Presentation for LIS 748 - Collection Development for Dominican University School of Library and Information Science

1. TOOLS FOR SELECTING
NONFICTION FOR
PUBLIC LIBRARY
COLLECTIONS
Katie Midgley

2. Overview:
 List various resources available for use
 Outline each resource in detail
 Show example review
 Discuss positives and negatives of resource
 Briefly mention additional resources

3. Amazon
 Provides succinct summaries
 Includes editorial reviews and reader reviews
 ‘5 star’ rating system
 Easy to search individual titles
 Less suitable to browsing nonfiction in general

4. Example:

5. Booklist
 Short but powerful reviews done by ALA
 Each review shows awards, lists, similar titles
 Parts of resource free, others require
subscription
 List of helpful blogs
 Newsletters, alerts

6. Example:

7. Kirkus Book Review
 Extremely browser friendly
 Nonfiction split into variety of categories
 Helpful lists
 ‘Kirkus star’ review system
 Single sentence summary at end of each
review

8. Example:

9. Cont.

10. Library Journal Book Review
 Prepublication reviews for hundreds of
nonfiction titles
 Collection development page
 Preview of upcoming nonfiction for the year
 Express reviews
 Each book ‘tagged’

11. Example:

12. New York Times Book Review
 Extensive & in depth reviews
 Available in print on Sundays and always
online
 Lists with most popular, best sellers, etc.
 Ability to search reviews back to 1981

13. Example:

14. NPR Books
 Links to interviews with authors, reviews,
many lists
 Easy browsing
 Nonfiction displayed by category
 Option to follow on twitter, subscribe to
podcast, or text updates
 Excerpts from books available

15. Example:

16. Publisher’s Weekly
 Notable because not afraid to give a poor
review
 Provide reasons why item would help a
collection or not
 Book reviews in addition to information on
authors, news, etc.
 Online and print.

17. Example:

18. Additional Resources
 NoveList
 Various vendors (Baker and Taylor especially
helpful for nonfiction)
 Bookpage

19. Works Cited:
 Amazon. Web. http://www.amazon.com/ (Accessed 15 Oct 2012).
 Booklist Online. Web. http://www.booklistonline.com/ Accessed 15
Oct 2012).
 Kirkus Reviews. Web. http://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (Accessed 15
Oct 2012).
 Library Journal Book Review. Web.
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/ (Accessed 15 Oct 2012).
 New York Times Book Review. Web.
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/ (Accessed 15 Oct 2012).
 NPR Books. Web. http://www.npr.org/books/ (Accessed 15 Oct
2012).
 Publisher’s Weekly. Web. http://www.publishersweekly.com/
(Accessed 15 October 2012).