How to Suggest Poetry Books to Your Local Library
reading poetry
KRIS KAILA & KELSEY BRYAN-ZWICKTo say I am an avid reader does not really provide the true scope of how much I read in a month, year or ever. I cannot think of a day I have not read or listened to a book, since I could read. Reading did not come easily to me, but once I got the hang of it, I made up for lost time. As an only child and one that didn’t seem to always fit in with my family, reading was a refuge. I could learn about places and things, how to interact with people, vocabulary, and for once feel like I was being seen and heard. I still remember reading Anne of Green Gables for the first time, and feeling like I was not too much.
Even if we had been able to afford to buy books, there was no way my parents could have kept up with the volume I read. It sounds dramatic, but the library saved my life….
The library not only provided reading material for FREE, but also had free programs that helped me get through the summers when my friends were taking vacations. My first paid job was as a Page (shelving books) and later as a Library Assistant (checking in and out books, along with various other duties). You can borrow books, CDs, audiobooks, eBooks + download audiobooks, DVDs, magazines, etc. For some you can even renew material. What some readers don’t know is that you can suggest/recommend books for your public library to purchase!
If you can’t afford to buy a book you really want to read, or read something you think others would love to read, you can go to your local public library or their website and make a formal suggestion. It is not as difficult as you may think, and Librarians love when patrons make recommendations. Most Librarians are superheroes that use stats and research to order books - but they aren’t you, and they may not be as widely read or know local authors. Did I mention authors love it when libraries carry their books?
TIPS TO GET YOUR BOOK ON THE LIBRARY SHELF IN CANADA
Before making any requests, if possible, do a search on the library catalogue, to see if it is already on order. It helps having some basic information about the book - full title and author’s name, year and month it is published in, and the ISBN number (usually available on Goodreads, author/publisher’s website, a bookseller’s website). They may ask why this is something they should purchase. For some libraries this is required information. This is to help them decide if this request (among many) is applicable to their collection.
Each state/province/city/county may have their own rules. Often you can only make suggestions to your local public library. If at any time you have questions or any difficulties with this process, you can call, email or visit the library. The librarians are more than happy to assist you.
On most Canadian public libraries' websites, this process is called “Suggest a Title” or “Suggest for Purchase”. You can also make recommendations for eBooks and downloadable audiobooks? Sometimes you can make these requests on the eLibrary page.
Help us grow the Directory of Library Suggestion Portals!
Tell us how to request books at your local library and we’ll add their information to the directory!
HOW TO SUGGEST BOOKS IN SOuthern california
Though my appetite for books isn’t quite as voracious as Kris’, my summers growing up always involved the library and a self determined book challenge. One year it was to read 100 books in the summer, which had me camped out in my bedroom the last week before school started reading every short story book I could pull of the shelf. Another year it was to read all the books from the Newberry Book Winners, which is when just because someone else thought it was good didn’t necessarily mean I was going to like it.
Now as an author many of my friends have books with Indy publishers that I would love to read but frankly can’t afford to buy. Poetry sections can be a little under-loved at libraries so I wanted to reach out to some of our local libraries to take a closer look at the step by step process of suggesting books. As a poet I feel this is another great way we can support the authors we love and get their books into these widely available collections while saving ourselves dollars and shelf space. Here is a little of what I found:
In California, for members of the Los Angeles Public Library there is a portal to suggest books. To find the link through the website itself, go to the blue bar near the top of the homepage. Then hover over the Services & Programs and then click on Ask A Librarian. This form will ask you for title, author, publisher, publishing date, and the ISBN. The form also asks what format you would like the book in (audio, digital, paperback etc,).
There is no limit to how many books a patron can suggest. Suggestions are evaluated through the same criteria as other books in the library’s catalog which includes: interest, popularity, informational content, appropriateness and relevance to and for the people of Los Angeles. To show interest you can have a few of your friends request the book as well! Though there is no process of informing patrons whether their recommendations have been purchased, so one must simply periodically check the catalog.
A little further South at the Long Beach Public Library you can order books through their “zip books” program which allows library members to receive books directly from Amazon. Once read one then donates the book to the library where it is added to collections. More information here.
The second way to request books is by emailing the library through their website. Include the title, author, and year of publication when possible. All requests are checked for reviews and availability from the library’s contracted publishers. They also give preference to books published within the past 5 years. The response time varies though, and follow up is sometimes needed. When the book is cataloged as “a book in processing,” it means the book has been ordered and on its way to the library’s collection.
We’re compiling a list of library suggestion portals. Click the link below to view the Google Doc. We’d love your tips and insights on how to submit a request for books at your local library branch. Send us the info through the form below.
🌈 BONUS!
12 Books by Queer writers to request to your library this Pride Month!
This article was published on June 29 2022. Co-written by: