

Beginning later today, Booklist presents a series of FREE webinars all about Horror, for all ages, and it is all in conjunction with Summer Scares. 

Each webinar -- one a week over the next 3 weeks-- features the three Summer Scares authors in each age group, in conversation with one of our Summer Scares committee members. These webinars will not only be about the specific Horror  titles chosen for Summer Scares, but also the genre in general. Here is the March 2025 schedule:

• 2025 MG authors in conversation with Julia Smith, Senior Editor, Books for Youth
• Live on 3/10/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to signup
• 2025 YA authors in conversation with Kendare Blake, Author and 2025 Summer Scares Spokesperson
• Live on 3/20/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to signup
• 2025 Adult authors in conversation with Becky Spratford, Co-Chair HWA Library Committee
• Live on 3/24/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to signup 

I will be at all three webinars. Besides moderating the Adult one, I will be lurking in the background of the first two. I am there to answer any program specific questions and as an emergency panelist if an author doesn't show up. (it did happened once)

And while I am very excited about this year's webinars with our current crop of Summer Scares authors. I want to remind you that the entire Summer Scares program  revolves around solid, backlist titles. With that in mind, 2023 and 2024's Booklist Summer Scares webinars are also worth your time. I have the direct links to watch the recordings on my 

All of the Booklist Summer Scares webinars are a great way to get to know Horror-- for all ages-- through its authors.

See below for the awesome marketing graphics and to access the direct link to each event. And thanks as always to Summer Scares sponsor Booklist for all of the work they do to help us get the word out about this reading program.

Click here to signup

Click here to signup

Click here to signup

Taking the "Shoulds" Out of Reading

My first rule of Reader's Advisory Service is very clear:

1.   Betty Rosenberg: “Never apologize for your reading tastes.”

• Strike "Guilty Pleasures" from you vocabulary 
• Longer post about books you "should" read
• Set a better example of the first rule of RA

I want to especially point out that second bullet point because it is one I talk and write about frequently and it links to this post entitled, "The Best List of Books to Read Before You Die." Here's the spoiler at the end of that post: 

List of Books to Read Before You Die

1. Any book you want
2. Don't read books you don't want to read
3. That's it
4. Congratulations you did it

I have much more to say about this in that post, but this is the summary of my thoughts. And more importantly, in my version of Readers' Advisory this is the starting line. If you cannot follow the first rule, you are doing it wrong. And yes, I mean to say that. You are wrong if you disagree with me on this. I am leaving no room for argument here. I am the one people all over the world pay to train library workers to provide superior RA Service; therefore, I have earned the right to be unyielding in this.

You (and that you mean you reading this AND your patrons) should read whatever you want for whatever reason you want. And, just because you are a library worker or bookish person, you are not above others. We spend so much time shaming people for what they like to read-- especially genre readers-- and I am never here for this behavior. No matter what anyone wants to read, they should read it. End of sentence.

Now, I am not alone in this viewpoint, even among bookish people (who often are the worst and most snobby about this). Whenever I see a mainstream discussion of this topic, I try to link to it, with a reminder of my first rule. 

The other day, Molly Templeton had this great essay on Reactor entitled, "Taking the 'Shoulds' Out of Reading." I am passing it on because the point is evergreen and essential, and yet too many of us don't subscribe to it.

Read my post and her essay. Then make a conscious effort to not only live your life with the understanding that the books you "should" read are whatever books you want to read, but also, actively share and encourage this point of view on with you colleagues and patrons.

Micro-Genre Alert: LitRPG via Book Riot and Why We Need Their Help to Do Our Jobs Better

One of my favorite things about Book Riot is that their entire reason for existing is to encourage readers to click on their stories. This means that they are constantly producing content that readers actually want and need. They are able to address trends and produce annotated lists of titles that people would love if only they knew about them, very quickly.

For those of us who work at the library and are struggling to keep up with the day to day tasks, these lists are RA gold. We know we can use them to make displays and provide online content for our readers in real time. We can also use them to check our collections and add titles that, while not hugely popular yet, will address an emerging trend. Titles we can position on displays and lists ASAP. Titles people would love, if only they knew they existed.

