Booklist's Ideas and Practice Recordings 2024-2026

Last week I attended Booklist's FREE Readers' Advisory Ideas & Practice 2026. The recordings and slides are now available for all. The format of this half day of library training is broken up into three presentations-- 2 "Ideas" sections and 1 focused on practice. 

This is the third year for Booklist's RA Ideas & Practice series, and before I get to this year's program, I wanted to remind you that all Booklist Webinars are easily accessible in their archive at this link. But as they are currently at work creating a more organized way to access the content, I have pulled out the 2025 and 2024 programs.

Fun fact, Robin and I were a part of the very first session of the very first edition of RA Ideas & Practice. 

Please note, access is free but you need to fill out a form saying where you work to view. If you are not a library worker, there is a box for "other."

2025 Program Access:

Readers' Advisory: Ideas and Practice: The State of Genreblending in Adult and YA (March 12, 2025) 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.

Readers' Advisory: Ideas and Practice: Nonfiction Readers' Advisory (March 12, 2025) 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.

Readers' Advisory: Ideas and Practice: Hot Tips for Hand-Selling (March 12, 2025) 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 

2024 Program Access: 

Readers' Advisory: Ideas and Practice: Swoons and Screams (3/14/24) Librarians Robin Bradford, Alex Brown, and Becky Spratford will dive deep into the appeal of horror and romance for teens and adults, and explore how they are both genres of intense feeling, how they intersect and diverge, and what makes each genre so appealing to readers. 

Readers' Advisory: Crafty & Concise Book Blurbs (3/14/24) Librarians and Booklist editors Heather Booth and Susan Maguire will present a workshop on writing annotations, focusing on how to hone in on a book’s appeal and present a concise description of a book that will entice patrons to read.

Readers' Advisory: Ideas and Practice: The Readers’ Advisory Conversation (3/14/24) Librarians Michelle Morris and Sheila Michaels will present a workshop on the RA conversation, offering practical tips and instructions on how to get the most out of your interactions with patrons. 

Now back to 2026's event. This year the 2 "Ideas" sections were focused on RA for Historical Nonfiction and Memoirs and Romantasy. These were very useful and as you can see below, you have access to the slides and the audience chat which are an excellent resource to help you serve your readers better.

But I want to call out the "Practice" session specifically-- The Four Cornerstones of Reader Interest. Heather and Susan framed how we help readers in a new way. They reframed the RA conversation by reminding us that how we match readers with book is not just about matching appeal factors, but rather we always need to consider the reader's mood, the book's availability, the zeitgeist, and appeal.

It was interesting and very useful. I will be incorporating some of what they said (with attribution) in my programs going forward. I highly recommend you take the time to watch it for yourself. And take advantage of the chat transcript. We are all sharing excellent information. Links are below. And again, access is free but you need to fill out a form saying where you work to view. If you are not a library worker, there is a box for "other."

I am already excited for next year. 

Readers’ Advisory: Ideas & Practice 2026

As promised, here are links to the follow-up materials:

Webinar Recordings:

Perspectives on the Past: Recommending Historical Nonfiction and Memoirs

Enchanting Escapes: Romantasy Readers’ Advisory for Libraries

The Four Cornerstones of Reader Interest

PowerPoint Slides:

Perspectives on the Past: Recommending Historical Nonfiction and Memoirs

Enchanting Escapes: Romantasy Readers’ Advisory for Libraries

The Four Cornerstones of Reader Interest

Session Chats:

Perspectives on the Past: Recommending Historical Nonfiction and Memoirs

Enchanting Escapes: Romantasy Readers’ Advisory for Libraries

The Four Cornerstones of Reader Interest

Additional Resources:

Resources from Penguin Random House Library Marketing

Penguin Random House Library Website

Take Booklist's Readers' Advisory Survey!

Read Booklist's January 2026 issue (Spotlight on Readers' Advisory) for free!

Certificate of Completion

We'd like to once again thank our panelists:

Allie Stevens Gosselink, Director of Calhoun County Library

Stephanie Sendaula, Branch Services Supervisor for Youth and Adult Services at Somerset County Library System

Austin Ferraro, Teen Services Librarian, Northern Virginia public libraries

Rachel Koury, Branch Manager for the Erwin branch of the Harnett County Public Library System

Heather Booth, Audio Editor, Booklist

Susan Maguire, Senior Editor, Collection Management and Library Outreach, Booklist