Theme Idea - Alternatives to New Year/New You

It's almost New Year's Day and time for those articles and books about how we can all be better in 2023. I am not a huge fan of the theme of "New Year, New You" because we don't need to be a new person. There are always opportunities to do something new and different. I would suggest that that is the direction for your New Year's displays. 

One option is "Learn Something New." Get with the programming librarians and have some local experts come in and teach your patrons new hobbies or skills. There are always things about cooking, crafts, gardening, sports, the outdoors, and so forth that your patrons may be curious about. Here's a picture of a display I did in 2019: 

Don't forget that you can use your language programs, local services, and materials as part of learn something new! Tie together your databases to a Learn Something New book display or list with QR codes or links. Add bookmarks to the books. Don't restrict what you mean by learn or which topics are included. 

Go Somewhere New is another theme. Beyond travel books and DVDs, don't forget fiction in translation and books about faraway places. Remind your patrons that they can use their libraries to explore the world without leaving their home. Include local places of interest because everyone has local places where they have not yet explored. 

For those with cooking programs, there is always the opportunity to pair one of them with a  Cook Something New display. Introduce your patrons to cuisines and flavors they have not yet tried. Even without a program, you can check with your circulation department and see which parts of your cookbook collection have not been checked out recently. 

One that work with just fiction is Try A New Series. Dig out older series or those which haven't received the attention they should and put them on a display. Include lists of the series in order and QR codes to your eBook collection. 

Finally I would suggest a Meet Someone New display. Put forth those biographical eBooks, eAudiobooks, DVDs, audiobooks, and books from your collection which need some love and put them out there. It's a display which can move your backlist as well as let patrons meet some people who they may know nothing about. It's also easy for anyone on staff, regardless of title, to fill. Just remind everyone that the titles on display should be as diverse and inclusive as possible. The world is a big place, filled with lots of people. 

Happiest of New Year wishes to everyone! I hope 2023 brings you more reading and peace. 

More resources: 

Programming Librarian from the ALA has ideas for programs. 
Options to find series in order: BookSeriesInOrder.com; Fantastic Fiction; Books Radar; KDL's What's Next Database

Book List/Display Idea #1 - True Crime focused on victims, survivors, and their families.

 True crime has soared in popularity thanks to podcasts and documentaries on streaming services. It is possible to highlight the parts of your collection that would appeal to fans of the genre while also being conscious of the victims, survivors, and their families. I'm not including a list of titles about the more famous serial killers because those are easy to find and likely get a lot of circulation in your library. 

I'll link to the Goodreads reviews for the books so you can see what other readers thought since I've not read all of the titles below. Remember to include lists/signs/QR codes for your digital collections if you make a book display inside your library. 

Setting up a book display or a book list is not a test; don't stress out over how close a read alike is. Every reader comes at a book from a different place. Also, Use popular titles to draw in readers to the other books on your display. You won't have every lower profile or smaller press/imprint book that you uncover online. 

The first book that comes to mind for a lot of people is I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara. Written before the identity of the Golden State Killer was know, the book is well-written, never sensationalist or salacious. and takes care with the stories of those affected by the crimes. She shows empathy to the victims of the crimes and the communities where the crimes happened. There is also an HBO documentary based upon the book. 

Hachette Group's Novel Suspects, a blog promoting mysteries and thrillers, suggests these titles as read-alikes: 

We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper - An investigation of an older cold case, similar to that of the Golden State Killer. In this book, the murder of a Harvard student, Jane Britton, and a possible coverup by Harvard University. The book details the misogyny and sexist treatment of women in academia at that time.

The Grim Sleeper by Christine Pelisek - The story of a killer who attacked women in a South Central Los Angeles neighborhood for decades. Part of the books delves into how the poverty and violence in the neighborhood contributed to the killer getting away with murdering so many marginalized women for so long. The author is a reporter who followed the story for more than a decade.

The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich - A memoir about how the childhood trauma of the author and their research into a murder while working at a law firm defending those accused of murder. The book is both about the author attempting to come to terms with their own past as well as the case of Ricky Langley, a convicted pedophile. 

Other lists with readalikes:

The Lineup-13 Riveting True Crime Books for Fans of I'll Be Gone In the Dark
Book Riot - 7 of the Best Books for Mindhunter Fans (This list contains many true crime classics that you may own at your library)
Book Riot- 18 of the Best International True Crime Books You've Never Heard Of 

More titles you may own are:

The Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three by Mara Leveritt
Boys Enter the House: The Victims of John Wayne Gacy and the Lives They Left Behind by David B. Nelson
Last Call by Elon Green
The Babysitter by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan
Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles - also reviewed here
Hell's Half Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, America's First Serial Killer Family by Susan Jonusas
Deer Creek Drive : A Reckoning of Memory and Murder in the Mississippi Delta by Beverly Lowry
Savage Appetites:Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession by Rachel Monroe
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

Because including only one part of your collection in your displays and lists is never something I suggest, here are some fiction suggestions -

Crime Scene and Into the Forest and All the Way Through by Cynthia Pelayo 
Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight
The Witch Elm, The Trespasser both by Tana French
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
Shutter by Ramona Emerson

Oprah Daily - Crime Fiction Goes Global and Diverse, as These 20 Books by Women Writers Show (PIck and choose from this list to add to the display if books are checked out but you can't replace the display yet.)

If you or one of your fellow staff members are a true crime podcast fan, you can include suggestions for patrons. One podcast that is focused on the victims and their story is True Crime Bullsh*t by Josh Hallmark. While covering the crimes of serial killer Israel Keyes, Hallmark is careful to humanize and include the story of his victims and suspected victims. 

Some Readers Advisory Sites You Can Use -for free!

