Trend Alert: Westerns Are Hot [With a Mini-Review of River of Teeth]

I have been saying for about 18 months now in my live genre events, but westerns are making a comeback. People giggle and gave me that, "whatever, Becky" look, but I saw the signs of a coming resurgence, and 2017 is proving me right.

Here's the big catch though, the reason westerns are coming back is because the genre is shifting to fit what readers want to read about today, while still staying true to the essence of what makes something "a western." Up until recently, in order to be called a "western" a book needed to be about the expansion of the west and the men who tamed it. It also had to be set from after the Civil War to the turn of the 20th  Century. Okay, before I go any further, you can see right away why there is a problem with this definition-- mostly white men, very strict time frame, limited scope.

But there are other things that are appealing about westerns that many readers love and that this genre always got 100% right. For example, the rich descriptions of the beautiful landscape and the plots which place the characters in a morality play where revenge and redemption are at the center. These appeals are not unique to the western but they are things about the genre that fans also adore.

The new renewed interest in westerns uses these basic appeal factors and a broad definition of "The West" as a place, but not always in those former strict time constraints. These are stories of the west that add in something else, like another genre, a darker tone [but still with the underlying nostalgia of "The West" as a place, or are just plain "weird." They can now also be set anytime as long as "The West" as a place features prominently.

Basically, you could say, "these aren't your parents westerns" but then again, if you look hard enough, they kinda are. And the moral of the story today is...If you aren't paying attention to what is going on with westerns, you are missing out on a lot of excellent books.

Okay, now let's talk titles. Here are some books you have definitely heard of, books that are very popular and that all use western frames, motifs, and tropes prominently. At their essence these books are westerns, but interestingly, many of today's readers who enjoy these titles would not call themselves western readers:

• The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
• True Grit by Charles Portis
• And what will be one of the most popular series in the coming months-- The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

Now let's tackle diversity in the western. One of the best books of last year and one of my favorite reads so far this year is a traditional, quiet western written by a woman which features the true diversity of characters all interacting as they would have in that place and time- News of the World by Paulette Jiles. Click here for my full review and details.

Another diverse series that is a mystery-western mashup and has been around since 1990 [with new books still coming out] is also quite popular right now due to it's success on tv, Joe R. Lansdale's Hap and Leonard series. This series features two best friends in East Texas who solve crimes- Hap, a "good olde boy" white guy, and Leonard, a gay, black, Vietnam Vet.

Speaking of Lansdale, he is often referred to as the father of another popular subgenre, the weird western. You can use this link to see more detail, but basically, these are westerns that use science fiction, horror, and supernatural elements. The subgenre has been gaining in popularity as genre blending in general has become the norm. Goodreads has a list of Weird Westerns as does NoveList.

Some recent books I have read and reviewed which specifically blend the western and horror very well are:

• Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon which is actually book 2 in the vampire-western I Travel By Night Series.
• Zombie Gold by John L. Lansdale [brother of Joe R.]
• And the book I can't stop talking about-- In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson

Use the links for each title to read a full review where I point out the well realized "western" aspects of each novel. And those are just the few I have read recently. You can use the Goodreads link to find more weird westerns.

But right now, my absolute favorite western is at the top of that "weird" list on Goodreads because it is new and AWESOME-- It's the novella [which are also a trend right now] River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey. Here is the plot summary from Goodreads:

In the early 20th Century, the United States government concocted a plan to import hippopotamuses into the marshlands of Louisiana to be bred and slaughtered as an alternative meat source. This is true. 

Other true things about hippos: they are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two. 

This was a terrible plan. 

Contained within this volume is an 1890s America that might have been: a bayou overrun by feral hippos and mercenary hippo wranglers from around the globe. It is the story of Winslow Houndstooth and his crew. It is the story of their fortunes. It is the story of his revenge.

That's right, it is an alternative history, traditional cowboy western, except instead of horses and cattle we have...hippos!

You may think this sounds dumb but I will tell you that it 100% awesome and except for the hippos, it's a straight up western.

This book is short so I am not going to give much except to point out that the characters are very diverse-- keeping with the trend in this reemergence of the western. The hero is gay, one character uses the pronoun they, and the biggest badass is a lady. It the the wild west filled with all of the actual "characters" who lived during the actual time, not a white washed version.

The character development is the bare minimum we need to enjoy this fast paced and fun western. The alternative history based on a real idea that could have been also adds to the enjoyment. As you are hooting and hollering along with the characters and the action [and you will be], it is cool to step back and realize that this is not silly...this could have been.

Oh, and did I mention hippos! I know I did, but they are given personalities just like the horses in a traditional western. You care about them, yes, but it is so fun to read about their habits, how they walk, how they are raised and bred, etc.... You cannot discount the enjoyment they add to the story.

