Your Voices Heard: On Local Collections

Quick Summary

• Local collections matter. Libraries should connect their holdings to NoveList for a more personalized experience.
• You asked, we listened. We’ve already made improvements based on your feedback, including better search results and easier-to-browse Story Elements.
• More enhancements are coming. We’re actively improving the NoveList experience.

First off, a huge thank you to everyone who’s taken the time to share feedback on the updated NoveList experience. In my June post, The Story That Never Ends, I talked about how your input helps shape the future of NoveList, and I meant it! Every comment, suggestion, and idea you send our way helps us write the next chapter together.

We’ve been listening closely, and today I want to share some of the top themes we’ve heard from you along with what we’re doing to make things better.

Top 5 Things You Told Us

Here are the themes that have been bubbling up most often in your feedback:  

1. Local collections matter — a lot! But many of you didn’t know you could connect your library’s collection to NoveList. Good news: you can, and we’ll show you how.
2. Curated Lists are beloved, especially our “For Fans Of” lists. You’d love easier ways to browse them. We’re on it!
3. Story Elements are a favorite but harder to navigate in the new design. We’re working on improvements to make them easier to use.
4. The new design is sleek and mobile-friendly, but there are still parts of the overall design that could be improved. We’re tweaking those areas to make them better.
5. Printing and sharing features are essential, and you want even more functionality. We hear you loud and clear.

What We’ve Already Done

Your feedback helped us reshuffle our plans, moving some things up the list. We’ve already tackled a few quick wins:

• Search results now prioritize books first.
• Author names are back on printable read-alike lists.
• Story Elements on the detail page are alphabetized for easier browsing.

Also, I want to make sure you know that we didn’t remove any content during the transition. If something seems missing, it might’ve been retired before the transition — or it’s still there and just in a new place now. Either way, reach out and we’ll help you find it!

And if your feedback isn’t reflected in the five themes above, don’t worry, we heard it all. These are just the priorities we will tackle first.

Spotlight on the First Theme, Local Collections  

Let’s talk about local collections (aka how to see which books are available in your own library).

We sometimes get asked if NoveList can show only local titles. The short answer is no, but we do offer features that make it easy to see what’s in your collection at a glance. Why? Because readers benefit from seeing a full spectrum of recommendations, whether the book is owned locally or not.

One of my favorite quotes from a colleague in readers’ advisory is:  

“I want patrons to see my library as a source of great recommendations, regardless of format or ownership. My role is to bring joy to our patrons.”

That joy happens when a reader discovers a book they’re excited about. And we want to help you deliver that joy every day.

How to Use Local Collections in NoveList Today

It turns out that our local collections feature is a bit of a hidden gem. So, here’s a quick overview:

Option 1: Link to your catalog 
Add a button in NoveList that lets users check your catalog for a book, place a hold, etc. It appears on both search results and title pages. This option is super-easy to set up. Here's a video walkthrough.

• Option 2: Show what you own 
  This option adds more detail:
  • Buttons say “Owned” when you have it.
  • You’ll see “Owned” indicators on title pages and read-alike panels.
  • A checkbox allows you to limit search results and advanced searches to only your owned titles. 

This option requires a bit more information from your collection. Here's a video to show you what that looks like.

You can learn more about both options here: Connecting NoveList to Your Collection.

What’s Next for Local Collections?

We’re working on two improvements:

• Clearer language: Making the wording more consistent across the platform.
• Smarter automation: Updating how harvested collections work with Option 2, so it’s more of a “set it and forget it” process.

More to Come

I’ll be diving into feedback themes 2–5 in future posts, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, please continue to share your feedback. We love hearing from you. Here’s how to reach us:

• In NoveList: Use the “Share Feedback” link in the “How Do I?” menu.
• Email: novelist@ebsco.com.  
• Website: We have multiple options for getting in touch

Wishing You Reading Joy

We’re building NoveList together, one suggestion, one story, one spark of joy at a time. Your voice matters, and we’re so grateful you’re part of this journey with us.

Until next time, happy reading.

Danielle Borasky is Vice President of NoveList. She is currently reading The Hunter by Tana French