The Learn with NoveList Plus subscription includes a well-rounded catalog of quality courses centered on the core skills that library staff need when working with readers of all ages, promoting the library, and delivering outstanding service.
Reader Advisory & Engagement
Confidently connect readers with books they'll enjoy.
Using Story Elements with Readers
Do you really know what your readers want? Would you like to make stronger reading recommendations? By understanding how to use story elements, you can provide exceptional customer service to every reader.
Be Genre Confident: How To Recommend Books in the Eight Most Challenging Genres
Do you dread being asked to recommend books in certain genres? Maybe you don't like a particular genre, or you're just not familiar with the authors and themes. Fear not! In this class, you'll learn how to confidently recommend books to readers of popular genres- even the "scariest" ones like horror, romance, westerns, and more.
Everyone Can Recommend Books! Quick Tips for Creating Positive Reader Experiences
Do you ever feel panicked when someone asks you to make a book recommendation? By implementing a few quick tips, anyone working with readers can make meaningful reading recommendations and enhance customer service. In this course, you’ll learn strategies for helping readers find books they love and customer service principles that will keep them coming back for more.
Understanding Your Reader: How to Recommend the Right Book at the Right Time
This course will prepare all staff to recommend books by giving them an understanding of reader engagement. Learn strategies for providing excellent customer service to all readers, gain an understanding of the concepts of appeal, genre, and themes, and learn to value service to readers as a critical service to the overall mission of your library.
The Art and Practice of Providing Outstanding Reading Recommendations
Connecting readers with books they love is a core library service. But talking with readers about their tastes and then trying to match those readers to books is a lot harder than it sounds. Learn how to navigate common scenarios librarians face when working with readers, how to find and use the best tools and resources available to you, including the NoveList database, and how to evaluate whether your readers’ advisory services are making an impact.
Deep Dive into Building Relationships with Readers
Conversations are the heart of connecting readers to the books they want and need. These conversations can be one of the most rewarding parts of your work... or one of the most challenging! NoveList co-founder Duncan Smith shares his time-tested readers’ advisory methods, the goals to strive for in every conversation with a reader, and how to create a lasting connection between your organization and your community based on the value you provide to readers.
Strategic Readers’ Services: A Complete Plan
This course is for anyone who is a practitioner of readers’ advisory. Use this self-guided toolkit to develop your own strategic plan for working with readers, which you can share with your administration. When you complete this course, you'll be empowered to advocate for reader services and guide your own work in these uncertain times.
Working with Millennial and Gen Z Readers
Millennial and Gen Z readers have unique interests and needs. How do you ensure your library connects with these segments of your community and provides exceptional service? In this course, we'll examine the reading habits of millennial and Gen Z readers, how they use libraries, and share tips on how you can use trends to help these readers.
How Do You Make Great Audio Recs?
Unique audio appeals can help readers find the distinct experiences they want, such as full cast versus single narrator or voice styles like animated, gravelly, or wry. In this live event, the appeals and tips needed to make great audiobook recommendations are explored and discussed by the instructor and attendees.
Youth Reader Services
Understand youth reading preferences and match children and teens with books they'll love.
How to Find Terrific Books for Toddlers
Whether you’re an experienced children’s librarian, brand new to the library world, or working in another department, providing reader services to young children can be one of the best parts of the job. This course guides you on where to start when recommending books for toddlers, for the adults who care for them, and for educators in your community.
Terrific Toddler Readers: Book Picks from the Experts
In this companion course to "How to Find Terrific Books for Toddlers," you’ll hear tips and recommendations from several amazing children’s services staff who share their expertise, knowledge, and some of their favorite books for toddlers.
Matching Children with Books: Creating Lifelong Readers
Books and libraries have the power to transform lives, especially for school-age children, as they learn about the world and their place in it. This course will give you valuable insight into the critical role of working with children ages 6-12, strategies for talking about books with young readers and their caregivers, and pathways and resources for continued success.
Horror for Tweens and Teens
Conquer your fears about horror for teens and tweens with these two short courses. You'll learn what horror is, why teens and tweens like it, and what titles and authors you need to know now. You’ll also get marketing tips and tricks to help your readers ages 9-18 find horror books in your collection. Don’t be scared! These courses are quick but packed with information!
Graphic Novels for Teens and Tweens
Graphic novels are among the most popular formats for young readers. In this course, you will learn how to seize the opportunities and challenges that arise when helping teen and tween graphic novel readers at the library. You'll learn the characteristics of graphic novels, why readers like them, and what titles and authors you need to know now. You’ll also get tips and tricks to help your readers find the best graphic novels in your collection, ones that teens and tweens will especially enjoy.
Historical Fiction for Teens and Tweens
Turn back the clock with historical fiction for tween and teen readers. In this short course, you'll learn what historical fiction is, why readers like it, and what titles and authors you need to know now. You’ll also get tips and tricks to help your readers find the best historical fiction in your collection, ones that teens and tweens won't find dull.
Creating Community with Teens
As librarians, we all want to connect with teens and inspire them to become lifelong library users. But there's no "one size fits all" way to move teens from passive pedestrians to engaged members of your library. Teens can enter through many gateways based on their needs. We can think strategically and discover these gateways by developing customer personas.
Book Knowledge & Trends
Grow your confidence in recommending across genres and formats.
Crash Courses
All of our popular Crash Courses, developed with LibraryReads, are included in the subscription. Whether you’re a genre aficionado or a curious newcomer, these webinars will give you the knowledge to navigate genres with ease.