The only negative about this book is that it is too short! A sequel is coming though. Phew!

Three Words That Describe This Book: fast paced, strong world building, fun

Readalikes: See this entire post.

Good Questions To Figure Out RA Skills In an Interview- Important Read For Both Interviewer and Interviewee

Since I was just asked recently by my long time friend and library school classmate Deb, and I have been asked before by others, I thought I would share my advice for how to ask questions that will allow you to see what kind of RA skills your job candidate has.

Part of the issue is that many adult service library jobs aren't only RA, but any public service desk job, at any library will include some RA. As I train more and more Directors and Administrators as to the importance of basic RA skills in all employees, more of them are reaching out to me for help in how to identify RA friendly applicants.

Enough people have asked in in the past 18 months that I figure it is worth repeating here on the blog.

Also, this information isn't just for hiring managers. If you are looking for a library job of any kind, keep these questions in mind. They could come up.

My gold standard question I asked every single person who I ever interviewed is so simple but it always tells me so much:

• A patron comes in and asks for the latest James Patterson. There is obviously a hold list. Tell me how you handle this patron.

Oh this question served me well over 15 years. It's so deceptively simple, but therein lies its beauty. The applicant who stops at taking the hold is not who you want at your library. The person who goes on to say they will talk to the patron about why they like Patterson and offer to work with them to find another title to take home today [if they want] is who you want.

You do not need to be able to spit out a readalike option to “pass” this question. That’s not the point. No one, not even me, keeps readalikes for every author in their heads. Understanding that this is a good chance to have a meaningful interaction with the patron is what matters here. Someone who articulates that is someone who understands RA service.

Interviewers- ask this question and sit back. Interviewees- think about engaging the patron as you answer.

My next important question is:

• What are you currently reading right now?

This one is key because if the answer is “nothing” then you don’t want this person. If there is any RA happening at the desk you are hiring for, you need people who like to read staffing it. Readers can be taught to do RA because it is based on wanting a good book. Anyone who enjoys reading can learn how to help others find what they would enjoy too; they key here is that they enjoy reading for themselves, first.

So interviewees-- show up at every library job with the title of the book you are currently reading. Heck, bring a book to the interview. That is even better. I did and I book talked it to the woman who hired me. [For more about her, please read this memoriam post]

This is plenty if you are hiring for a job where RA is a small part of a larger picture, but if the job has a lot of RA I would also suggest this three part question to be added in:

• What are your favorite types of books to read? What are your least favorite? Then ask how they would help a patron who comes in looking for books in their least favorite genre.

Asking this question allows you to assess if the person grasps that RA is a service for which they can employ resources to answer questions, just like reference. Having a candidate who understands this already and can talk about initiating the RA conversation, talking to them about appeal, and using NoveList or other resources to identify readalikes, is a good sign. Again they don’t need to be an expert, you are assessing if they “get it."

Interviewees-- you got that? Of course mentioning that you also read this blog can’t hurt either.

Hope this helps hiring managers and interviewees out there.  You can always contact me with more specific questions.

I just want the managers to hire the best people and I want the best people to get hired because then the patrons, the library, and the entire community wins!

Goodreads Adds WorldCat To Book Records And Why We Need To Pay Attention

Click here to access the record

This past weekend I was updating my Goodreads and as I went to add this title to "Currently Reading," I noticed something I had never seen before.  Look closely at the "GET A COPY" section and the 4 buttons under there..

The last button is "Libraries." This link goes to the WorldCat record for the titles and it searches based on your current location.

I LOVE THIS! But for more reasons than the obvious one- Goodreads recognizing officially that many people get their books from libraries rather than buying everything. The addition of this button also shows that Goodreads has been paying attention to the fact that more and more libraries are using Goodreads. This is important.

Every time I visit a library I talk to the staff about getting on Goodreads. Why? Well, that is where your patrons already are talking about books.It is their preferred place. It's not your website or even Facebook page. So, we need to be there, assisting them where they already are.

It's dumb to just get mad at patrons for not coming to us first. Get over it; they never do. So let's go to them.

The message is getting out that Goodreads is not only a great resource for us, but it is the perfect place for us to connect with patrons, keep track of what we are reading, and collectively keep track of what our entire staff and even patrons (if they want to connect with us) are reading.

By adding the "Libraries" button, Goodreads has acknowledged that their users are big library users (we knew this already). This is great news though. The flip side is that Goodreads users can now see very easily whether or not their local library has their favorite books.

This addition is a moment to celebrate, but it is also a reminder that our collections need to be responsive to what our patrons want to read, not what we think they should read.

So the next couple of times you are on Goodreads, click on the "Libraries" button. Mention it to your patrons. See if they are using it. This button might lead to more conversation between us and our patrons about what they like to read and why-- an interaction I know we are all struggling to increase.

