Using NoveList's New RA Competencies: Free Webinar coming September 23rd

In early July, I wrote about NoveList's new RA Competencies. I have even added them to my 10 Rules of Basic RA Service Page. 

Today, I not only wanted to remind you of this extremely useful project, but I also wanted to alert you to the FREE webinar they are hosting with some of the people who helped to develop the RA Competencies. 

You can click here to sign up. From the registration page:

Building Better Reader Connections: Putting the New Readers' Advisory Competencies into Action

Date & Time

Sep 23, 2026 01:00 PM in 

Description

Have you heard about the new Readers’ Advisory Competencies? Join members of the group that developed them for a practical discussion about why the competencies are needed now, what they make possible for libraries, and how libraries plan to use them. Whether you manage staff, provide direct service to readers, or help shape library strategy, this webinar will offer useful ideas for putting the new competencies into practice. Panel: Danielle Borasky, Vice President, NoveList Autumn Friedli, Program Services Coordinator, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library Dodie Ownes, Adult Services Librarian, Denver Public Library Kaite Stover, Director of Readers’ Services, Kansas City Public Library Steph Topping, Information, Resources, & Connections Leader, Niagara Falls Public Library Note: The webinar will be recorded. A link will be sent to all registrants within 7 business days of the event.

Please note, even if you cannot make it live (which I cannot because I will be busy that day doing this event with Grady Hendrix), if you register, you will get access to the recording. So click on over and register now. 

Don't miss out on this chance to hear all about the competencies.

My Updated Horror RA Program is Happening Today

This afternoon I am presenting my updated program on how to help Horror readers for PCI. Many libraries across the country have access to PCI's webinars either live or on demand. Please look into you system or state's niche academy or similar access points for continuing education.

I work very hard to update this program every single year so that it has everything you need to help Horror readers from the most hard core to new fans and even the Horror curious who always come out each Spooky Season. 

Please note, whether you have access to my live presentation or not, I have made the slides so that they are an excellent resource even without me talking. There is a baseline of expertly crafted information here for anyone to use. 

Please see the excerpts from my post from 7/31/26 entitled, Updated Horror RA Program for 2026 and my 2026 Appearance Schedule Page is Now Live, for more information below. See some of you later today or sometime in the future when you catch the replay.

Believe it or not, but I am in full Spooky Season prep mode even though it is still July. Besides the Horror Genre Preview that went live earlier this month, I also have my annual update to my program-- Horror Readers Advisory: How to Help Your Scariest Patrons.

The first time I am giving this talk is for PCI for a national audience-- some live, some on demand. You can access the slides for yourself here or at the end of this post.

This presentation is updated every year around this time. It is THE standard for everything you need to know about Horror from appeal to themes, how to handle the Horror RA conversation, what titles you need to know about. And all of this is presented so that you can use the information to serve your patrons whether you are a hard core horror fan, a complete fraidy cat, or anything in between.

This means everyone reading this should be looking at these slides now, before you are slammed with more Horror readers. Remember, horror is hot right now and people always want to give it a try in October, even those who have never read it. These slides can help you help them and every level of Horror reader. 

FYI, you can always find my upcoming and immediately past programs and RA training appearances on this page, always in the right gutter BELOW the RA for All logo. That page lists my fees, my most popular programs and their descriptions, links to slides, and a direct link to my book specific appearance page.  

Updated Horror RA Program for 2026 and my 2026 Appearance Schedule Page is Now Live

Believe it or not, but I am in full Spooky Season prep mode even though it is still July. Besides the Horror Genre Preview that went live earlier this month, I also have my annual update to my program-- Horror Readers Advisory: How to Help Your Scariest Patrons.

The first time I am giving this talk is for PCI for a national audience-- some live, some on demand. You can access the slides for yourself here or at the end of this post.

This presentation is updated every year around this time. It is THE standard for everything you need to know about Horror from appeal to themes, how to handle the Horror RA conversation, what titles you need to know about. And all of this is presented so that you can use the information to serve your patrons whether you are a hard core horror fan, a complete fraidy cat, or anything in between.

This means everyone reading this should be looking at these slides now, before you are slammed with more Horror readers. Remember, horror is hot right now and people always want to give it a try in October, even those who have never read it. These slides can help you help them and every level of Horror reader.