Book Riot also has intentional diversity editorial standards, so that you can trust that they will never put out a list that is all white and hetero.

One example of these helpful lists is when they identify micro-genre trends. Yesterday they had one of these articles entitles "What is LitRPG?" From the article:

LitRPG has been pretty huge for a while now. If you’re not a regular of science fiction and fantasy, however, you may not be familiar with the term nor some of its biggest successes. Fortunately for you, I’m here with a primer on all things about literary roleplaying games, also known as LitRPGs.

Click here to read the primer and see a list of example books-- and not the ones you know about like Ready Player One or Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. These are the types of books I advocate featuring-- the ones people wouldn't know about without your help.

Book Riot does these kinds of posts all the time. Let them stay on top of all the trends for you,  from emerging micro-genres to readalikes for popular media to newsletters on a whole bunch of topics. Let them do the work for us. They want to do it. They get paid to do it. We need to be providing this information to our readers and we really don't have the time to be as up to date as our readers need us to.

Remember, our main job is to provide information to our patrons. We don't have to create said information. We don't get a prize for doing everything on our own. Quite the opposite. We succeed when we use resources to help our readers find the best books for them. RESOURCES. Our brains are not the only, and definitely not the best, resource. If we only rely on ourselves we are not only failing our readers, we are also not being good information professionals.

So check out this post on LitRPG and pay attention to Book Riot for your displays, online lists, and collection development needs.

What I'm Reading: March 2025 issue of Booklist

I have 2 reviews in the March 2025 issue of Booklist. The first book is excellent; just shy of a star. The second is a debut worth ordering.

As usual, the post here has my draft reviews, three words, further appeal commentary, and extra readalikes.

Enjoy.

Vanishing Daughters
by Cynthia Pelayo

Mar. 2025. 354p. Amazon/Thomas & Mercer, paper, $16.99

(9781662513930); e-book (9781662513923). 
First published March 1, 2025 (Booklist).

Pelayo (Forgotten Sisters) is back with another supernatural thriller, steeped in its place (Chicago), and framed by a fairytale (Sleeping Beauty). Briar Rose (Bri) is consumed by grief after the passing of her beloved mother who understood “the thin places,” where the dead could overlap with the living, and shared that knowledge with her daughter. Now Bri is having vivid nightmares of dead women, while the house itself starts reaching out to her, encouraging Bri to fulfill her destiny as a daughter, stop the murder of young women, and help their ghosts find peace. But first she must find the key to defeat that which has cursed her family for generations. An elegiac, profound and lyrical study in grief but also, this novel is an atmospheric and original ghost story, a novel that hooks readers with its compelling mystery, but reels them in with Bri’s voice. For fans of Jennifer McMahon, in general, and The Daughters of Block Island by Carmen, and The Devil in the White City by Larsen, specifically. 

Three Words That Describe This Book: elegiac, retelling, ode to murdered women

Further Appeal: More words-- unbalanced, uneasy, unsettling-- as Bri works through her grief readers are inside her head. We fall into her intense grief-- the prose itself is unbalanced but also lyrical, you can feel the grief. The story becomes an elegy for the dead and forgotten in general as well. Readers will be able to connect easily. the prose itself drips of sadness, unease, emptiness, despair. 

The details about Chicago, the house, the family's history all add to the unease. The radios are a great addition. The family made their money in radio (which explains why they have this crumbling mansion) and in that old house having them scattered everywhere makes so much sense. Them turning on to help Bri figure out the mystery-- that was also creepy and cool.

Briar Rose (Bri) and the Chicago Strangler are both pov's-- typical Thriller, we don't know exactly which character the killer is, but the payoff between 3 male recurring characters is worth it. All three are a satisfying addition to the over all story. I can't say more but readers will be happy with the resolution of all of those plot points.

"Keys and gates and locks and thorns." a refrain from her Mom-- the key to Bri stopping the family history of violence against its women.

The title is great because so many daughters have vanished over time but also it is specific to the family and Sleeping Beauty.

This is a ghost story but from a different angle. The house is haunted yes, but it is trying to speak to Bri through her intense grief. There is a family history here. 