The ease of clicking the button and the patrons seeing that a book is not available anywhere near them, may make them more comfortable talking to us about it. We can't order what they want if they don't tell us. But also, since the patrons are already used to having book conversations and interactions through the Goodreads site, this may be a great conversation starter-- an excuse for them to bring their interests to our attention in person.

It says "Libraries" on Goodreads- so patrons will now be more aware of connecting the two places. It's like Goodreads told them to come talk to us. Seriously, someone told me this.

Time will tell, but keep this new addition to the Goodreads interaction between the users and the books in mind. I have a feeling it will be a win-win for us.

27 Female Authors Who Rule Science Fiction and Fantasy Right Now via EW

As I mentioned here, with Early Word closing, I am going to make an effort to post more collection development type lists that I didn't used to always write about on the blog. Today is one of those types of posts.

This week Entertainment Weekly wrote:

Here at EW, we’re always looking for the next great sci-fi or fantasy epic. Consequently, a much-maligned National Review article, which dismissed the Bechdel Test and wrote off an absence of women in blockbuster films as a result of the lack of women writing blockbuster-worthy stories, had us raising our eyebrows. The article says, “Have a wander through the sci-fi and fantasy section of your local bookstore: How many of these books’ authors are female? Yet these are where the big movie ideas come from.” Well, actually, quite a lot of the authors are female (and many of them already have sold the film/TV rights to their books). Fiction from J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale), and Diana Gabaldon (Outlander) has inspired some of the most popular film and television of recent years, but there are countless others who fly slightly more under the radar just waiting for their stories to become the next big thing. Here are 27 female authors who rule sci-fi and fantasy right now.

So click through and see the list.  Each author gets a nice description that will help you both for collection development (check your shelves, you need to have these authors available for checkout because patrons will come in asking for them, like right now) and to hand sell the titles you already own.

Use the author descriptions here to easily book talk their titles. You can just read the EW annotations word for word. It's not cheating, it's called using your resources. That's what we librarians do, use resources. Again, you don't have to have every read a single book by these authors to help a reader. You just need to know where to find resources by people who do know about them.

Also, I don't want to say this but I am afraid if I don't I will regret it. And, I know it might be obvious to some of you, but unfortunately I know it is not to all of you. So here goes-- You can suggest these female authors to readers of all sexes.

Now, Carry On!  [click through that pun is intended]

Library Reads: August 2017

This is your monthly Library Reads announcement.

I usually just cut and paste the same intro each month, but for the next few months I am amending it with this long introduction. I want to address the fact that Library Reads has been called out for their lists being too "white." While this is a fair criticism, blaming Library Reads is not fair because Library Reads and their Steering Committee are only the ones running the website, coordinating the eArc process, and counting the votes, the voters who pick the books are ALL OF YOU!!!! [Seriously, Steering Committee members votes do not come into play. I looked into it.]

So that means all of you-- all of us-- are falling down on the job of nominating more diverse titles-- both in terms of the ethnicity and race of the author and the genres represented. So I think the problem requires action in a two pronged strategy.

First, we need more of you to participate, especially those of you who read more diversely and widely. Basically Library Reads needs new blood. Library reads is SUPER EASY to participate in, yet despite that, as I travel the country meeting all of you, many of you do not participate and surprisingly, a lot of you don't even now how to begin. So, we are going to fix that. Here's how, directly from Library Reads:

Want to know more about how you can participate in LibraryReads using Edelweiss+? Join them for a free webinar on July 18th from 4-5 p.m. ET. Click here to register!

I am signed up. You should do it too. There will be an archive if you cannot make it live.

But one fallacy about Library Reads is that you have to write a full annotation in order for your vote to be counted. That is not true. You just need to read [or honestly skim] the eARC and then rate the book and submit your vote to Library Reads. But the webinar will explain it all.

I know many of you have not gotten involved because you thought that it was too difficult. I am here to tell you it is not. So let's get some new people submitting votes. It only takes a few new people to make a big difference. I am calling on you, my readers [and there are close to a thousand of you a day] to step up and make your voices heard.

[On a side note, while Library Reads will not release how many votes it takes for a book to make the list, a publishing rep [not a big 5] told me confidentially that she has gone back and crunched the numbers that she has seen for her titles and she estimates that about 40-45 votes gets you on the list. But to be number one, she has no idea because one of her books hasn't ever been number one.]

Second, stop voting for the obvious books. I know you like the big name authors. We all do, but seriously people, voting for big name, huge bestselling authors over and over again is helping no one. Looking at the list below for August 2017, WHY is Louise Penny taking a spot from a less well known author. Look don't get me wrong. I LOVE Louise Penny [proof here]. For goodness sake, if you go on NoveList and see the author appeal statement for her-- I WROTE THAT. So I am not dissing her. I adore her novels. But seriously is there a library worker in America who hasn't hear of Louise Penny AND who doesn't have this author on automatic hold already? NO!