FYI, you can always find my upcoming and immediately past programs and RA training appearances on this page, always in the right gutter BELOW the RA for All logo. That page lists my fees, my most popular programs and their descriptions, links to slides, and a direct link to my book specific appearance page.

I have also set up the 2026 Fall WHY I LOVE HORROR appearance page, beginning with my visit to Gibson's Books in 2 days. Click here for that page. You can also find it in the right gutter ABOVE the RA for All Logo. There is already a lot there and I am confirming more every day.

And don't forget, I do a #HorrorForLibrraies giveaway every Thursday. And today, it is a big one-- up coming titles from Eric LaRocca and Alma Katsu; two titles for 1 winner! Click here for details on the titles and how to enter. Even if you aren't a huge horror fan, someone at your library is. These are ARCs so you cannot add them to your collections after staff read them, but you can use them for Horror themed giveaways of your own.

As August approaches (in 2 more days), I am here to help you be ready for Spooky Season. Those slides are filled with lists, links, and more. Get ready NOW. 

NoveList Introduces Readers' Advisory Competencies

Just before the ALA conference, NoveList released something very exciting and 100% free: RA Competencies. From the Introduction on the about page:

Introduction 

Modern readers’ advisory is a relationship driven practice that positions every library staff member as a catalyst for patrons’ deeper engagement with reading and with the library. These competencies describe the art and practice of readers’ advisory and define a shared commitment to it. By intentionally building a culture of advisory services, libraries elevate the patron experience, strengthen their communities, and deliver an impact that lasts far beyond a single interaction. We hope libraries everywhere will use this framework to ensure that helping readers find stories that matter to them remains an essential and visible part of library service. 

I have been very excited for these competencies to be released because I was asked to participate but had to pass as the timeline overlapped with the issue of Library Trends I am guest editing with Robin (speaking of, the articles are all turned in, more on that soon). Doing both was not an option. However, a lot of great people who I respect and trust were involved, and what they have created is amazing (and that is not an exaggeration). And today, I am, very excited to share this work (with permission) with all of you.

There are two main pages here. The first is the competencies themselves. From that page's overview:

Readers' Advisory Competencies 

May 2026

These competencies are intended to:

• Support individual professional growth
• Guide organizational training and expectations
• Provide a shared vocabulary for readers’ advisory work  

Local contexts vary widely, and these competencies are not intended as a rigid template. Individuals and/or libraries should adapt competencies to reflect their unique needs and organizational structure. For example, a staff member whose work is primarily with young children might think about ways that the relational advisory competency can be adapted to conversations with caregivers, or how the story knowledge competency can be centered on early literacy reading. 

Introduction

Modern readers’ advisory is a relationship driven practice that positions every library staff member as a catalyst for patrons’ deeper engagement with reading and with the library. This document outlines the core competencies with levels of expertise that support this approach, offering clear guidance for training pathways, performance expectations, and organizational practices that make readers’ advisory genuinely part of everyone’s role. When libraries inspire and nurture a lifelong love of reading, they lay out the groundwork for a community with stronger critical thinking, greater empathy, and more active civic participation. By intentionally building a culture of advisory services, libraries elevate the patron experience, strengthen their communities, and deliver an impact that lasts far beyond a single interaction. 

Overview of Skill Levels

Three skill levels describe how proficiency scales across each competency area, ranging from essential daily practice to high-level strategic expertise. These levels help identify the specific competencies required for professional development.

• Core level: Demonstrates foundational knowledge and skills, performs core tasks consistently, and uses established processes and tools. This level is about awareness and participation. It is the level that would be appropriate for all staff.
• Advanced level: Independently handles complex situations; develops new processes; improves local practice; and mentors peers. This level is about regular application and improvement. It would be appropriate for staff who regularly provide advisory services or have dedicated advisory roles.
• Expert level: Shapes strategy, practice, and culture; trains others; evaluates impact; and drives innovation. This level is about leadership. It is the level that would be appropriate for anyone deeply involved in RA as a profession, whether in a supervisory or non-supervisory position.

