10 More Facebook Groups for Public Librarians

Two years ago, we wrote a post highlighting all of the Facebook Groups that are for Public Librarians. Today, we wanted to highlight new groups that have been formed since our last update (or new to us):

Deeper Library Think Tank

https://www.facebook.com/groups/deepalatt/
Like #alatt, but deeper, and closed.
3,476 members

Elementary Librarian Exchange

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1726469570900005/
Please share but keep it elementary library oriented!
-ideas you use in your library
-issues you need help with concerning your library
-elementary book reviews
-your library's website/Facebook page/blog/Pinterest/social media/TPT page
-products you love for your library
-contests/grants related to libraries
-lesson plan links to help with library lessons
-technology ideas
-classroom collaboration ideas
3,681 members

The Grown-up Table: Library Programs and Services for Adults

https://www.facebook.com/groups/grownuptable
Welcome! This is an open forum for discussion about anything that falls (or might fall) under the banner of library programs and services for adults. Questions can be submitted anonymously.
432 members

International Public Library Think Tank

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1954456498104274/
This is a think tank created especially for library staff in public libraries. Library ideas, concepts and trends will be discussed in a professional, respectful manner with an emphasis on advancing public librarianship.
62 members

Librarians For Social Justice

https://www.facebook.com/groups/libs.social.justice/about/
Our Mission Statement: Through volunteering and fundraising projects, Librarians for Social Justice works toward creating a more equitable and just society.  We actively engage with our community, on a local and global scale, in order to turn information into action.
99 members

Libraries and the Opioid Crisis

https://www.facebook.com/groups/librariesopioidcrisis/about/
As library staff see the opioid crisis impacting patrons and communities, this group provides a way to share research, news, and strategies to respond.
295 members

Millennial Programming Ideas

https://www.facebook.com/groups/millennialprogramming/
Share ideas on programs you have created for 18-30 somethings or ask if you have any questions!
441 members

Readers' Advisory for Library Staff

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReadersAdvisory/
For when someone asks you about a book they can't remember the title of, you're trying to find a read-a-like of something of which you've never heard, or you just want a recommendation for what to read next. Questions about other forms of media are also welcome! Join our Goodreads group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/211135-readers-advisory-for-library-staff
1,029 members

STEM in Libraries

https://www.facebook.com/groups/STEMinLibraries/
For library professionals interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programming in libraries; a place to connect and share ideas.
1,690 members

Tiny Library Think Tank

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1547323442210920/
Welcome to the Tiny Library Think Tank!... Please feel free to ask questions about anything related to issues that affect those of us working in very small library systems - collection development, programming, policy creation, community outreach, retroactive automation, book repair, building maintenance, and more. Members of this group understand that tiny libraries do not often have HR departments, retained lawyers, multiple MLS-degreed librarians, or many other resources that are available to employees of larger library systems, even systems that may technically be considered "small" or "rural".
242 members

For more groups and to see the complete list of Facebook for Librarians, please visit our original post:

Ready to Go Book Display: Libraries Rock! Nonfiction

Welcome to our series, "Ready to Go! Book Display." Once a month we'll highlight the latest or greatest for every age group that you can promote within your library or order for your collection. I'm busy planning for summer reading 2018: Libraries Rock! This month we're featuring nonfiction titles that relate to this year's theme. And if you missed last month's fiction titles you can see them here.

Recommendations for Adults:

David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music by Darryl W. Bullock (Nov 2017)

The most comprehensive history of LGBT music ever compiled, encompassing a century of music by and for the LGBT community.

Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop by Marc Myers (Nov 2016)

A collection of behind-the-scenes stories draws on interviews with popular musicians to reveal the inspirations for influential songs, including Elvis Costello's "Red Shoes," Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," and R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion."

Musicophilia: Takes of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks (Oct 2007)

Drawing on the individual experiences of patients, musicians, composers, and everyday people, the author explores the complex human response to music, detailing the full range of human reactions to music, what goes on and can go wrong when we listen to music, and how music can affect those suffering from a variety of ailments.