We are Library Reads. We need to do better. Library Reads needs to be more proactive in helping library workers identify the great books we wouldn't know about without this resource. Don't squander the opportunity to read a great under the radar title- early and for free- and to then pass it on to others. Read Louise Penny early for yourself, but spend your time voting for the titles that will not find an audience without your expert help.

If we keep voting for the mainstream titles, the publishers will keep spending money signing similar authors, but if we use our power to vote for more diverse and less mainstream works that we know our patrons would love, titles that no one would know about without us raising our voice to be heard, we can make great change. We can force the publishers to sign more diverse authors and we can get some great reads into more library collections, and we can have a backlist archive of great titles for all readers.

I am not going to tell you what to vote for though. I want you-- all of you-- to decide for yourselves. Me telling you would be as bad as the publishers forcing titles on us [which they already do]. The more voices we can gather who each independently choose the books that they are passionate about, the better the list will be. It will be more diverse by default when more of us use this two pronged approach that I have outlined today.

Remember, Library Reads is not a nebulous group of librarians lording over us-- it is you, me, your co-workers. It is up to us to do the right thing here because goodness knows, the publishers aren't going to do it unless we force them to.

Let's work together to make Library Reads more diverse and reflective of the full range of great books that are coming down the pike, then when we go to use these lists as a backlist tool we have an ever better resource at our fingertips.

[Now back to your regular Library Reads message.]

Library Reads day means 3 things here on RA for All.

1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about Library Reads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips.
3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any Library Reads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.

So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books. 

August 2017 LibraryReads List

Young Jane Young:
A Novel

by Gabrielle Zevin

Published:8/22/2017 by Algonquin Books
ISBN: 9781616205041

“Aviva Grossman was involved in a relationship with her boss, who just happened to be a member of Congress. She becomes ostracized as her name is associated with scandal and  reinvents herself as Jane Young.  She has a daughter, Ruby, who decides to run away to look for her father. Ruby learns things are not always what they seem. I loved Zevin’s engaging style. The characters are flawed and real. You are rooting for them until the end.”

Audra Bartholomew, Bossier Parish Library, Bossier City, LA

Glass Houses: A Novel

by Louise Penny

Published: 8/29/2017 by Minotaur Books
ISBN: 9781250066190

“A new threat arises in Three Pines as a mysterious masked figure stands watch on the village green. ‘It’ refuses to communicate in any way, which is just the start of another thrilling adventure in this long-running series. Gamache is still trying to restore the Sûreté du Québec back to what it was before it was corrupted under the previous regime. Choices are made that will forever change our hero in ways we can only begin to imagine. The next book can’t get here fast enough.”

Joseph Jones, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH

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How to Find Love in a Bookshop

by Veronica Henry

Published: 8/15/2017 by Pamela Dorman Books
ISBN: 9780735223493

“When Emilia’s father dies, she returns to her small English village, takes over his beloved bookshop, and begins working through both her grief and the myriad renovations and changes the store needs. The author weaves stories of multiple village residents and their romantic travails and triumphs. I admired the well-crafted nature of this story, with the interwoven storylines offering wide variety without becoming scattered or straining to remain believably interrelated. All in all, just lovely.”

Carol Reich, Hillsboro Public Library, Hillsboro, OR

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If the Creek Don’t Rise: A Novel

by Leah Weiss

Published: 8/22/2017 by Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 9781492647454

“It is 1970 and pregnant seventeen-year-old Sadie Blue is trapped in a marriage with her horrific moonshiner husband Roy in an Appalachian mountain town. Their friends and neighbors live stark, gritty lives that are written with vivid and captivating detail. Hope and strength shine through in bits and pieces in this terrific debut about Sadie’s struggles. Weiss’s fresh voice captivates the reader as this tale spins from several perspectives that draw the reader into Sadie’s world. A terrific debut that will keep you riveted until the last page.”

Carol Ann Tack, Merrick Library, Merrick, NY

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Reincarnation Blues: A Novel

by Michael Poore

Published: 8/22/2017 by Del Rey
ISBN: 9780399178481

“A witty and fascinating look at reincarnation. Milo has been reincarnated more than any other human. He’s been enjoying his lives and grown wise without quite achieving perfection, the ultimate goal. He is absolutely in love with Death, who’d rather just be called Suzi and ultimately would like to settle down and run a candle shop. Unfortunately, he comes to find out there’s actually a limit on how many chances you get at perfection. A moving and lovely story about love, meditation, the journey of life, and becoming the best person you can be.”

