There is a wave of library-related press releases with the ALA’s annual conference and exhibition starting today in Chicago (and running through July 2). One announcement of broad interest is the launch of LibraryReads this fall, a recommendation program that aims to serve as a national “library staff picks list.” The initiative will highlight ten adult titles every month “that library staff have read, have loved, and cannot wait to share with their patrons.”
LibraryReads is managed by a steering committee of public librarians and library advocates, and they have allied with the ALA, the AAP, and even the ABA, which “is lending their expertise and back-office support” based on their experience with the Indie Next lists.
The costs of marketing materials and the Library Reads site are being underwritten by publishers, and the steering committee is meeting with publishers at ALA to enlist additional support. Initial publisher partners named include Harper Collins, Macmillan, Other Press, Penguin Group, Quercus, Random House, and Workman.