Nancy Burvant is the New Orleans Public Library's e-Resources Librarian
It’s truly a joy for librarians to recommend titles for readers when we really understand what they want. Maybe someone needs a new romance series. Or they’re a crime thriller fan and want to read an author as good as Lee Child. Perhaps their child wants to read a book series similar to Harry Potter. In these types of situations, we often turn to one of the most robust and comprehensive tools in a library’s arsenal: NoveList Plus.
This e-Resource is invaluable for discovering new books for all ages. Search for read-alikes by title, author, or subject. Or browse genres, award winners, series, and more. NoveList Plus also features articles and resources for book clubs, educators, and librarians. Here’s the best part: NoveList Plus is easy to use and readily available for library patrons to access for themselves!
Here are some tips and tricks of how to get the most from this powerful e-Resource.
The first step in finding a read-alike is to open NoveList Plus from the e-resources page on the Library’s website. You’ll see a search bar on the NoveList Plus homepage — just type in the title of the book you loved and set the drop-down menu to search by “title.” This will lead to nine suggestions on the right side of your screen. These recommendations come from NoveList’s own librarians and book experts, based on reading audience and common story elements terms like genre, appeal, theme, and subjects to help you find the perfect book.
In addition to searching by title, you can search for read-alikes by author and series. Just follow the steps above, but instead of “title” choose “author” or “series” from the drop-down menu.
Here’s an example: Try a search for the murder mystery writer Agatha Christie. Not only will you see a list of up to nine read-alikes, you will also see a “series” tab with a listing of her four famous book series. For a more advanced search, choose “Jane Marple Murder Mysteries” to narrow your results to titles most similar to those popular cozy mysteries.
Want even more read-alikes customized to your exact preferences? Just scroll down to the “Search for More” section on the bottom of your results page. Here you’ll see all the subject and story element terms for the book you enjoyed. Choose which interests you most, check those terms, and click “search.”
Starting a new book club? Looking for ways to energize your group of “been-there-done-that” book club readers?
NoveList’s book club and readers’ advisory professionals have great ideas to supercharge your book club with resources to discover new titles, find tips for running a successful book club, and more. Just hover your cursor over the “Quick Links” tab at the top left of the NoveList Plus homepage and then click “Book Club Resources.”
Did you know the Library offers free professional notary services? Veteran attorney Dara Baird is one of the certified Notary publics makes this resource possible.
Learn how to use NoveList Plus to find your next favorite book with e-Resources librarian Nancy Burvant.
The New Orleans Public Library’s City Archives & Special Collections houses hundreds of manuscripts that you can explore this summer.