Jessica Trotter, Capital District Libraries, Lansing, MI

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Morningstar: Growing Up with Books

by Ann Hood

Published: 8/1/2017 by W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393254815

“Morningstar is Hood’s account of growing up in a family and a town that did not value books and learning to love them anyway, finding them a gateway into ‘a big, beautiful world.’ Her taste in literature runs the gamut from Dickens to Jacqueline Susann, Frost to Rod McKuen, and Hood makes a powerful case for what each contributed to her life. Give this to avid readers; it will likely send them off to reread old favorites and maybe inspire curiosity about titles they missed. Fascinating reading.”

Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY

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The Address: A Novel

by Fiona Davis

Published: 8/1/2017 by Dutton
ISBN: 9781524741990

“In New York City in the 1880s, Sara Smythe emigrates from England to manage a new apartment building, the Dakota. She soon becomes the lover of the architect, Theodore Camden. After Sara murders Theodore, she is sent to an insane asylum which is infiltrated by journalist Nellie Bly. A second story line also takes place at the Dakota, but this time in 1985. Bailey is hired to renovate the apartment after she gets out of rehab and uncovers mysterious secrets and her personal connections to Camden. This suspenseful book provides a fascinating look at the history of New York during this period.”

Maggie Holmes, Richards Memorial Library, North Attleboro, MA

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Emma in the Night: A Novel

by Wendy Walker
Published: 8/8/2017 by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250141439

“One night, Emma and her sister Cass go missing. Three years later, Cass returns home without Emma and tells the story of a couple who held the girls hostage and kidnapped the child to whom Emma gave birth. FBI Special Agent Abby Strauss is brought in to interview Cass with the hope of finally finding Emma. The more answers Cass gives, the more questions Abby has, and she knows that beneath all of Cass’s stories lies the truth. This thriller, with many unreliable characters, will keep readers off-kilter and uncertain, even after one final twist.”

Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, NJ

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The Burning Girl: A Novel

by Claire Messud

Published: 8/29/2017 by W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393635027

“Julia and Cassie were once inseparable, but once they start middle school, things unexpectedly change. Cassie has found new friends, and it is clear Julia is not welcome. Julia doesn’t understand how Cassie could just forget how close they were and leave her to navigate a new school alone. When things start to go wrong for Cassie, Julia steps in to help but is left to wonder how close they really were. Messud really captures the anguish of the early teen years, when friendships are heartbreakingly intense and can change in an instant. Beautifully written and moving.”

Pamela Wiggins, Wake County Public Libraries, Cary, NC

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The Clockwork Dynasty: A Novel

by Daniel H. Wilson

Published: 8/1/2017 by Doubleday
ISBN: 9780385541787

“When an inventor, employed by Peter the Great, creates two human-like clockwork automaton robots using anima discovered near a stream, he has no idea about the history behind those anima, nor could he imagine his creations’ future. Weaving through the present and the past, this book creates a world where humans co-inhabit alongside a group of powerful automaton robots. Fun, intriguing and nearly impossible to put down! I loved reading this book.”

Katherine Rose, Edwardsville Public Library, Edwardsville, IL

Backlist Alert: Annual Bestseller lists from 1990-2013: It's Fun and Thought Provoking

Click here for the post

Today I am going to send you down a rabbit hole, but a rabbit hole of bookish fun.

Recently, Publisher's Weekly posted their annual bestseller lists for adult titles from 1990-2013-- all on one page!

It's backlist heaven! These are proven crowd pleasers, many of which are sitting on your shelf RIGHT NOW. They want to be read. Get them into people's hands.

I also love how after 2009, they have the links to their more detailed articles on the facts and figures behind the bestsellers list. I used to require my students read this yearly report every semester.

But these lists also reveal something else, something we know and are working to improve upon....these lists are very white. There weren't only white people publishing, or for that matter reading, books since 19900- although you would barely know that by looking at these lists.

But here's the thing, these are not arbitrary lists of people not including diverse voices. These are lists of what people actually bought-- people of all races. That really highlights the magnitude of the problem.

I know some of you are thinking, "Well, we can't fix it now. We just need to move forward."

NO, I say. We can fix it. You can fix it right now at your library.

Look, these lists are fun to post. The nostalgia factor is an awesome draw and people will discover some great backlist reads, books that were once the talk of the town but now are languishing on the shelves. I am not advocating for blatantly disregarding these lists by slapping them with a "racist" label. The lists themselves aren't the problem, they are simply an illustration of the problem.

But, why not take, for example, 1990's list and give it a 2017 makeover? Post the list to create a display of 1990 titles and then go find the other great books you have with a 1990 copyright that are from a broader perspective-- both author diversity wise AND genre wise because goodness knows both are very vanilla.