Competency Areas

Eight competency areas define the foundational domains of knowledge and practice that shape effective advisory work. Together, they represent the core capabilities libraries want to cultivate to deliver high-quality, reader-centered experiences for all patrons. The eight competency areas are designed as complementary, interdependent practices that collectively comprise advisory work, rather than standalone or optional skill sets. 

This tells you what you can expect. Now click through and look at the 8 competencies. You can access each with their drop down menus to see what is "core," "advanced," and "expert." This resource is clear and easy to understand. I especially appreciate the 3 tiered breakdown because the "core" competencies are things I already expect and teach as things that ALL public library staff should be able to do and then the next tiers are to build off of for key staff. 

These competencies are completely free to use to train your staff and I for one am so excited that there is another free resource for basic RA training information other than this blog. As I said above, I trust this document 100% because the external advisors are people I trust. From this competencies page those people are:

External advisors:

• Stephanie Chase, Executive Director, Libraries of Eastern Oregon  
• Lucy Donnelly, Kansas City Public Library, Readers’ Services Librarian  
• Autumn Friedli, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Program Services Coordinator  
• Lynn Lobash, New York Public Library, Associate Director, Readers’ Services  
• Dodie Ownes, Denver Public Library, Adult Services Librarian  
• Michael Santangelo, BookOps, Director, Collections Management  
• erin sladen, Denver Public Library, Advisory Services Program Manager  
• Duncan Smith, Retired Co-founder of NoveList
• Kaite Stover, Kansas City Public Library, Director of Readers’ Services  
• Steph Topping, Niagara Falls Public Library (ON), Information, Resources, & Connections Leader  
• Barry Trott, Library of Virginia, Adult Services Consultant  
• Rebecca Vnuk, LibraryReads, Executive Director

The second page of this document is titled "Recommend Learning Resources." It has a comprehensive list of a variety of resources. Please book mark that page ASAP. 

There is also a PDF version of everything as well. You can print it out and share with your staff.

I will be adding this entire document to my 10 Rules of Basic RA Service so that everyone can have access to it at all times. 

Thank you to everyone who worked on these competencies. It has been a long time since RA practitioners have gotten together to talk about what we do, how we do it, and best practices. It is extremely appreciated by us all.

I purposely waited until after ALA and the July 4th holiday to highlight these NoveList Readers/ Advisory Competencies to ensure I got the maximum number of eyes on it. This is now the GO TO resource for how to best serve our readers through the public library. Thank you to NoveList for doing the work to create it and keeping the document itself free for all.

How to Predict the Buzziest Books via Book Riot Podcast and How to Help Patrons via Booklist

The April Book Riot new books podcast is all about how to try to predict what the buzziest book is going to be BEFORE it comes out. You can access the podcast and read more at this link, but here are the criteria they came up with to try to make these predictions: 

• Art – Is it good?

• Acclaim – Will it contend for awards and best-of lists?

• Sales – Where’s the money?

• Zeitgeist – What’s the buzz?

I found this list and their discussion about these 4 pillars fascinating on its own, but it also reminded me of  one of the presentations from last month's Booklist Ideas and Practice event: Four Cornerstones of Reader Interest by Heather Booth and Susan Maguire

I posted about the entire event at this link. But for short cut purposes:

• Access the recording at this link
• Access the slides at this link

Booth and Maguire listed the 4 cornerstones as Mood, Availability, Appeal, and Zeitgeist. This idea of buzzy books addressed by Book Riot above is very similar to Zeitgeist which they quickly defined as "The interest of the greater world, the community, friends, media, and more. If you scroll down here on slides you can see a few specific slides for Zeitgeist. And again you can click here to watch the recording and hear them expound on Zeitgeist and how we use it to help readers.

I really wanted to write about this presentation specifically after listening to the Book Riot podcast. The two things taken together really help to demystify the process of us helping readers when they want the buzziest books, especially when those titles seem to come out of nowhere (I'm giving you the side eye,  Theo of Golden).

I hope pairing these two separate but tangential resources helps you as much as it helped me.

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

Reading Resolutions for 2026: Part 2-- 2026 Goals

Yesterday I began the process of posting my 2026 reading resolutions by first looking back and assessing how I did on my 2025 resolutions. You can read that post here.