 When I presented at TBLC's VIP Conference, I was asked about free alternatives if your library does not subscribe to a database like Novelist. Here are a few of my suggestions. As always, your mileage may vary and everyone has different tastes. It's not an endorsement of any of them. 

• Goodreads : While you might use it as a way to connect with other readers and to track your own reading during the year, it is also possible to use it for readers advisory. You can search for a trope like haunted house, bounty hunter, enemies to lovers and then click on Listopia. The lists created by readers will load and you can search them for the right book for your patron. It also works for other things  like Polish literature or Queer science fiction. If you spend some time searching, you can note the best lists. Also, when you log books include some notes about who else might like that book, what other books it reminded you of, and what the tone, setting, and characters were like.
• If you don't want to use Goodreads, you can find some alternatives with similar features here. 
• What Should I Read Next? allows you to input a book you or your patron liked and get recommendations. Even if the site does not have a list for you, it will give you major categories you can click on. Note that this site has better results for very popular books. 
• WhichBook has options to search by mood & emotion, world map, character & plot, or best seller. For mood & emotion, you can select up to 4 aspects and move a slide to select how happy versus sad, for example, you want the book to be. A group of covers appears and you can click on them for more information. World map brings up a map of the world, you select a region, a country, and then view a group of covers of books by authors from that country. Character & plot has options for race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and plot points. Bestsellers has a river of bestselling book covers that can be clicked on to find other options. Note that it is a UK site and if a patron clicks on borrow this book, they will be directed to a map of the UK with an option to visit Worldcat.org. 
• Meet New Books has options to enter a book, series, or topic and receive multiple recommendations. Users can also search by genre, trope, or keyword as well as ideas for breaking a reading slump or surprise recommendations. Basic mood and tone features are brought up for each title as well as a plot summary. You can see what to read after each suggestion or more titles by a particular author. 

I hope some of these are useful. Next I will provide lists of sites for particular genres and categories of books and authors. 

Inclusive Readers Advisory for All Library Workers - the presentation.

 I neglected to upload this and I apologize. If you would rather have an emailed copy, please let me know. 

Here is the presentation I did for TBLC's VIP Conference which focuses on paraprofessionals. Providing inclusive readers advisory is honestly just about doing some work in advance & not relying on the quick Google search. 

Later on in the weekend, I will provide a list of Novelist-like resources for those who don't have library access. (If your library is open to exploring a subscription it is a great resource for library workers and the public.)

Inclusive Readers Advisory for All Library Workers

 In preparation for a few presentations I'm giving this fall, I will be uploading my slideshow here for use by those who are interested after they see the presentation. I will also be creating some lists of resources on various genres so that any library worker can provide their patrons with better readers advisory!

Digital Book Displays as Passive RA AND staff support for better readers advisory

Any of the major library eBook/eAudiobook vendors will allow you to set up your own displays for your patrons to discover. There are obvious uses - highlighting cultural awareness months, celebrating holidays, and participating in events like Banned Books Week. 

Another great way to use them is to provide both passive readers advisory for patrons who wish to explore your digital collection on their own as well as to support paraprofessionals when they are called upon to provide readers advisory on the phone, in virtual chat, or while on a public service desk. Even if a patron wishes to read a physical book or listen to a CD audiobook, having an easily accessible digital collection/list/shelf available will give your staff a place to start. They will be able to see authors, series, and subject headings that can give them some direction. 

Readers Advisory specialists can ask front line staff what kind of RA questions they are receiving and what sort of books patrons are discussing with them. You can also use read alikes for best sellers and read alikes for movies and TV shows that are popular in your area. Check your circulation stats and look for genres, subgenres, and non-fiction areas that are moving in your building. If you are part of a system with more than one branch, don't forget to look at more than one location. 

Programming is another area that you should not ignore. Tie in your digital book and audiobook collection to your programming. Patrons who enjoy a virtual or in-person program can explore topics further, starting with the list you provide. These patrons will have a better readers advisory experience if there is a list of titles that can be built upon. 

If a genre that you are not familiar with is something that staff and/or statistics indicate that you should focus on, ask the people that your in your library system. There are people all over your system who are fans of genres, subjects, and part of fandoms that you are not well versed in. Have that person who loves military science fiction create a list for you. Ask that gothic horror fan to look at your eBooks/eAudiobooks and see what they would add to a shelf. Maybe a short story fan lurks in your facilities department and would love a change of pace and a chance to promote their favorites. 

Having tools like online displays available will ultimately serve your patrons better as they can find more of what they love while also receiving better service from your staff. We can't all be experts on everything and it's a good practice to give staff a place to start when a patron asks.

2022 Book Challenges as Passive Programming/Readers Advisory

 There are so, so many possible book challenges that you can suggest to patrons looking to find some great new reads in 2022. I found one comprehensive list here. Adapt them for your library and create a year-long passive program with some sort of swag to be gained by completing it. 

Add links to your catalog and/or ebook collection when you post a link to the reading challenge or a PDF of your own challenge. You can use it as a weekly post to your social media or library blog. It's a good way to remind patrons of the older titles in your collection. 

What I'm going to do is take a look at a few of the lists and make some suggestions for horror titles that can be used for the challenge. As a passive programming idea, you could solicit suggestions from the library staff who run any of your book clubs whether genre-based (mystery, romance, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, historical, etc.) or age based (youth, YA). Don't forget to include large print and audiobooks. Add them to a social media post, online booklist, or book display. 

If your library subscribes to a service like Beanstack or ReadSquared, patrons can participate online. I would suggest making paper copies available for those who ask. 

Post weekly about the challenge. Have staff post their suggestions and solicit suggestions from the public. 

Even if your building is limiting access due to COVID, you can engage your patrons.