Lots of frame and atmosphere and detail. But there is a central mystery-- who is the woman that Bri keeps seeing in her dreams, that the house.

The mom's stories shared after death through Bri's memory, such as the thin places-- such as cool way to think of the places where the living and dead overlap.

Retelling of Sleeping Beauty-- that part is sustained throughout and it works really well to unite the novel. Details of the story are carefully integrated into the novel but not in an obtrusive way-- it makes sense in the modern story. 

Family history is intertwined with a specific slice of Chicago history and urban legends.

Readalikes: The ones in the review above are there to give the range of readers who would enjoy this book. To those, I would add: Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman and the graphic novel Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? By Harold Schechter. 

Also give this book out to your True Crime fans because there is a lot here about True Crime-- specifically known serial killers. And it is very clear that Pelayo is trying to criticize modern True Crime for the violence it perpetuates against its female victims-- turning the killers into stars and making their victims ghosts (monsters)- silencing them completely. It's brilliantlly done.

The Cut
by C.J. Dotson

Apr. 2025. 304p. St. Martin’s, $29  (9781250335449). 
First published March 1, 2025 (Booklist).

Sadie, pregnant, with toddler in tow, packs up her car and flees north desperate to escape her abusive fiance, ending up at the rundown L’Arpin Hotel on the shores of Lake Erie interviewing for a housekeeper position. Hired on the spot, given a room, and offered child care by an elderly, permanent resident, it all seems too good to be true. And it is as the unease seeps in from every corner of this story. Sadie hears squelching, finds rooms barricaded from the inside, and clearly sees ominous shadows when visiting The Cut, the beach below the property. Or does she? Everyone else tells her she is mistaken. Dotson gets readers invested in Sadie immediately, even as the plot driven story burns slowly, and come the last third of the book, that investment pays off as the revelations, danger, and monsters burst the story open. Not for the faint of heart, suggest to fans of The Shining by King, The Insatiable Volt Sisters by Moulton, or even The Housemaid by McFadden.

Three Words That Describe This Book: creepy hotel, Horror-Thriller cross over, plot driven

Further Appeal: Here are some notes I took:

• Power plant and beach and squishy squelchy water sounds. 
• Psychological suspense meets monsters but the monsters didn't;t get enough screen time in my opinion
• Slow burn that builds the discomfort and unease and bursts open for last third.
• A great choice for plot driven readers
• She uses her phone the entire time, even though she is running away from her abusive ex-husband. Ultimately, there is an explanation but I found it weak.

Readalikes: There is a bit of each of those three hotel framed books listed in the body of the review above in this book. Besides those, add The Sun Down Motel by Simone St James. And in general, for fans of Sarah Pinborough.

REMINDER: Not to Miss FREE Readers' Advisory Training from Booklist

Please see below for a NOT TO MISS, completely FREE, 3 hour RA training event-- Readers' Advisory Ideas & Practice 2025. Robin and I were a part of the 2024 event, and I cannot say enough good things about how it went.

What I love about this day is that you can do it all live, do parts live and parts recorded, or do all recorded. It is up to you. I signed up the second I got the email so I can figure out when we get to March 12th.

Also you can still watch last year's Readers' Advisory Ideas and Practice for free in the Booklist Webinar archives. And again, it is still FREE. Scroll back to March of 2024 and while you are scrolling, checkout all of the other great webinars you can watch. You will just need to enter some information and they will email you the link.

Back to this upcoming event, all the details are below. Click here to sign-up now or use the button at the end of the post.