Music Theory 101 by Brian Boone and Marc Schonbrun (Aug 2017)

Covers everything novice musicians and lifelong learners need to know. Full of music trivia, music history, comprehensive and instruction and visual aids, music symbols, and chords throughout.

50 Years of Rolling Stone by Jann Wenner (May 2017)

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, a leading voice in journalism, cultural criticism and music, from the 1960s to today, presents a decade-by-decade exploration of American music and history alongside interviews with rock legends and image makers and articles, excerpts and exposes.

Recommendations for Teens:

Music: Investigate the Evolution of American Sound by Donna Latham (Nov 2013)

Presents a survey of the influences that have inspired American music genres with activities that explain the physics and traditions of music, from writing songs and improvising vocal styling to creating a beatbox and learning the Charleston.

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M. T. Anderson (Sep 2015)

An account of the Siege of Leningrad reveals the role played by Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich and his Leningrad Symphony in rallying and commemorating their fellow citizens.

Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Sep 2015)

A narrative history of the Motown music label covering the historical context, personalities, and ongoing legacy of the "sound of young America."

Metal Cats by Alexandra Crockett (May 2014)

Hardcore metal musicians share photos of their beloved - and adorable - felines, in this head-banging collection that reveals the softer side of these extreme personalities.

Recommendations for Kids:

The School of Music by Meurig Bowen (Apr 2017)

Introduces aspiring musicians to different instruments and genres of music, and provides an overview of music theory.

50 Things You Should Know About Music by Rob Baker (Sep 2016)

Presents an introduction to music, discussing it's history, styles and genres from around the world, instruments and influential musicians.

What is Rock and Roll? by Jim O'Connor (Aug 2017)

Jim O'Connor explains what constitutes rock music, follows its history and sub-genres through famous musicians and groups, and shows how rock became so much more than just a style of music influencing fashion, language, and lifestyle.

Ketzel, The Cat Who Composed by Leslea Newman (Oct 2015)

Enjoying life in a noisy city where everything he hears is music, composer Moshe Cotel adopts a stray tuxedo kitten who walks across his piano keys, inspiring a celebrated one-minute composition.

Born to Swing: Lil Hardin Armstrong's Life in Jazz by Mara Rockliff (Jan 2018)

Presents the life of the jazz musician, describing her love of music as a child, her work as a composer and musician in Chicago, her marriage to Louis Armstrong, and her collaboration with some of the greatest jazz musicians of her era.

When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon & Garfunkel by Greg Neri (Mar 2018)

From childhood friendship to brief teenage stardom, from early failures to musical greatness this is the incredible story of how Simon & Garfunkel.

Programming Librarian: Spend $$ Wisely With New Tool Fakespot!

We are really excited today to talk about a new online tool, Fakespot. If there could be a librarian for Amazon reviews, Fakespot would be it.

It is the perfect website for anyone who has to purchase an unfamiliar product. It doesn't matter if it is craft supplies for a library program or a new vacuum for the staff room- Fakespot will evaluate the reviews for free! Fakespot won't tell you which is the best - you will need to pick out your favorites first - but afterwards you can analyze their reviews through Fakespot to double check their authenticity.

It is so easy to use. Just go to Amazon and look up the product you want to buy. Let's say you want to buy a cell phone charging station for your reading area. Amazon has over 50,000 results! What charging station to choose?

On the first page, you can find three of them with 4.5 stars, all over 100 reviews. Let's see if they are comparable. Just copy Amazon's URL for the product and paste it into Fakespot's search bar:

Fakespot will give you a grade (rating the *Reviews*, not the Product), analysis overview, reviews summary, review count, and price track. And, lo and behold, they all rated differently (double click image to make it larger):

So, now your decision is easy! Best go for the middle price point and order the last one.

If you don't want to do that much research, you can use their "Find Me Similar Products" feature and they'll bring you to the ones with good reviewer grades. It is located in the exclamation point section.

