By Collections Manager Aly Wepplo
I love my library and I love books.
Working in The Community Library, I get a lot of requests for what’s new and next in the world of reading:
- “Emily Henry’s next one comes out in October – put me on hold!”
- “I just finished the last Daniel Silva – when is the next one out?”
- “Did you hear? There’s a new Malcolm Gladwell!”
Since the Library posted our online acquisition request form to our website last Fall, we have received about 800 requests. That’s 73 a month, 17 a week, or three a day. And that’s just what we collect online!
All these requests mean our shelves hold something for everyone. We’re building the library’s collection together.
As Collections Manager, I love hearing your requests. I also look to library trade publications for the latest in book news – I never miss Booklist, Library Journal, and Kirkus, all of which you can read online. I consult reviews from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and People Magazine, all of which are available to read in the library. And I love the email newsletters from Book Riot and Publishers Weekly.
But personal recommendations are my favorite.
They make me feel in-the-know and connected to the community. Earlier this month, I received patron requests for The New Whole30 and Beyond Paradise Season 2, which I hadn’t realized were available yet. And of course, I’m always filling my to-read list with recommendations from coworkers, like the new kids’ fantasy Impossible Creatures, recommended by Children’s Librarian DeAnn Campbell and the indie bestseller Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, recommended by Director of Programs and Education Martha Williams.
Where do you get your book recommendations? Let us know in the comments!
