One of the most helpful things you can do for an author is to request that your local library buy that person’s book.
So just ask the librarians or order it, right? Unless it is 1-person library, there will be several people ordering books, and only the staff will know who collects for which subject. So talking to the person at the front desk may or may not be helpful.
What IS helpful is requesting a book through whatever systems the library has set up.
There is usually a form on the library website, but it is hard to find! At my home library, I had to click from the home page: “About- Guidelines and Forms – Suggest a Purchase.” At the next community west, I clicked: “Books & More – Recommendations – Request a Purchase.” At the community on the east, I clicked: “Borrowing – Recommendations and requests – Suggest a Title.”
But once you find the link, most collection development systems are based on ALA (American Library Association) guidelines: To build a collection of merit, materials are evaluated according to one or more of the following standards. An item need not meet all of these criteria to be acceptable.
General Criteria:
- Present and potential relevance to community needs
- Suitability of physical form for library use
- Suitability of subject and style for intended audience
- Cost
- Importance as a document of the times
- Relation to the existing collection and to other materials on the subject
- Attention by critics and reviewers
- Potential user appeal
- Requests by library patrons
Requests by library patrons are taken very seriously!
But what do you need to tell the library about the book?
- Title
- Author
- Format
- Publisher, date
- ISBN
- Your library card number and name
If the book you are recommending has a review in these sources, include the citation.
Top Five Recommended Public Library Reviewing Sources:
- Booklist
- Goodreads
- New York Times Book Review
- Publishers Weekly
- Shelf Awareness
OR if the book was
- reviewed in specific subject journals or magazines
- featured on a Celebrity reading list
- highlighted on local news cast/newspaper article
- supporting a particular community event or anniversary
- written or illustrated by a local author
Give the librarians all the information you can to increase your chances of one day holding a friend’s book in your hand when it is added to the library collection. Take a selfie and send it along!
Robin Currie would be thrilled if you used these steps to request a copy of her book!
- Title: How to Dress a Dinosaur
- Author: Robin Currie
- Format: board book
- Publisher, date: familius, 2022
- ISBN: 978-1641706438
Kirkus review: HOW TO DRESS A DINOSAUR | Kirkus Reviews
Multi-award-winning author Robin Currie learned story sharing by sitting on the floor, during library story times. She has sold 1.7 M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again! Robin is happy to note How to Dress a Dinosaur found its unique spot on the publisher’s list!
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