So, What Do I Read Next?

The Wayne County Public Library Blog will be used as an extension of our Reader’s Advisory service. We will feature regular articles that spotlight new authors, new titles, or recommend ways that our patrons can expand their reading interests. All of these articles will be tagged with the “Reader’s Advisory” label, so to access them all at a glance just click on the “Readers’ Advisory” link under the “Labels” heading, either at the end of each article or in the sidebar.

Every avid reader knows how it feels to discover a new favorite author: you immediately devour every book that person has written, scour the Internet and magazine for every interview the author has ever given, and even look for any movies based on the author’s work.

Then, you’re empty-handed: you’ve exhausted the writer’s body of work and--according to every piece of promotional material you get your hands on--there’s nothing new coming from the author for quite a while. If you want to keep reading, you’ve got to find something new. The library is a great place to start. Not only is it a risk-free way to discover new literature (books are free to check-out, and if you don’t like something just bring it back) but the library staff members are avid readers knowledgeable about what books might match your reading interests.

The Wayne County Public Library offers many ways to help you discover new books and authors that you might enjoy. Not only do we have in-house resources, but also a survey for our patrons to participate in. The Library can also connect you on-line resources that offer book recommendations along with several other useful resources for bibliophiles.

The Reader’s Corner is a located inside the main branch, and the spotlight of this display is the reader’s advisory volumes available for use in the library. Each book details a different genre, breaking down the most popular and notable titles in that genre into even more-detailed listings and giving plot summaries of each title. While visiting the Reader’s Corner, also be sure to pick up the latest issue of Book Page, a periodical that focuses on new and upcoming books and authors, or a copy of our Book Match survey. You can find the Reader’s Corner at the Main Branch immediately to your left after entering through the lobby area under the “Community Information” sign.

Book Match is a service that the Library offers for patrons who would like a list of recommended books. To participate in the Book Match service, simply visit the Library and fill out our Book Match survey. Then, turn it in to the Reference Desk. One of our staff members will generate a list of ten books that fit in with your reading interests. We can either e-mail your list to you or call you to pick it up: whichever method is most convenient for you. The Book Match service caters to readers of all ages, and no matter what your reading interests are we can find a book that you would enjoy. Also, there’s no limit to how many times you can participate; if you finish your reading list, fill out another survey and we’ll generate another reading list for you.

If you would be interested in exploring what book are out there yourself, our patrons have access to two great databases. Both are available online.

Novelist is a reader’s advisory service available through NCLIVE. It is operated by a staff of librarians and offers many resources for finding information about a near-unlimited number of fiction titles. Users can search Novelist’s database in a variety of ways and read reviews of titles from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus; and search Novelist’s database in a variety of ways. They can also find out what titles are in a specific series and read feature articles spotlighting various genres or special topics in literature.

Along with all of those resources, Novelist also offers useful tools such as author read-a-likes, which focus on lesser-known writers that write similarly to famous authors. With this resource at hand, users can find new books that closely match those that they have already read and significantly expand their reading interests. Novelist also has lists of award-winning titles, so readers looking for the best of a particular genre will be able to locate them easily.

Another valuable resource for discovering new titles is a database called Fiction Connection, available through the website Books in Print. Fiction Connection organizes titles by genre, subject, topic, and setting and allows patrons to search using several different options. In just a few clicks, you can turn a broad subject heading (such a “historical romance”) into a very narrow, specific label. If you enjoy books set in a medieval land featuring dragons and unicorns with elements of murder mysteries, a search on Fiction Connection will no doubt bring something up. Fiction Connection also has reviews of titles, plot summaries, and many of the same features that Novelist has.

Books in Print also has several different ways to locate new books to read and find out information about specific titles. User can search their database by the awards a book has read and find where titles are available online for purchase. Unlike Fiction Connection and Novelist, Books in Print also catalogs non-fiction titles as well, making it a valuable resource for history, science, and biography buffs. Readers can also search by award-winning titles and authors.

There is no charge for our library patrons to use either resource; merely having a card grants you access to them, and patrons can access them from home. Novelist is available through NCLIVE and requires a password. Patrons need only show their card at the Reference Desk of the Main Branch of the Wayne County Public Library to get it. Fiction Connection is only available to patrons who registered for their card at the Main Branch. Novelist can also be used at any of the public-access computers at any branch of the Wayne County Public Library system; Books in Print and Fiction Connection can only be used at the Main Branch computers.

If you need any assistance using any of these resources, feel free to call the Reference Desk at the Main Branch: 735-1824 ext. 5100. Also, the Library encourages you to participate in the Book Match service. We love to read, and love recommending good books that we’ve enjoyed even more.