Join us for this exciting workshop, Readers’ Advisory: Ideas & Practice 2025 Booklist is back with a new series of free readers' advisory workshops on Wednesday, March 12 starting at 11 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET designed to keep you up to speed on both the ideas and practice that will enhance your RA game. Learn from experts in the field about how genres relate to each other, how to talk to patrons about their leisure reading, and how to write an effective book annotation. Participants should have an understanding of the basic readers’ advisory concepts of appeal elements (character, pace, storyline, tone, and writing style). Workshop Topics: The State of Genreblending in Adult & YA (11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET): Adult readers' advisory librarian Misha Stone (she/her) and Hugo-nominated and Ignyte award-winning critic and High School librarian Alex Brown (they/them) will talk about trends in genreblends in adult and YA fiction and how to help readers find the perfect blend for their reading interests. Session Time: 55 minutes. Nonfiction Readers’ Advisory (12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET): Programming and Outreach Specialist Stephanie Sendaula (she/her) and rural library director Allie Stevens Gosselink (she/her) will explore how accessibility, format variability, and high-interest subject matter create many opportunities to use nonfiction titles in leisure reading recommendations for adults and teens alike. Session Time: 50 minutes. Hot Tips for Hand-Selling (1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET): Librarians and Booklist editors Heather Booth (she/her) and Susan Maguire (she/her) will show you how to build a book talk using clues from reviews. Session Time: 50 minutes. Register now! (One registration form required for all three sessions.) All sessions will be recorded and distributed to registrants after the live event. Sponsored by Penguin Random House and Crabtree Publishing. Can't make the date? Register for Booklist's upcoming webinars and we'll send you the archive after the event!

 

Wednesday March 12 11:00 AM Pacific 12:00 PM Mountain 1:00 PM Central 2:00 PM Eastern

The Summer Scares FREE Resource Guide is Now Live

 Click here or see below

Click on the image to access 
a folder with the logo graphics

Summer Scares 2025 Resources for Library Workers

Below is a list of resources for any library to use in order to participate in Summer Scares. If you are interested in hosting a Summer Scares author at your library (free virtual appearances for any, in person on a case by case basis), please email libraries at horror dot org.

• The Summer Scares 2025 Title Announcement
• Titles also listed below
• Graphics folder access, with the logo and collages for all of the books and books by category (courtesy of committee member Kelly Jensen)
• Click here to download the FREE 2025 Summer Scares Programming Guide
• New this year-- content provided by members of the HWA's Library Advisory Council
• Booklist hosts a series of webinars with each set of 3 authors and the recordings will all be FREE to view. Links below to access them all.
• 2025 MG authors in conversation with Julia Smith, Senior Editor, Books for Youth
• Live on 3/10/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to signup
• 2025 YA authors in conversation with Kendare Blake, Author and 2025 Summer Scares Spokesperson
• Live on 3/20/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to signup 
• 2025 Adult authors in conversation with Becky Spratford, Co-Chair HWA Library Committee
• Live on 3/24/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to signup (link coming soon)
• Listen to Committee members and some librarians who use Summer Scares in their libraries talk about the program in general and this year's selected titles on Booklist's Shelf Care
• Link coming soon

More links coming as the year progresses..... See 2025 titles below.

Click on the image to access all of 
the 2025 Summer Scares collages

Adult Selections:

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca (Titan Books, 2022)

Reprieve by James Han Mattson (William Morrow, 2021)

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling (Harper Voyager, 2019)

Click on the image to access all of 
the 2025 Summer Scares collages

Young Adult Selections:

Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist (Greenwillow, 2018)

The Getaway by Lamar Giles (Scholastic Press, 2022)

Find Him Where You Left Him Dead by Kristen Simmons (Tor Teen, 2023)

Click on the image to access all of 
the 2025 Summer Scares collages

Middle Grade Selections:

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable (First Second, 2022)

Ravenous Things by Derrick Chow (Disney Hyperion, 2022)

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon (Scholastic Press, 2020)

Amherst College 10th Annual Lit Fest

Today I am in Western Massachusetts to attend this weekend's Amherst College Lit Fest. While the event is sold out, I have been told that there will be a live stream of all the events here. 

But look at what they will have. From the landing page:

Amherst College will host the 10th annual LitFest, a literary festival celebrating fiction, nonfiction, poetry, spoken-word performance, and the College’s extraordinary literary life. Guest speakers include award-winning author Teju Cole; Pulitzer Prize winner Brandon Som; Paisley Rekdal; Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; and a special panel on the making of American Fiction with writer and director Cord Jefferson, lead actor Jeffrey Wright ’87, and Percival Everett, author of Erasure, the novel upon which the film is based.

Go here for the entire schedule.

I cannot wait to see the conversation with Percival Everett. As readers here know, I love is writing. I hope I get a chance to ask him about his brilliant use of the word "nothing" in Dr No. Click here to read my review where I write about this. And I might because I will be at the reception after his talk with him in a smaller social setting. 