Fakespot is best for products with lots of reviews (more potential to find fake reviews there than one with just a handful). They only work for Amazon (and a few other websites that are non-library related), BUT even if your library doesn't order from Amazon, it is very likely that your store's products are also on Amazon. Research first, then buy!

Of course, as we all know, automated evaluation programs aren't perfect. So, take their results with a grain of salt and use your judgment. However, they are certainly helpful with making decisions if you aren't sure... And in this day and age with so much fake hype going around, having a truth detector is very handy.

Happy shopping!

Jan - April Book Awards

So many awards are going to be announced at the ALA midwinter conference two Sundays from now! But what about the other awards? When are they officially announced? We thought we'd look ahead at the next few months and share with you the exact dates. We divided them below by age groups (Adults, Teens, and Children), so you can easily find your target audience.

Remember, if you don't have time to read the award winners (or have no interest), you can always head over to our spin-off blog, Spoilers, Sweetie, for quick spoilers so you can add those books to your RA toolbox and speak about them knowledgeably with patrons.

Adult Awards

January

22nd: National Book Critic’s Circle Finalists

• 30 finalists in six categories -- Autobiography, Biography, Criticism, Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry.

28th: GRAMMYs: Best Spoken Word Album

• 1 audio book is chosen.

30th: Costa Book of the Year (UK & Ireland)

• 5 categories -- First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book - with one of the five winning books selected as the overall Costa Book of the Year.

February

11th: ALA Awards at Midwinter

• ALA/RUSA Listen List
• List of 12 audio books in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Plays. BONUS: It includes listen-alikes to lead listeners to additional audio experiences. To be eligible, titles must be available for purchase and circulation by libraries.
• ALA/RUSA Notable Books 
• List of 25 very good, very readable, and at times very important Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry books for the adult reader.
• ALA/RUSA Reading List
• 8 categories -- Adrenaline Titles (Suspense, Thrillers, and Action Adventure), Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Women’s Fiction. 

25th: IACP Cookbook Awards

• 16 Categories -- American; Baking; Chefs & Restaurants; Children, Youth & Family; Compilations; Culinary Travel; Food Matters; Food Photography & Styling; General; Health & Special Diet; International; Literary or Historical Food Writing; Reference & Technical; Single Subject; and more!

Bonus: Around this time, the Nebula shortlist is announced!

• List of 30 titles in outstanding science fiction and fantasy in 6 categories -- Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation, and Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy.

March

15th: National Book Critics Circle Awards

• 6 categories -- Autobiography, Biography, Criticism, Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry.

29th: Canada Reads

• Five books, five champions, one winner: Canada Reads is a "literary Survivor," with celebrities championing books. Books are voted "off the bookshelf," one each day, until one book is chosen as the title the whole country should read this year.

April

4th: Pen/Faulkner

• 1 category -- Fiction.

7th: Benjamin Franklin Awards

• 41 subject categories (all Adult except for 2 Children, 2 Young Readers and 2 Teens) and best first book for new publisher in Fiction, Nonfiction and Children/Young Adult. 

16th: Pulitzer Prize

• 21 categories across Journalism, Books, Drama and Music.

21st: L.A. Times Book Prize

• 10 categories -- First Fiction, Biography, Autobiographical Prose, Current Interest, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comics, History, Mystery/Thriller, Poetry, Science & Technology, and Young Adult Literature.

26th: Edgar Awards (Mystery)

•  14 categories -- Novel, First Novel, Paperback Original, Fact Crime, Critical/Biographical, Short Story , Juvenile, Young Adult, TV Episode, Robert L. Fish Memorial, Mary Higgins Clark, Grand Master, Raven Awards, and Ellery Queen Award.

27th: James Beard Cookbook Awards

• 11 categories -- American; Baking and Desserts; Beverage; General; Health and Special Diets; International; Reference, History, and Scholarship; Restaurant and Professional; Single Subject; Vegetable-Focused Cooking; Writing.

28th: Agatha Awards (Traditional Mystery)

• 6 categories -- Best Contemporary Novel, Best Historical Novel, Best First Novel, Best Nonfiction, Best Short Story, and Best Children’s/Young Adult.