Today, I using what I learned doing that exercise yesterday and adding in what I already have planned for the coming year, I present my 2026 Goals-- the ones I will hold myself to for assessment a year from now. I use the term "reading resolutions" to keep the posts as similar as possible from year to year, but really this process is more akin to goal setting. However, since my work is defined by my mission, "training library workers to help leisure readers," reading is at the center of it all.

Please remember, I post both my assessment of the year that was and the upcoming year on back-to-back days to begin each new year so that they are easy to find yes, but also I am forced to hold myself to account for it all. Because I am a big proponent of the "lead by example" leadership style, if I am advocating for you to make resolutions and then go back and assess how you did before making the next year's resolutions, I also have to do it myself.

These are my resolutions and goals for 2026. I create these for myself specifically; however, I hope you can use them to help you craft resolutions that will work best for you.

Finally, I want to make a plea to do resolutions or goals for yourself no matter how you are feeling. They do not have to be lofty. I love this post from 2022 in Book Riot, with easily achievable reading resolutions. These are no stress, and may seem silly on first glance, but I think they are great. Having something as a goal gives you direction and encouragement to keep moving forward. Small victories add up to larger advancements. 

 

Okay now on to my 5 official resolutions for 2026:

2026 Resolution: Try A Year With No Specific Reading Resolution: As I mentioned yesterday, I feel like I finally figured out how to make sure I read the books I have to read for review and still fit in the books I want to read for joy. As 2025 went on, I didn't have to try to fit in non-work books. However, I also know that thinking you figured something out is not the same of holding yourself accountable to keep it going. So instead of declaring victory, I am going to make a cautious but intentional goal about my reading by trying not not have a specific reading resolution and yet still make the commitment to assessing how well that worked (or didn't). I toyed with the idea of just not having a reading goal this year, but as everything I do is tied to reading-- both for work and pleasure-- I am not ready to abandon having this as a goal. However, I am very excited to see what happens in 2026 without a specific reading goal and am looking forward to how this pans out.

2026 Resolution: No New Training Programs: This month marks the 25th anniversary of my graduation with my MLIS. I have been out of libraries as a worker since June of 2015 and in May 2025 I left my position as a library trustee. All of this means that my ties to a physical library are officially over in 2026. I don't think that means I am not qualified to keep training libraries, but I do want to start monitoring this part of my work. How much longer will I offer training programs to libraries? I know I am closer to the end of this time than the beginning. But that is all I know for sure. I have a very busy training schedule for the first quarter of 2026. This is common for the new year. These training programs were booked back in the late Summer and Fall of 2025. I am confident in the programs I have available and in keeping them updated for the time being. However, so that I have time to pursue the next three goals, I will not be creating new programs in 2026. I will update the ones I have, but I will not create custom one off programs for anyone this year. And, I am going to try to not actively promote the training side of my work as well. I would say I get about 50% of my work via word of mouth right now. I am interested to see what I get if I do no formal promotion. Maybe that will lead to the right amount of work for me to pursue new projects or maybe it will mean I am not busy enough. I will not know until I give it a try. I do know that the next 3 goals will not happen at all if I don't take away something, and for now, this is that something.

One step I took toward this goal happened in 2025, but I think it should be mentioned here. I purposely did NOT submit a single program proposal for ALA Annual in June of 2026. This resolution has been percolating since summer and I thought this step-- planning to attend ALA Annual without submitting a single program-- was a good idea. Please note, I am doing this with intentionality and chose this year to try it because ALA Annual is in Chicago and I d not have to travel to attend. Let's see what happens and how many things I end up getting asked to do without formally applying. It is the right time to give this a try.

