This document provides tips for librarians to fill their library shelves without draining their budget. It discusses ways to get free books through book reviews blogs, contests and giveaways from publishers, early review programs, committees that provide advance copies, and directly asking publishers. The goal is to provide access to new titles, help libraries make purchasing decisions, and network with publishers.

1. Ways to Fill
Your Shelves
Without Draining
Your Budget
Laura Jones, MLS Librarian
Northwest Regional Coordinator
Indiana State Library

2. https://wke.lt/w/s/w8bPrB

3. About Me
NW Regional Coordinator Librarian, Indiana State Library
Librarian Laura, Book Blogger (https://librarianlaura.com/)
School Library Journal & Library Journal Reviewer
Past Chair, Eliot Rosewater Indiana
High School Book Award Committee
Bookstagram - @laurapedenjones
Goodreads

4. It all started with a Blog...
https://librarianlaura.com/
Started with Blogger, then to Wordpress - huge in traffic!
Connected to Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram - increase in site activity
More traffic once I added tags to book reviews posts

5. Contests & Giveaways
Twitter, Instagram & Facebook
Bookstr
Shelf Awareness newsletter
Goodreads
BookRiot
Bookbub
Read It Forward
BookPage
BookSweeps

6. More Contests & Giveaways
YA Focused
Underlined
NOVL
Riveted
Epic Reads
FIREreads
TeachingBooks.net Blog (monthly contests)

7. Free Books? Yes, please!
Bookperk PageTurners
BookSirens
Bookish First
Penguin Random House Reader Rewards

8. NOVLBox Winner Twitter Winner of Skype Visit with author Brooks
Benjamin

9. Reviews in Exchange for Books
MyReaderRewardsClub
Tyndale House Publishers
Christian fiction & NF
The Readers Lounge at Page Chasers
Christian fiction & NF - 1 title at a time
Booktasters
Twitter based (gamification type)
Multiple titles at a time - Large variation of genres
LibraryThing – early review program
Baker Books Bloggers – Christian Fiction

10. Ways Kids can Review & Win Books
Penguin Rookie Reviewers
Kids can fill out a consent form, mail it in, and receive free books from
Penguin publishers to review & pass along to friends.
DOGO Books - Kids Book Giveaways & Contests from Publishers

11. Book Swap Platforms
BookMooch
PaperBackSwap
SwapReads

12. Get Reviews Published
Look for opportunities to review for magazines, publications, and websites.
Keep the free review copies for your library!
School Library Journal
Library Journal
BookPage
VOYA
Booklist

13. Serve on a Committee
A lot of work; but very rewarding!
-Help choose State Award nominees
-Keep the free books for your libraries
Young Hoosier Book Award Committee
Eliot Rosewater Award Committee
Read Aloud Committee

14. Watch the Newsletters
Publisher & Author Newsletters
Publisher Standing Galley Lists
From Early Word website
Shelf Awareness newsletter

15. How Does this Help My Library?
Access to free materials
Networking with publishers & authors
Advance knowledge of forthcoming titles
to order for the collection
Free Books from 2016 Summer break!
Free Books from 2015 Summer break!

16. All About ARCs
Marketing tools sent to reviewers, librarians, bloggers, & booksellers
Limited supply. Unfinished/uncorrected proof copies. (also called Galleys)
Don’t quote directly from them.
How to get them? (Publishers, Authors, Book Vendors, Giveaways, Blog Tours)
When finished - give away, hold contests on a blog, or Twitter. Don’t resell!
Twitter - #booksfortrade (swap with other bloggers/librarians)
Goodreads ARC Swap

17. Access to Early Review Copies (DRCs)
Digital Review Copies, e-galleys, digital editions
Edelweiss
NetGalley

18. Early Access to Audiobooks
LibroFM – 3 free audiobooks / month
(Bonus – they are yours to keep after downloading!)
Volumes App – Penguin Random House
(free audiobooks for librarians to review)

19. You never know until you ask!
Ask the publishers! Send an email and be sure to say “please” and “thank you”.
Early Word Librarian Contact Lists (Adult, Children)
Send your completed review or links to your review to the kind person who
sent you the ARC or DRC! (this way they will send you future requests when
you ask.)

20. Which Blogging Platform to Use?
Blogger https://www.blogger.com/home
WordPress https://wordpress.com/
Posting reviews without an actual blog:
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/
Amazon Vine
Instagram & Twitter - #bookstagram
YouTube
TikTok

21. Starting a Book Review Blog
Pick a platform
Tell everyone to check them out! Attach blog to social media outlets.
More traffic to your blog = higher chance of free books from publishers!
Tag authors & publishers
Post new content regularly (can schedule ahead)
Interact & engage
Add reviews to Goodreads, Amazon, & other book retailers

22. Reviewing Tips
Goldilocks – not too short, not too long
No spoilers
Be specific about what you like and don’t like. Try to remain neutral and objective.
Suggest similar titles & authors that remind you of the book being reviewed.
Organize into categories & add plenty of tags to each post.
Post reviews on or a few days prior to pub date.
Cross-Posting to FB, Instagram, Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon, B&N, etc.
Send a thank you & link to the completed review to the kind person who sent you the ARC or DRC!

23. Questions? Here’s where to find me:
https://wke.lt/w/s/w8bPrB
laujones@library.in.gov
Twitter & Instagram @laurapedenjones
librarianlaura.com
Find me on YouTube
Find me on Goodreads