Teen Awards

January

4th: Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
10th: Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
11th: Walter Dean Myers Award (Presented by We Need Diverse Books)

• Outstanding titles for teens and young readers who celebrate diversity.

16th: Scott O'Dell Award (Historical Fiction)

30th: Costa Book of the Year (UK & Ireland)

• 1 of the 5 categories is "Children's Book" which can be for ages 0-18.

February

11th: ALA Youth Media Awards (Midwinter)

• Alex Awards (Adult books for Teens)
• Coretta Scott King Awards (African American Authors and Illustrators) 
• Belpré Medal (Latino/Latina writers and illustrators about the Latino cultural experience)
• Schneider Family Book Award (Disability experience)
• Outstanding Books for the College Bound (Updated every 5 years. Current List: 2014)
• Printz Award (Literary Excellence)
• Odyssey Award (Audiobooks for Teens)
• Rainbow List (GBLT)
• Stonewall Book Award (GBLT)
• Morris Award (First time author writing for Teens)
• Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
• Best Fiction for Young Adults
• Great Graphic Novels for Teens
• Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
• American Indian Library Association (Every two years; 2016 Current List)

14th: Cybils Awards

• 12 categories including Middle-Grade Fiction, Junior/Senior High Non-Fiction, Young Adult Graphic Novels, Young Adult Fiction, and Young Adult Speculative Fiction.

April

7th: Benjamin Franklin Awards

• 41 subject categories (all Adult except for 2 Children, 2 Young Readers and 2 Teens) and best first book for new publisher in Fiction, Nonfiction and Children/Young Adult. 

16th: Pulitzer Prize

• 21 categories across Journalism, Books, Drama and Music.

21st: L.A. Times Book Prize

• 10 categories including one in Young Adult Literature.

26th: Edgar Awards (Mystery)

•  14 categories, one of which is Young Adult.

28th: Agatha Awards (Traditional Mystery)

• 6 categories --  one of which is a shared Best Children’s/Young Adult.

Children Awards

January

10th: Charlotte Zolotow Award (Picture Books)
11th: Walter Dean Myers Award (Diversity Titles presented by We Need Diverse Books)

16th: Scott O'Dell Award (Historical Fiction)
30th: Costa Book of the Year (UK & Ireland)

• 1 of the 5 categories is "Children's Book" which can be for ages 0-18.

February

11th: ALA Youth Media Awards (Midwinter)

• Newbery Medal
• Caldecott Medal (Picture Book illustrations)
• Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award
• Batchelder Award (Translated work)
• Belpré Medal (Latino cultural experience by Latino/a writer and illustrator)
• Carnegie Medal (Video)
• Geisel Medal (author(s) and illustrator(s) of beginning readers)
• Odyssey Award (audio books)
• Sibert Informational Book Medal (author(s) and illustrator(s))
• Wilder Award (Author or illustrator)
• Schneider Family Book Award (Disability experience)
• American Indian Library Association (Every two years; 2018 will be announced)
• ALA Rainbow List (GBLT)
  

14th: Cybils Awards

• 12 categories including Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books, Elementary/Middle Grade Non-Fiction, Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels, Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction, Fiction Picture Books and Board Books.

April

7th: Benjamin Franklin Awards

• 41 subject categories (all adult except for 2 children, 2 young readers and 2 teens) and best first book for new publisher in fiction, nonfiction and Children/Young Adult. 

21st: L.A. Times Book Prize

• 10 categories including one in Young Adult Literature.

26th: Edgar Awards (Mystery)

•  14 categories, one of which is Juvenile.

28th: Agatha Awards (Traditional Mystery)

• 6 categories --  one of which is a shared Best Children’s/Young Adult.

???: Jane Addams Peace Awards

• The Jane Addams Children's Book Award annually recognizes children's books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people.

Want More?

You can find the complete list of awards in our previous post, the Ultimate Book Awards Calendar. The specific dates aren't listed because they change every year, but stay tuned for our next installment (May-August) in April!