2026 Resolution: Dive Deeper Into New Projects: And this is what I will use some of that non-training time for in 2026. Some of these are things that I have already started. For example, last year I focused on the academic journal Robin and I are working on ( out November 2026) and the Foundation for my local library, which I am also in the beginning stages of setting up. But toward the end of 2025 I also started a formal strategic planning process for the HWA Libraries Committee with a deliberate growth strategy. That already has a timeline set to culminate in late summer. 2025 also saw me get paid for many more moderating gigs for all genres. I really love moderating conversations with authors be it one-on-one or panels. I know I do a good job because people ask me to return and do more. This is an area I could consciously grow and promote from a professional standpoint. I have proven myself to be worth the money and I like the creativity and challenge of these more spontaneous events (compared to my very methodically planned out training programs). Finally, while I knew that my book tour would be fun, I did not realize how much opportunity it opened for me to moderate more conversations and do more of my own traveling. Why I Love Horror is a book that has a long tail, I can do events for it indefinitely. I can appear with authors for events that pair my book with their releases and even other horror related activities (like the one I have planned for late January in the Boston area-- details coming soon). I am also beginning to be asked to come to book clubs. If can keep traveling to libraries and conferences just on my book, do I even need the librarian part of the equation to justify where I go? Some of this connects to the above resolution as well. Selling books at events now makes me money. These are all things I will be devoting more of my time to than the more traditional training I focused on for the last 10 years. (Note: The biggest portion of my paying work is still reading and writing reviews; that will not change)

2026 Resolution: Allow Time for the Success of 2025 To Be Thoughtfully Applied: I made a goal in 2025 to double down on myself and well, as I discussed yesterday, it worked better than I could have ever expected. But what comes next? Well at this specific moment, nothing much different. As I said above, I have a busy schedule of trainings coming up in the next few months, but after that? Doors are being opened all over the place-- which ones do I go through? I need to really think about this in a vacuum. I think change will come to me but I need to be ready to embrace or reject it with more to go on than my current vibes. I need to be in a place mentally where I can think about each opportunity and make thoughtful decisions. The most comparable moment in my life to this moment is back in 2015 when I made the decision to leave library work and focus on providing training to libraries full time. That was not a decision I made all at once, or even in the same calendar year. It came at me incrementally and required I spend serious time contemplating it from every angle. That was 10 years ago but I still remember the time and research I put into taking this step. I am using that model from 2015 to help me through this exciting and scary time in my career. 

One concrete thing I am planning to do in order to give myself the serious time to think about where I am  now and where I should go next is to set a time to take a walk each week where all I do is think about the bigger picture. I take a walk a few times a week already but often I use it to listen to books or podcasts. And I don't schedule every walk. Starting now though, I will be serious and thoughtful about this. I will put a "thinking walk" on my calendar at the start of each week and honor it like any other business appointment. 

2026 Resolution: Explore Another Major Writing Project: This is one I have to do. I refuse to just do Why I Love Horror 2. It has to be something different. It has to be something that only I could write. And maybe it isn't another book. I really have no idea. That has not stopped well meaning people from giving me ideas all the time. I am thankful for those ideas, but I do need to schedule some of the time from the resolution before this one (including some of those walks) to just think about what I want my next major writing project to be. I will not work on something that I don't believe is needed out in the world. I want to come up with what that next something is before the end of 2026 (if possible) so that I can devote 2027 to working on it. Why plan this far ahead? Well it is necessary. Take the academic journal, Robin and I agreed to this publication last year around this time-- January 2025-- and we have been working on it since March 2025. It will not be out in the world until November 2026. If there is even a chance that I will be working on another major writing project in the near future, I need to commit now to leaving 2027 open from saying yes to anything else.

And that's a wrap on my annual 2 part series on resolutions. I will have my January reviews in Booklist and Library Journal up later this week. I will also be focusing on more year in review think pieces and reports as we lead up to my February 11th year in review program for PCI. My goal is to have everything I refer to I that program also accessible with commentary here on the blog, so that you do not need to see the program in order to have some benefit form the work I am doing to take everything from 2025 in RA Service and help you move into 2026 with confidence.

Reading Resolutions for 2026: Part 1-- Assessing How I Did in 2025

Today I am back to work for 2026, and as I like I do each new year, I am kicking off 2026 on the blog with my annual 2 part Reading Resolutions posts. First up, I am looking back at the year I just completed by taking an honest assessment of how I did on my 2025 goals. 

I like to lead by example. As the author of this blog, one that I know is used by thousands of library workers all over the country as a trusted resource, I also understand that I must not only hold myself to a very high standard, but also, I need to model the behaviors I think all of you should also try.

This is why every single year, before I set out my own reading resolutions, I publicly assess my resolutions from the previous year. Here is last year's post where I kicked off my 2025 goals by assessing my 2024 resolutions.

