2023-10-16 SPLAT Curiosity Report: Volume 15, Issue 4

Featured Story

The Wonders of Novelist

Anyone that knows me knows readers advisory is one of my favorite things about my job, and Novelist really helps this process for both beginners and pros. Most libraries subscribe to this database. (But if not, I highly recommend this resource). So, I am just going to highlight a few things to get anyone started with a cursory knowledge.

Searching

You can search Novelist by keyword, title, author, series, or narrator. Or you can describe the plot of a book, though I have found this option works irregularly. Pro tip: There are also options to search by genre, subject, or tone. You can use the prefix GX, DE, or TC respectively in front of your search. Example: GX science fiction. If you get into the “Help” section of the Novelist, you can find more helpful tips for searching.

The “Advanced Search” option has limiters to explore, such as date ranges, award winner options, and audio book settings. If you are already in a search, limiters will be available on the left-hand side of the screen. These include audience ages, fiction/nonfiction, and date range options as well.

 Individual Titles

When you are looking at a title record, there will be a lot of information about the title. You can see a summary, what genre it’s in, what the Lexile number is, whether it is part of a series, reviews etc. If you see a little blue award symbol, this means this title has some sort of award. To see what it is you can click on the “Lists & Articles” section.

Pro Tip: If you are wondering if your library has this item in the system, you can click the “Check the Library Catalog” link, and it will tell you!

 Read-a-likes:

If a patron likes a specific item you can search for it, and on the right-hand side there will be a list of titles that are similar to the one you have looked up. Pro tip: If you hover over any of the read-a-like titles, a pop-up box appears with the summary of the title and the reason why it was chosen as a read-a-like.
If a patron enjoys a specific author, you can search for that author, and on the right-hand side will be authors that Novelist considers similar.

 Readers Advisory

At the top of the homepage there is an “Quick Links” tab. If you hover over it a couple options will appear, and one is “Genre Outlines.” In each of these outlines there is a summary of genres, why people enjoy these genres, book suggestions, author suggestions, and some even have search ideas at the bottom. I find these especially helpful for genres I am less familiar with.

There are also limiters for these genre outlines on the left-hand side of the page. If you are looking for kids suggestions you can update the search to just populate all the genres for kids.

 Award Winners

At the top of the home page there is a “Browse By” option. When you hover over this option you have the choice of searching by genre, appeal, and themes. But there is a great section that houses “Award Winners.” It is broken down into Adults, Teens, and Kids awards, and when you click on a specific award, you will see the current and past winners.

Ok, I could go on all day with fun things about this database. So, I am going to go ahead and stop now.

By Maggie Dumont

Editor’s note: All Idahoans can access Novelist through LiLI (funded by the Idaho Commission for Libraries).
 

Fail Forward

We’ve all been there. You pour your heart into a program, and no one shows up. You try something new, and you fall on your face. Sound familiar? Fail Forward is the place to share your failures, and give you the opportunity to share what you learned from them. Did you promote your program in a different way after no one showed up? Maybe you took a new approach to the new thing you were excited about? Awesome! Share your story via our online form so others can learn, and realize that failure is often part of the process.

Fish Food Fail

Our library has two Koi Ponds in the atrium of the library.  These ponds create a sense of ease and relaxation for those who wish to sit and listen to the sound of gently falling water while watching the fish.

Of course, children love to see the fish and it is a main attraction for almost every child who comes to the library.  In thinking of ways to make viewing the fish more entertaining for the young children, the library purchased a small vending machine and filled it with fish food.  For those of you who are familiar with the story, “A Fish out of water” by Helen Palmer, you can guess where this is going.  While the fish did not outgrow the pond as in the story, the entire vending machine was emptied into the fish ponds in a matter of hours.  The fish received a three-day supply of food in two hours.  The next iteration of this failed experiment involved just filling the machine with enough food for one day.  It ended with the empty machine being broken by a frustrated child. ?

With the demise of the vending machine, the fish went back to being fed “…never…a lot. Just so much, and no more! Never more than a spot!.” while children went back to admiring the fish without overfeeding them.  Our lesson learned was just because a task can be performed by a member of the public does not mean it should be.

By Robert Wright

Crush Corner

Is there a library you follow on social media who is always doing new and exciting things? How about a blog you follow that inspires you? What about a new idea, book, or resource that you want to share? Library Crush Corner is a place for those working in Idaho libraries to share what inspires them, and who or what they’re crushing on… in a professional sense. Share your story via our online form so we can publish it in a future issue!

Expanding Home Delivery to New Parents

For many families (mine included) the first year of their child’s life brings many challenges. Even getting out of the house is daunting. Accessing the resources and support of your local library can seem impossible when you’ve had no sleep, your baby is screaming, and you have spit-up in your hair. Today I want to celebrate the libraries around the country that have expanded their home delivery services to include new and expecting parents. These include libraries like Troy Public Library, which offers delivery of “books, music, video games, DVDs, board games, puzzles, magazines, kits, and more.” What a great way to build connections with customers that could literally last a lifetime.

Here are some other libraries offering similar services:

By Simon Clifford

SPLAT explores the ever-evolving library world and supports library folks as they adapt to meet the needs of their communities. Library folk throughout the state of Idaho volunteer to serve on the Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT). Learn more about SPLAT at https://libraries.idaho.gov/splat/ 

SPLAT is brought to you by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (LS-246156-OLS-20). The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.