Here's how you can do this. I did an advanced search in Novelist for Publication Year of 1990 and then clicked the box for award winner. After limiting the results to Adult titles I had 168 fiction and nonfiction options that were some of the best books of that year-- and they were surprisingly diverse. And that took 2 minutes. It took longer to write this paragraph. Imagine what you could do in 30 minutes!

And, the later you go down the timeline the more results you get because the database for awards is deeper from the 21st Century on. Also, NoveList includes all of the ethnic, format, and genre specific winners in their database so you know you will capture these titles.

I think this kind of display, or even if you just make a digital list for Facebook or on your website, is a great way to showcase a wide range of proven winner titles fit for any reader no matter their background. Plus, again, it is fun to travel back in time. Don't count out the fun factor; this is leisure reading we are talking about.

PS-- Don't forget about this post from the beginning of the month when I highlighted Kelly Jensen's Backlist July project. You can totally fit this in under that. And, keep it going every July.

Best Books of 2017 So Far and Must Read Lists via Book Riot and How To Use Them To Get Our Patrons Talking to Us About What They Like To Read and Why

Today Book Riot released their "Best Books of 2017 (So Far)" list.  Yes, I know there are a lot of these types of lists this time of year, but this one is better than most because it will help you to both get good books in every patron's hand and to get your collection back in shape before the end of the year onslaught of new books.

Click here to access

Why? Because Book Riot's focus is on readers, more specifically, on matching books with readers. Sounds like what we do, right? Well you can tell they are on the same page as us because their list of the best books of 2017 not only includes all age levels and genres BUT it is also easily organized and sorted by those categories with just a simply click. To the left I have the screen shot of the clickable list.

It reminds me of the NPR Book Concierge-- which I love and you can read about here.

But a best of the year so far list that has the main goal of putting a good read in someone's hand be it by a huge best selling author or a an obscure poet, be it from a major publisher or a small press, or everything in between [because it is all there]-- this unfortunately is a rarity. We need to embrace it.

Click here and take a look. If you don't see any of your favorite reads of 2017 on this list, add your own.  Better yet, make a display with some of these titles, some of your favorites that are missing, and some of your coworkers' favorites too [send out an email to all staff with a link to this post, have them poke around the Boo Riot list, and encourage them to email back their favs]. The more voices we include in this "best books" conversation the more helpful our lists are. I would even include slips of paper and a basket at this display and ask patrons to submit their favorite book of 2017 so far.

Now you have a fun and interesting display that everyone had a hand in creating. You have the "expert" voice, the local library worker voice, and the patron opinion. You can use this information on what the staff and patrons think is "best" to develop your collections and prepare for new books coming down the pike.[For more by me on how to gather more crowdsourced best lists, click here.]

And if nothing else you have started a conversation about what people think are the "best books" and why they feel that way. That conversation alone is one we all are trying to have with our patrons every day. I hear it all the time from libraries-- "How can I get the patrons to talk to me about what they like to read?" Instead of waiting for them to come talk to you, use displays like these to jumpstart the conversation. When you announce to your patrons that you want to talk to them about what they like to read and why, they will know their opinion is wanted.

Also, while we are on the topic of displays, I want to use this post to remind you that Book Riot also does a regular series of 100 "Must Read" books on a variety of topics. I have included a screen shot of just the few most recent.

Click here to pull up all the lists tagged #Must-Read

These are lists of books new and old [yay backlist] but in non-traditional groupings. These lists are more based on how people actually read versus how the publishers market the books. Long story short, these are lists your patrons will be drawn to because they are gathered based on natural language not genre constructs.

You can simply use this link to see everything they have ever done in these 100 books series. Each one has plenty for a display, large or small. And you can print out the graphic, the title, and the short description for your display too. Just give Book Riot a credit. This couldn't be easier AND your patrons will love it.

These displays will also jumpstart conversations because patrons will want to talk about titles that they would include on the list too. When we say "serial killer books" patrons know what that is. They have an opinion and will be more open to sharing it rather than if we said "psychological suspense" or "non-supernatural horror."

Want the patrons to talk to you? Then stop trying to sound like you know better. You don't. Each reader is an expert on what they like to read. Use natural language and ask for more input and opinions. In other words-- put the reader first like Book Riot does.

Comic Con is Coming....Graphic Novel Collection Development Time

July is my favorite time of year to not only suggest graphic novels, but also to work on the collection. Why? Because patrons and staff have comics on the brain once Comic Con International comes around. It is the one time of year that all the media outlets devote a least a little bit of time talking about comics; therefore, you will get your largest interest in your comics and graphic novels around this time also. [It’s just like the increase in horror circ we see in October.]

But it is not good enough for you to start preparing the day the Con begins. Nope. Let’s get ready now-- this week. Let’s get those Graphic Novel lists and displays out in preparation for the Con. Let’s show our patrons we can anticipate what they are going to want to read before they even know they want to read it.