Before you run headlong into a new year, any year, I advocate for taking a step back to assess not only the goals you set for 2025, but also taking a hard look at where the goals you set at the start of the year met reality, making those goals harder or even invalid. This is NOT an exercise in feeling bad that you didn't keep resolutions or complete goals. No one ever gets everything done.

Rather the exercise of setting goals is about learning from the past and making adjustments moving forward. I have learned this by living it. This two step process of assessment before goal setting has saved me from burn out by forcing me to look at long held practices and make real changes, changes that have improved this blog and my professional life in general. In fact, if you have not done an assessment before, I highly recommend going back and looking at mine. I just went through the past 5 years of assessments before writing this post and it made me appreciate how much this process has helped me. I can literally see my growth and improvement. It is clarifying and quite honestly, inspiring. And honestly, when you can inspire yourself, that is a win.

But even if you have never done this before, please considering starting now. It is extremely important to look back at the year that was BEFORE you plan for the year to come, otherwise you are simply making goals in a vacuum, which helps no one. I will demonstrate why this is necessary for you today by using myself as your example. You cannot learn from the past without taking a moment to reflect.

But, before I get to myself, I want to make my annual plea to NOT make resolutions about the number of books you will read in a year. Many people set goals based on a number and in my experience this is never a good idea. It makes many anxious and leads to choosing books based on how quickly you can finish them. It is quality not quantity. Sometimes a book that takes you a month to finish will help you more [whether professionally or personally because it nourished your soul] than 5 that you could have rushed through in that same time frame. I have more to say on this topic here. 

Do what you want, of course, but that is my opinion on this issue.

Now on to the leading by example part. Here is the full post where I laid out my 2025 Resolutions with details. As a reminder those resolutions were:

2025 Resolutions: Read More Nonfiction

2025 Resolution: Update My Signature Presentation

2025 Resolution: Actively Promote Others Who Can Do This Work

2025 Resolution: Start Officially Training Trustees

2025 Resolution: Begin To Think Bigger

Now as I aways do, I will take all 5 goals together and assess what I did well and what I need to work on.

What Went Well:

• As I mentioned in my post to end 2025 here, I have figured out how to make sure I am reading more widely and especially in the genres I enjoy for fun. The key for me is the listen to the books I am reading for enjoyment since all the books I read for review (work) are in print. I easily read more nonfiction this year because of this. Like a lot of goals, this one was around for a few years and I figured out more about myself by intentionally trying to hit the goal. And the results of this goal will make a return tomorrow in my 2026 goals as well.
• I did make some big changes to my signature presentation in what I emphasize, the examples I use, and how I go about delivering it. I think it is a better experience for all who are a part of the training especially those in person. I already have a handful of chances to keep this momentum going in early 2026 as well.
• I have worked to help other trainers expand their programs and helped them to find more jobs. Librarians in adult, schools, and children's. I also have continued to mentor a newer library director as well as my more informal mentoring of those who reach out for advice. While I will not make this a goal next year, 2025 definitely marked the point in my career when I went from saying yes to all the training jobs to thinking about who else could do them just as well as me and maybe even better.
• Well thinking bigger kinda exploded. I never thought my book would do as well as it has. I thought it would be popular with the people I knew. I did not anticipate how big the book tour would be, or how many people came for me and not just to meet the famous authors (there were many for the authors, don't get me wrong). I did not think would be in almost every Barnes and Noble -- that part has been weird. I was in People Magazine (online) and in the Wall Street Journal. The cover reveal was on CrimeReads. I have signed a contract for Spain to release an edition and a specialty version is in the works. And I definitely never thought an honor like Chicagoan of the Year for Books was something I would even be considered for. This is on top of the work I have done to start a foundation at La Grange Library (still on-going) and co-edit an Academic Journal with Robin (articles are beginning to roll in). I have moved very far outside of my normal library consultant lanes faster and it a wider swing than I would have thought possible 12 months ago. I am happy about this, but as I will mention below, I need to be cautious about how it affects me. 