Follow me on bluesky for live updates from the weekend including pictures of me hanging out with recent Bram Stoker nominee Emily Hughes all day Saturday!

I would also suggest scrolling to the bottom of the landing page to watch videos from 2024's event.

Back Monday with the release of the Summer Scares FREE programming guide on all blogs.

LibraryReads Funding Options for Libraries and Library Workers

I am a LibraryReads Ambassador. I say this at the outset so you know that I am affiliated with LibraryReads. I also have had libraries apply for one of their CE Grants so that they could afford to hire me. And, as you will see below, I have worked with LR as a sponsor for the HWA's Librarians' Day for many years.

With that out of the way, here is today's post.

One of the best things LibraryReads has done (outside of their main mission which is to leverage the power of library workers to help with book promotion through the list) is to provide financial support to libraries so that they can present RA training to their staff or at their conference AND provide support to individual library workers so that they can attend conferences.

With ALA Annual registration opening last week, I have had a lot of people tell me that they would love to go but they don't think they will get any financial support to do so.

As I have now shared this with more than a handful of people in the last week, I realized that I should make it a post so that everything is in one place.

So here is the link to the page on the LibraryReads site. It is under the "participate" tab. But I have also reposted all of the text here.

Email info at libraryreads dot org if you have further questions.

CONTINUING EDUCATION SUPPORT PROGRAMS

LIBRARYREADS INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE SUPPORT (FORMERLY TRAVEL GRANT)

To broaden public library staff participation in continuing education with a readers’ advisory for adults element,LibraryReads has developed a sponsorship program to help defray costs and encourage attendance for those who might not otherwise be able to attend such events. The maximum award amount per individual is $1,000.

Application deadlines

We will take applications for state/local/online conferences at any time during the year but require a 30-day minimum lead time.

Applicant Eligibility
To determine if you are eligible, you must answer “yes” to all of the following questions:

• Are you currently employed, in any job title, at a public library in the United States?
• Do you have an interest in readers’ advisory for adults?
• Have you actively participated in LibraryReads (by voting for titles via Edelweiss or NetGalley) in the 3-month period prior to application?

Selection Criteria
Potential for professional growth
Demonstrated commitment to the profession/interest in LibraryReads
Preference will be given to those whose regular job duties include readers’ advisory and/or collection development for adult collections.

Applicants may apply for more than one grant per calendar year; however, preference will be given to new recipients.

To receive a grant, grantees must be able to:

• Attend the noted conference and participate in any LibraryReads events (if applicable; at national conferences, generally two author panels).
• Submit proof of registration (email receipts accepted).
• Submit a brief follow-up report that may be used for promotional purposes by LibraryReads.

All recipients will be awarded half of the grant funds prior to the event and the remaining half of the funds following the receipt of the requested follow-up report. Remaining grant funds will not be disbursed unless all of the above requirements are met. Please consider this information when making travel arrangements.

Eligible Expenses
Travel grant funds are not restricted and may be used by the recipient for any personal expense incurred attending a library conference: registration, travel, lodging, meals, etc.

How to Apply
Prepare a brief statement of need, including:

• Your name and personal contact information
• Name and address of your library and your job title
• Request Narrative as described below
• Brief budget summary sheet as described below, indicating the amount you are requesting (in increments of $100, to a maximum of $1000)

Request Narrative Instructions
In 500 words or less, please attach a brief statement answering the following questions:

• Name and date of event.
• Why do you want to attend this particular event?
• What do you hope to learn/experience from the event? How would attending the event benefit you in Readers’ Advisory work for adults?

Budget Summary Sheet Instructions
List anticipated costs incurred by recipient to be paid by the grant–not paid for or reimbursed by employer–to the best of your ability for the following (if applicable):

• Registration expenses
• Total travel expenses
• Lodging expenses
• Incidental expenses (including meals, necessary accommodations, etc.)

Email application materials to: rebecca@libraryreads.org

*NEW* LIBRARYREADS INSTITUTIONAL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAM 

To broaden participation in library continuing education events, LibraryReads has developed a financial support program to help defray costs and encourage public libraries in the US to offer readers’ advisory-focused continuing education opportunities.