While you are getting some displays up, you should also be assessing the condition of your collection. Which titles are not circing? Should those stay or get put on display to see if someone would like them if they knew you had it? Are their some well worn copies of perennial favorites that need to be replaced? Etc....

And, this is also the time to assess if you have the most recent bests. The easiest place to begin is this month’s issue of Booklist which is the Spotlight issue on Graphic Novels. Among the useful lists in this issue are the Top 10 Graphic Novels for Adults and this list of Adult Graphic Novels for Teens. You should own all 14 of these titles if you have even the most basic graphic novel collection for adults. So if you don’t have some, place your orders now.

Also check out the recent [2013] ARRT Graphic Novel Genre Study notes for not only a list of benchmark titles, but also, some basic information about the appeal of comics and graphic novels and how to talk to patrons about these titles. This is especially helpful for the comics newbies of you out there.

And, don’t forget that NPR Books is running a special series on Comics and Graphic Novels all summer long. Click through to see plenty of content that you can use to educate yourself on how to help your readers better, make displays, and work on your collections. I also anticipate that they are timing the release of their poll results for Comic Con time, making it even more imperative that you visit their series page now.

But overall your very best collection development and training tool for both assessing your collections and understanding the full breadth of the comic and graphic novel world is the Eisner Awards database. Yes I know this year’s Eisner winners won’t be announced until 7/21 [it’s during Comic Con], but if you’ve read this blog for even more than a hot second, you would know that I don’t care who wins when it comes to using these award as a RA tool, and really, neither should you.

Click here for a sampling of posts where I have made this argument in detail with examples, but knowing full well that some of you will never click, here is the summary of my point:

Awards lists-- especially the long lists-- give us a sense of what is the very best, right now, in the category we are dealing with, while the back list of nominees provides us with a treasure trove of “proven” suggestions for right now.

This is especially true for Graphic Novels and Comics because the format is so broad-- it compasses so many different genres AND we have the appeal of both the writing and art [and even the lettering] to deal with as we help readers. The Eisner Awards people also do a great job of posting the current nominees, with a summary explanation as to over all trends seen in that list. They also make it super easy to pull up past winners going back to 2010. Just one click here and you have the entire world of comics and graphic novels literally at your fingertips.

The nice thing about looking at past winners for comics and graphic novel is that you can also see artists and writers who appear in multiple categories over time. The graphic novel world is so different from the text only writing world because unlike that world, graphic novel writers and artists move between series and genres fluidly. Readers also differ in that while yes, some read for genre, many others [myself included] follow artists and writers no matter what type of project they tackle next.

Finally, I happen to love graphic novels. So if you want to see my reviews and/or information about graphic novels, you can use this link to pull up everything I have posted about Graphic Novels including many more resources.

I think that is plenty to keep you busy today. Now go dive into graphic novels and comics whether you are a personal fan or not. Your patrons will be thanking you for your effort 10 days from now and anytime of the year when they are looking for a good graphic read.

7 Useful RA Websites via 5 Minute Librarian and How to Use This Site For Staff Training Overall

Click here to access the full post

One of my favorite places on the web for quick, no nonsense, and extremely useful advice on being a public librarian is the site 5 Minute Librarian.

You should head over to the site and look at everything they publish-- seriously it all helpful, but today in particular, Jess has this post on 7 Useful RA Websites.

Today’s post is a perfect example of why I love this site [and it is not just because today’s post has an RA focus]. Not only do they give you lists, the women behind this site also explain the how and why of the lists they are giving you. So they tell you to use, for example, NoveList, but they also tell you how it can help you even if you don’t have a subscription.

Here’s a preview:

Many library catalogs are connected to Goodreads, LibraryThing or NoveList to provide additional information and recommendations. If your catalog does not, check your surrounding library networks to see if they offer this service. When doing RA, use their catalog instead to utilize these useful tools! (For example, C/W MARS is connected to NoveList, so below each title is the list of books in the series and recommendations based on titles, authors, and other series. You can't click on the title for more info without an account to NoveList, but you'll get a good start. They also include what awards the book has won and full text reviews.)

You can do this same thing by accessing my home library’s catalog. You do not need a login to get the information.  Click here and then click on the first record. Wait a moment and the NoveList info will load.

5 Minute Librarian stands behind their mission. Click here today and you will learn, very quickly, some extremely useful information about how to better help your leisure readers, but click tomorrow and you will learn something else. Click anytime and peruse the backlist of useful posts organized by broad topics.

