SelectReads along with its two companion services, AuthorCheck and New Book Alerts, are now live throughout the county. These services have the potential of being invaluable tools to the reference librarian, as well as being user-friendly and customizable enough for the novice customer. Here are just a few ways you can choose to use these services:
1. Add a Book Widget to your library home page.
A variety of carousels, side-scrollers, and banners are available to showcase new books. These can be added to any page on your library’s website, with links to the catalog and weekly updates already built in. A list of these with their corresponding codes was created, including Adult Fiction, Teen Fiction, Children’s Books, and New York Times Bestsellers. Other options are available on request.
2. Keep up with EVERY new book James Patterson publishes…
AuthorCheck allows you to search for a particular author’s bibliography, but even more useful may be the ability to then “follow” that author to keep up to date with their newest releases. Because sometimes it’s just hard to keep up with an author that cranks out a book a week.
3. Be first in line for Ant-Man on DVD.
New Book Alerts gives you a list of the newest releases in a variety of categories, including the sometimes more difficult types to search in the catalog – Multimedia. You can visit the website yourself or have it email you a list every week, and have your friends wonder how you’re always the first in line for new releases. Who needs Redbox?
Heather, Western Allegheny Community Library