Applicants may apply for support for multiple events. The maximum award amount per event is $2,000. Members of the LibraryReads Board of Directors will evaluate grants and notify applicants of decisions as soon as possible, typically within thirty days prior to the event date.

Looking for a speaker or consultant? Check our directory.

Institution Eligibility
Any public library in the United States is invited to apply for financial support for the following types of events:
-Staff Training on RA/Collection topics (in-house)
-Group/Multiple-attendee staff training on RA/Collection topics provided by outside vendors (e.g., group presentations, multi-attendee webinars, self-paced training modules)

Eligible Expenses
These funds are not restricted and may be used by the recipient institution for any expense incurred while hosting readers’ advisory-related educational events, including but not limited to:
-Speaker or consultant fees for staff in-service training
-Room rental or catering needs for RA-focused staff educational events
-Paid seats for webinars or online programming related to RA
-Materials related to RA staff training

Please note these funds are not intended for individuals. See above for current availability of our Individual Conference Support program, which is meant for individual staff members to attend RA trainings and conferences.

Selection Criteria
This support covers learning opportunities for library staff that support readers’ advisory service to adults or collection development for adult collections. Programs covering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) topics related to RA and library collections will be given priority consideration.

How to Apply
Prepare a brief statement of need, including:
Contact information including the name and address of your library and your job title.
Request Narrative detailing the planned event and indicating the amount you are requesting as described below. (The maximum award amount per event is $2,000. Please be advised that we may be able to offer partial support only, as funds allow.)

Request Narrative Instructions
In 500 words or less, please attach a statement answering the following questions:
Name and date of event.
Why does the library want to host this event?
If scheduled, who is presenting/training?
What are the expected educational outcomes of this event?
How many staff members will be attending this event?
Anticipated costs (total)
Amount requested (if less than anticipated costs)

Email application materials to: rebecca@libraryreads.org

LibraryReads expects the funds to be used solely for the proposed event. We request a brief written summary (300-500 words) within 30 days of the event, detailing attendance and outcomes. We would appreciate photos or quotes that we may use on our website/social media to help promote the sponsorship program.

For any questions regarding these programs, please email info@libraryreads.org.

RUNNING A CONFERENCE/EVENT?

Please email info@libraryreads.org to see if we might be a good match to present at your readers’ advisory-focused event, set up a LibraryReads informational booth/table, or participate as a sponsor!

Recent sponsorships include:

• ARSL 2021; 2022; 2023; 2024
• Horror Writers of Association StokerCon Librarian Day, 2020; 2021; 2022; 2023, 2024 
• Springfield, MO Flights and Frights Trivia Event (2024)
• National Conference of African-American Librarians 2024
• Montville Public Library (NJ) 2024
• Lakeland Library Cooperative (MI) 2023
• Christian County Library (NE) 2023
• Puyallup Public Library (WA) 2023
• Mahomet Public Library (IL) 2023
• Adult Reading Round Table ARRTCon 2023
• New England Library Association Conference, 2023, 2024
• Washington State Library Association Conference, 2022
• Massachusetts Library Association Conference, 2022
• Tennessee Library Association Conference 2023
• Louisiana Library Association Conference, 2022; 2023
• Arkansas Library Association Conference, 2022
• New Mexico Library Association Conference, 2022; 2023
• Virginia Library Association Conference, 2022; 2023
• Wisconsin Library Association Conference, 2022, 2023
• Illinois Library Association Conference, 2022; 2023
• FIYAHCON Online Conference 2021, 2022
• Flights of Foundry, 2023
• PLA 2020, 2022, 2024

Online Programming for:
Glen Ellyn Public Library (IL) Book Group Buzz; Indiana State Library; MAIN Book Buzz (New Jersey); Bucks County Free Library (PA) staff day; Bibliocommons BiblioCon

Indemnification
Applicants agree to indemnify and to hold LibraryReads harmless against all damages, claims, suits, or other legal proceedings arising from the staff member’s travel to and from and participation in conferences.

The maximum award amount per event is $2,000.