What I Still Need to Work On:

• Spending the year trying to promote others to take on some of my training work and updating my RA for All presentation has led to new questions for me and my work. How much longer do I want to be doing this training thing. As I get further removed from working in a library, and the world in which I have influence expands, I do not know how my presentations to library workers on RA will fit in going forward.
• I had to abandon training trustees due to giving my book tour the time and space it deserved. And I think being over half a year removed from my 24 years as a trustee has made me LESS inclined to train trustees. I will say it also helps that the state of IL is doubling down on mandatory trustee training as the rule, not the exception, so I know others are already trying to make that happen. I am fine letting others step in. This is a great example of a goal that was there for me to explore but in the end, it is better for me to abandon it than pursue it. Others can do this better and with more enthusiasm.
• I am thinking about not setting a reading goal for the first time in a long time. But if I do that, I might need to add something that makes sure I check in with myself. In many ways this seems like such an unimportant goal to worry about and yet, I know it actually is very important both to me  as a professional in the book world and as a human who loves reading. And since I think I unlocked the problem this year, I 100% need to hold myself accountable there.It easy to declare victory, but it is much harder to keep the success going without conflict.
• In a similar vein, while my commitment to "thinking bigger" in 2025 paid off in ways I never could have imagined, I do not want my success in 2025 to lead to me making decisions that move me too far into a direction I might not be ready to go yet or even want to go. This is an example of when success without contemplation of what the success means could be a bad thing. I am going to cautiously test new waters in 2026 and continue to see if how I feel about making some larger changes in the future, but I need to take baby steps.

Okay, that's a wrap on 2025's goals and how I did. Back tomorrow with 2026's goals.

RA for All Roadshow is Wrapping Up 2025 and Looking into 2026

Today I am spending the day in Waukesha, WI, as part of their staff training day. It is my last training of the year, which is good because I could use the break and 2026's busy schedule begins January 5th.

[Click here for all of my scheduled appearances.]

While I do have a pretty packed schedule for the fist three months of 2026 already, I did want to take this moment to remind all of you that training is very important to make sure you are serving your patrons as best as you can. Yes we help readers every day, but without gathering together and exploring new ways to provide this service, we get stuck in a rut. And we when are in a rut, our patrons notice.

There are many ways to get RA training as well, and it is not just from me.

LibraryReads offers grants to send you to a conference or to pay for a trainer to come to you. Those details are here.

They also offer this excellent directory of people you can contact with their speciality as well. Full disclosure, I am in that directory and LibraryReads has helped to fund many of my appearances in the last few years. 

Another person in the directory is Lila Denning who has begun to offer more programs recently. She has this post about her current slate of RA and Book Discussion training programs.

Many libraries do not have the funds or the time to offer training for all staff but places like ALA, PCI, your system, and /or your state library will also offer training.  These people regularly hire me as well.

And then of course, there is the valuable FREE resources I offer here 5 days a week with new content and access to my archives.

The point to all of this? It is not just to get you to hire me. In fact, I do not care who you hire. This is a post about how important it is for you to make sure your are getting the training you need. 

In fact, part of your own personal year in review should be to look at your own training needs. For you, your staff, your library. But start with yourself. What do you need to serve your community better. Check around for the free resources your system or state already provide. Do they have what you need? If they do not, figure out how to share your needs with your system and/or state library. Maybe you have to go through your supervisor. But I would bet that your system or state has a way where they want you to share your thoughts on possible trainings. I know this because I often get contacted by these larger library training entities after a member sends them a note asking for RA training in general, or me specifically.

Advocate for yourself and your needs and it may not cost your library any extra money. All libraries are part of some group that provides CE and those CE people want to have programming that all of you want. 

I often hear from my followers that they want my trading but they cannot afford it. But between the LibraryReads grants and going through your systems which have the money in their budgets to provide training, 

Library workers often spend so much time worried about the day to day service of their patrons that they regularly forget about their own needs. 

Today's post is here to remind you to stop and schedule some year end time to think about your 2026 training needs. Again for yourself, your department, and your whole library. 

As always, you can contact me for free to discuss options from quotes for your library to how to contact your state library and more. At this point I have presented in over 30 states and have contacts all over the country. 

But again, whether you make me a part of your training plans or not, please invest some time in yourself this December. Find a quiet moment to really think about your needs and make a resolution to invest in yourself next year.