LibraryReads: Top 10 Books From Librarians For Libraries

All around the internet, one can find articles about the top books to read this summer, this holiday, this year... But many of these lists aren't coming from libraries. I've always thought this was a shame, but in September of 2013, a group of librarians partnered with publishers to change that. You have to check out LibraryReads!

What is so cool about this initiative?
1. Every month, they publish a list of the top 10 titles that are being released within the next 31 days.
2. The nominations are only made by public librarians and can only be on books that haven't been published yet.
3. Due to the above, it is a great opportunity for librarians to band together and create buzz for our favorite reads.
4. Marketing materials are provided so that every library can easily get the word out to their patrons.
5. ALL public librarians are encouraged to participate, which means you!

Participation isn't hard. You need to make an account with Edelweiss, read an ARC (check out our next post for how to get an ARC, an advanced reading copy) and then write reviews on your favorite adult books. When you mark your review for LibraryReads (which can be a real review or just a quick "I love this!"), it counts as a vote. The top 10 books nominated are then published on the list.

This is only open to public librarians and the focus is only on adult books (YA crossover books that have adult appeal are welcomed). I am hopeful that they will branch out into YA and Children literature, but they just turned one year old last September, so we'll give them time. In the meantime, participate and advertise in your library!