New month, new books, new issue! Our March issue of BOOKLIST is stacked (pun intended) with lots of new recs⤵️ 🌳Spotlight on Environment & Sustainability 📚Spotlight on YA Fiction 🌻Focus on Poetry 🏒Hockey Romances ☘️A leprechaun-themed backlist It's all here and more! Preview now: bit.ly/4uavwxE

Registration is open for this year's Readers' Advisory Ideas and Practice workshop. Take your RA services to the next level, learn about trending genres, and connect with other RA providers just as passionate about matching the right book to a reader as you are. ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

In an open letter released today, ALA employees announced the formation of a union with @afscme31.bsky.social. If certified, the union will represent more than 100 ALA workers. https://afscme31.org/news/american-library-association-employees-forming-union-afscme

Making Book Recommendations By Thinking Like a Reader NOT a Librarian raforall.blogspot.com/2026/02/maki...

Vote for your April LibraryReads titles by March 1st! Here are a few humble suggestions: @libraryreads.bsky.social

Public library professionals, take note: advance rates for #PLA2026 end Friday, February 20. Join us April 1–3 in Minneapolis for 100+ sessions, inspiring speakers, bestselling authors, and an exhibit hall packed with solutions. Register now to save! https://www.placonference.org/registration

What Becky doesn't mention is that it is also chock full of Heated Rivalry references. #relevant

Yaaaaas LibraryReads!

"Hold the line. Hold the light. Hold each other." Emely Rumble offering some powerful words at @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social's Recharging in Challenging Times. #ALAVirtual26

Watched THE LIBRARIANS documentary last night. It wasn't new news for me (as a devoted follower of @oif.bsky.social and @heykellyjensen.bsky.social), but it was still enlightening, empowering, frustrating. School librarians save lives! I cried! Recommend!

Now *that's* how you do readers' advisory!

📣Hey library workers--we want to hear from you! Tell us which tools are most useful to you and your staff during real-time RA interactions with adult patrons. Ahh, don't you just love nerding out over readers' advisory🤓📚❤️➡️: bit.ly/4btwpdG

The top ten most discussable books reviewed in Booklist over the past 12 months cover topics like science and nature, the beauty industry, and the infinitely complicated dynamics of family. Get those program planners out and check out our Top 10 Book-Group Books: bit.ly/3ZNZ2Ls

Our February issue of BOOKLIST, spotlighting History and Historical Fiction, is a must read! 📚Tons of new history recs (youth, adult, and audio) 🎤An interview with #LaurieHalseAnderson 🌷Spring 2026 Youth Preview 💭A new #MangaEssentials and so much more! Preview now: bit.ly/4qaZYnV

Free online RA training, now in its third year with a whole new set of topics! Woo!

Booklist Guide to Graphic Novels - call for submissions. Deadline EXTENDED! They are interested in a wide variety of topics relating to comics, manga, and graphic novels in libraries and the deadline has been extended until February 9th @ala-booklist.bsky.social airtable.com/appa8wgGSwLw...

Votes for the March LibraryReads are due Feb. 1st; here are my humble suggestions @libraryreads.bsky.social:

Yesterday was the announcement of all of the Adult Books & Media Awards from @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social. I have a full post with backlist access and more: raforall.blogspot.com/2026/01/usin...

Thanks for the shout out, @raforall.bsky.social! It's a quick survey!

We are honored to announce the 2026 #ALA_Carnegie winners: 🥇#Nonfiction: Yiyun Li, THINGS IN NATURE MERLY GROW 🥇#Fiction: Megha Majumdar, A GUARDIAN AND A THIEF Congratulations to our winners and publishers, @macmillanlib.bsky.social and @prhlibrary.bsky.social🎉 Read more: https://bit.ly/46gpBfU

2026 Reading List: Year's Best in Genre Fiction for Adult Readers Announced. Find the list of winners at https://rusaupdate.org/2026/01/2026-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/

genre fiction fans! here’s the reading list, which covers adult fiction in eight (!) genres, each with a winner and a four-title shortlist

the 2025 ALA Notable Books list for adults has been released! I am so proud of the work that we did narrowing down hundreds of books into this list of 26 exceptional titles in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry

"The number of downloads...surged by 529% after Mr. Mamdani’s news conference" "there had been 3,000 people on a waiting list to access a limited number of e-book copies" "2,000 people applied for a library card over the weekend, roughly twice as many as had applied by this time last year" A win!