Keeping Up with Books: Year in Review
Keeping up with the seemingly countless books published each year can feel impossible. This course will get you caught up with the bestsellers, publishing news, and trends, and how to use that information to provide better service to your readers, plus give you a preview of what to expect this year.
Be Genre Confident: How To Recommend Books in the Eight Most Challenging Genres
Do you dread being asked to recommend books in certain genres? Maybe you don't like a particular genre, or you're just not familiar with the authors and themes. Fear not! In this class, you'll learn how to confidently recommend books to readers of popular genres- even the "scariest" ones like horror, romance, westerns, and more.
Graphic Novels for Teens and Tweens
Graphic novels are among the most popular formats for young readers. In this course, you will learn how to seize the opportunities and challenges that arise when helping teen and tween graphic novel readers at the library. You'll learn the characteristics of graphic novels, why readers like them, and what titles and authors you need to know now. You’ll also get tips and tricks to help your readers find the best graphic novels in your collection, ones that teens and tweens will especially enjoy.
Historical Fiction for Teens and Tweens
Turn back the clock with historical fiction for tween and teen readers. In this short course, you'll learn what historical fiction is, why readers like it, and what titles and authors you need to know now. You’ll also get tips and tricks to help your readers find the best historical fiction in your collection, ones that teens and tweens won't find dull.
Horror for Tweens and Teens
Conquer your fears about horror for teens and tweens with these two short courses. You'll learn what horror is, why teens and tweens like it, and what titles and authors you need to know now. You’ll also get marketing tips and tricks to help your readers ages 9-18 find horror books in your collection. Don’t be scared! These courses are quick but packed with information!
Library Promotion & Public Engagement
Boost your library's visibility, connect with your community, and sharpen skills in storytelling, email, social media, and more.
How to Circulate More Books with Smart Merchandising
Do you find it challenging to make your library's collection stand out? Explore how to effectively display library materials to engage patrons and turn your library into a vibrant, reader-friendly space. You’ll learn how to optimize library spaces, create visually appealing displays, and identify best practices for signage and display rotation that everyone on staff can implement. Through real-world examples and tips from libraries, you’ll discover practical, effective ways to promote your books and build the reputation of your library as the best place to find something to read!
How to Reach Millennial Members of Your Library Community
Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, represent the largest generation in the U.S. and Australia, making up roughly 22 percent of the population. In Canada and New Zealand, they are the second-largest generation. In this course, you’ll discover effective strategies for engaging Millennials through various channels, including social media, email, and in-person interactions. You’ll gain insights into their reading habits, preferred communication methods, and the types of library programs and services that resonate most with them.
How to Reach Gen Z Members of Your Library Community
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, connecting with Gen Z—those born between 1997 and 2012—presents unique challenges and opportunities for libraries. But Gen Z also makes up a significant portion of the population, and they’re the future of the library. This course will provide you with the tools and knowledge to create meaningful connections with Gen Z, making your library an essential part of their lives.
How to Use Email to Make Your Library Stand Out
Does the idea of sending an email that effectively captures the attention of your audience seem daunting? In this course, you’ll learn that anyone can unlock the secrets to effective email marketing for libraries. If your library is already sending marketing emails, this course will teach you how to improve your messaging. The teachings in this course apply to everyone, no matter what email platform your library uses.
How are Libraries Using AI in Marketing
In this question-and-answer live event, we discussed the pros and cons of using AI tools like ChatGPT, Google's Perplexity, and Microsoft's CoPilot for library promotional tasks. We focused on how AI can help with tasks like writing subject lines for email newsletters, enhancing social media posts, and analyzing metrics.
Stories That Stick: Share What Makes Your Library Matter
The quest for library stories that have emotion and a compelling story arc, perfect for library advocacy, is difficult but doable. In this course, you'll learn how a good story becomes good marketing and practical tips to find stories you can use for powerful, memorable advocacy and promotions.
Don't Just Rely on Social Media: Alternatives to Reach Your Community
It’s time to face it: The social media landscape is in chaos. But don’t despair! In this session, you’ll learn how to harness the power of more effective library marketing tools: email, blogs, and your staff. Get practical, up-to-the-minute advice for building an audience using your owned properties. Find out how to deliver irresistible content to maximize your reach without spending all day on promotions (unless you want to!).
Strategic Partnerships & Community Impact
Strengthen your library's role through meaningful relationships, build and sustain partnerships and communicate your library's value, and engage stakeholders.
Together We Thrive: Strengthening Public Library Impact through Community Partnerships
When libraries partner effectively within their communities, everybody wins. Learn how to clearly define what a partnership is, identify different partnership tiers and their specific goals, and effectively communicate with partners and stakeholders. Participants will leave this course ready to engage deeply with community partners, creating connections that go beyond the merely transactional to enact positive changes in their communities.
No More Neutral: How to Champion the Right to Read
In this course, you’ll learn how to clarify your library’s policies, solidify your library’s positions, and clearly communicate your mission, vision, and values. Learn tactics to use to rally community and stakeholder support, and how to handle communications should your library be the focus of a book challenge.
How are You Championing Your Library?
For library staff, "other duties as assigned" certainly include advocacy for the library. In this recording of the live session, you'll learn how to share the vital importance of your work with community members, stakeholders, and lawmakers using strategic promotional tactics.
Welcoming Your Community: How to Create Inclusive Library Promotions
In this course, you’ll learn how to create promotions that will engage all community members. Get actionable tips for how to incorporate inclusivity in everything you create, from social media graphics to program descriptions, from images in your emails to the top tips for creating truly helpful alternative text. And hear from practicing library marketers, who will share their experiences breaking down silos to strategically and intentionally create promotions that welcome all community members.