Seriously, this is one of those sites you should keep bookmarked for your staff. You can even assign people a post, encourage them to read it, practice what it says, and then have them turn around and teach it to the rest of the staff. This is a great team building and staff training exercise. The posts are easy to follow and pay off in tangible outcomes. Anyone can learn something new from this site, but it is when we empower staff to learn something new AND pass it on to co-workers that we engage everyone in learning. When everyone is engaged in improving their service to patrons, the entire library and the community reaps the benefits.

Give it a try.

Early Word Closes: An Appreciation and What To Do Now

For the last nine years we have all had a wonderful Collection Development tool at our disposal thanks to its co-founder and editor Nora Rawlinson- Early Word. Billed from its start as the publisher librarian  connection, Nora and her team were the first library organization to really pressure the major publishers to take our profession as seriously as they took their work with bookstores. When Early Word began, there were only a few librarian liaisons at the major publishers, and now even the smaller publishers have a person who reaches out to libraries as part of their regular duties.

This huge step forward in our relationship with publishers and in them looking at us as worth their time is the biggest legacy Early Word leaves behind. I cannot stress this enough. Thank you Nora for recognizing that we needed to advocate for ourselves more. Her work has inspired action like Library Reads and has seen an increase in the number of Book Buzz programs put on for libraries, at the publishers’ cost, all over the country.

I have seen this shift first hand as smaller publishers now regularly reach out to me to ask how they can get their books in libraries. In fact, I am currently working on a project of my own to help independent publishers gain more traction with libraries, something I never would have even thought of pursuing without Nora setting the example.

I know many of you are upset asking how you will be able to stay as aware and current on the latest Collection Development issues without Early Word, so for all of you I will offer this list of resources, which if combined can fill much of the void-- it just won’t all be in one place anymore. However, spend some time now putting a few bookmarks in one folder, and it can be almost as easy.

Click here to access Shelf Awareness’ daily updates

For years I have received the Shelf Awareness [above] daily email for people in the book trade. It is the first thing I read each morning, and it contains everything you need to know about what is going on in the world of books right now.

largehearted boy is "a literature and music website that explores that spot in the venn diagram where the two arts overlap.”  You can follow the blog daily but you can also use the “lists” archive to find hot upcoming titles. It also has the most extensive “best books” archive on the web. Here is the link for 2016. The information there is updated frequently and includes reports from a few bookstores on a regular basis.

Book Riot: In general Book Riot is a great resource for book info. They provide display friendly lists, have plenty of pop culture tie-ins, give genre fiction the chance to shine, and don’t ignore the lure of the backlist. They also have many librarians who write for them so our interests are well covered.

Participate in Library Reads: As I mentioned above, Library Reads would not be possible without Early Word. Early Word made publishers start to take libraries seriously from a financial standpoint which made them more willing to provide librarians with eArcs for Library Reads. The service Library Reads provides in and of itself is useful to all of us as we do collection development.

Don’t forget that you can keep using many of Early Word’s archived list of links in both gutters of the blog. I am not sure how long the website will stay up, but you can easily cut and paste the ones you find most useful into a Google doc to use anytime.

And finally, RA for All: What I do and what Early Word did were complimentary with only minor overlap. I focus on RA service while Early Word’s focus was Collection Development. A few people have reached out to me asking if I would carry on what Nora and her team did. My answer is, unfortunately, no. I am one person and they were a team. I use this blog to help you serve readers better but I also use it as the support website for my training business which in economic terms means if I stray from my own business model, this blog will not be financial feasible anymore. I don’t have to monetize this blog with ads because I am being paid to come train people; the blog supports that mission and therefore “makes money." [I don’t get paid for the Shelf Awareness giveaway I always run in the right gutter of the blog. I do that to let you all have chances to win books at anytime; running giveaways on my own takes too much time.]

I often chose not to post things that were more Collection Development driven because I knew Early Word was covering it. With Early Word closing, I may post a bit more on the Collection Development side, but honestly, if you use the resources I mention above in tandem, you will mostly replicate the Early Word experience, and, I would argue, get more out of it because you are looking at multiple sources with different perspectives- always a good idea in general.

I will, however, begin to post some more Collection Development type items here on RA for All going forward, at least more than I did when I knew Early Word had it covered.

But, I do challenge those of you who do a lot of Collection Development to think about starting a website to fill a portion of the void Early Word is leaving behind. It doesn’t have to be as slick as Early Word was. If can be a simple website with a few links that you update every once in a while. But if just 1 or 2 of those people lamenting the loss of Early Word in the comments took their sadness and channeled it into some action, we’d have another resource to help everyone.

Don’t think you can do it? Well 9 years and 11 months ago I took a leap and started this blog. Look where it has taken me and all of you in the process. Why not give it a try yourself? Use what Nora taught you to help yourself and your colleagues.  That would be the best way to show your appreciation to Early Word. And if you do decide to start something new, let me know. I will feature it here on the blog.