New pod is out featuring my convo(s) with @ahsimlibrarian.bsky.social and Donna Seaman, and a note from @booklistaudio.bsky.social! Listen now! Or later!

This is a real short survey and would help us out a lot of folks who do RA would fill it out! TYSM!

Senior sleuths are having a moment. Savvy readers know that the often-overlooked elderly make keen amateur detectives, underestimated and underappreciated, able to slip around unnoticed and gather clues. Check out our latest #Backlist now: bit.ly/4bLmujK

Last chance: The applications for United for Libraries and Penguin Random House Grants to U.S. Rural and Small Libraries will close tomorrow! Submit your application: https://bit.ly/4hdubzv

Dang, everybody who works with library workers should take several moments to read @heykellyjensen.bsky.social's eye-opening report on The State of Librarian Mental Health. Much resonates with my time in libraries a decade ago but much is new as well. bookriot.com/the-state-of...

KPop Demon Hunters dominated the cultural zeitgeist this past year, enchanting viewers and smashing movie and music records with the undeniable power of its catchy tunes. Our latest #ReadAlikes features MG & YA titles that will scratch that KPop Demon Hunters itch: bit.ly/4qouiwg

January's issue of BOOKLIST @ala-booklist.bsky.social is free and open to all! Look for the first-ever centerfold by @booklistaudio.bsky.social and I on How to Read a BOOKLIST Review. (Obv you know how to read...this is how to read in an RA way.) (See the mag for a better version.) bit.ly/452A0vp

Join us online for the Recharging in Challenging Times ALA Virtual Event! One day, 9 education sessions, 2 keynote speakers, and facilitator-led conversations. Register today! www.ala.org/virtual-event Emely Rumble is an expert in Bibliotherapy! Of great interest to my RA peeps! #ALAVirtual26

Somehow January is half over, which is good? Or bad? I can't decide. But one thing tipping it toward the good is that it's LibraryReads Day! Hooray!

Folks looking to up their game vis a vis RA, book discussions, and early literacy: this issue is chock full of helpful features in addition to beaucoup reviews! And it's free & open to all! Booklist is here for you!

📣FREE RESOURCE ALERT🎉For the entire month of January our latest issue of BOOKLIST will be FREE & OPEN TO ALL! Spotlighting readers' advisory, book discussions, & early reading it has everything you need to plan, program, and prepare for 2026! Train staff, teach students, and read now: bit.ly/452A0vp

A little pod to listen to for your holiday travels!

Time to start thinking about February! February @libraryreads.bsky.social that is. Votes are due on Jan 1st, which gives you plenty of time to peruse these suggestions. Not that I'm here to tell you what to do. Tra la la.

It's LibraryReads Day! Dang, we needed some good news for once.

Controversial take: real human narrators, with suggestions! A+, @booklistaudio.bsky.social!

#ALAVirtual26 Registration is Open! Join Recharging in Challenging Times: An ALA Virtual Event for a day of reflection, practical insights, and meaningful connection. Access on-demand content—and ALA Student Members attend for FREE! Secure your spot now! www.ala.org/virtual-event

I shall be doing this emoji: 👀

Have you nominated a librarian for the I Love My Librarian Award? There's only ONE WEEK LEFT! If your librarian has gone above and beyond, started a new program to fill a gap in the community, or stepped in to save the day, we want to know about it! Submit your nomination: https://bit.ly/3EMzHao

You want stars? We got stars.🌟 Our December issue is a literary walk of fame featuring all of the 2025 starred reviews, our editors' choice lists, fav picks from the Booklist staff, and more! Preview now: bit.ly/4pOF7ap

NEWS: Libraries WIN in federal court! A judge in RI issued a permanent injunction stopping the Administration from dismantling the Institute of Museum & Library Services and nullifying all actions taken to do so. Read the ruling: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... (More to come from ALA)

Editors' Choice! AKA The Best of the Class This Year (sorry for the NY-area earworm). Adult Books edition.

It's LibraryReads Day!!!

I can't believe I'm thinking about it this early BUT here are some suggestsions for the January 2026 @libraryreads.bsky.social LibraryReads list! Votes are due Dec. 1!

Is there anything scarier than thinking about summer reading in October? Fear not, Summer Scares is here for you: here's the big announcement for the 2026 program!

We're offering 150 scholarships for #PLA2026! Recipients get comp. conference registration, travel stipend & one year of ALA/PLA membership, incl. access to American Libraries & Public Libraries magazines, discounts on webinars + more. Learn more: https://www.placonference.org/scholarships