6 PLACES TO FIND NEW BOOKS FOR YOUR LIBRARY OR CLASSROOM
Simple ideas for teachers and librarians to find new books! Freshen up (or add to) your classroom or library collection with these people and places.
So you probably have some obvious ideas about where to find good book titles…but have you noticed a change in the last few years? I definitely have. Even as recently as 5 years ago, I found my new book sources have changed dramatically. Let’s get right into it!
1. INSTAGRAM
This is BY FAR the number one way that I source new book titles for my library. It is full of amazing people sharing the books they love. You can find classic titles, new-to-you titles, niche titles, and of course lots of brand-new titles. I have some go-to #bookstagrammers that are a constant source of great new books to check out.
The Book Wrangler has lots of individual book titles, as well as well-curated book lists for holidays, seasons and events. I also love Olivia the Librarian Stories By Storie and Kids Lit is Lit. But, you will also find new book ideas on Instagram from other teachers, teachergrammers, librarians, libraries, parents, authors and publishers. The visuals are such an easy way to grab your attention, and it’s even better when you find an accompanying description of the book.
My habit is to save posts for each book I might want to buy, or look at further in the future. My Instagram Saved section is primarily full of books, and it’s easy to reference when I want to go book shopping! (Scroll down for some of my IG recommendation posts)
2. BOOKSTORE BROWSING
I only started this habit about two years ago…but it works! Every few months I go to my local bookstore with the sole intention of browsing. Sometimes I have 1 or 2 books in mind, but I mostly want to see if any titles jump out at me in person. I love being able to flip through the books and see what the illustrations look like, and how much (or little) text is included.
Although most times I leave with more than the couple on my list, I take pictures of titles I might want to grab in the future. I recently saw an amazing hack to save your wishlist ideas!
Open the Amazon app on your phone.
Click on the camera icon in the search bar or in your wishlist.
Scan the barcode of the book
Save it to your wishlist to remember for later.
Genius!! I haven’t tried this yet, but I’d love to know if you’ve tried this and it worked! (I can’t remember where I saw this hack, so unfortunately I can’t give the person credit)
3. KIDDOS
This might be the most underestimated (and surprising) source on this list. Students are often asking me if we have particular books in the library. Sometimes we have them, sometimes we don’t. I obviously start a fun 15-minute chat with them about what the book is about, how they know about it, where I can buy it, why they like it, and then get off topic about their weekend plans. Haha. (Sorry all classroom teachers for keeping your students for too long!)
Kids know what they want, and they know what they like. Listen to their ideas and suggestions. I keep a running list of titles they ask me about. I never make promises that we will get a particular title, but I always add it to the list and look into it further. Wouldn’t a display called “Newly Added Books Recommended by {student name}” be such a great library feature? Adding it to my to-do list!
4. TEACHING STAFF (and other adults you love)
This method of finding great book titles is about as old as you can get, but should not be underrated! Staff at my school OFTEN ask if I have heard of a particular book, or if we have it in the library to borrow. Sometimes I’ve heard of it, sometimes we also have it, and sometimes it is a new-to-me title.
Immediately I want to know all about this new book! Just like with the students, I ask questions about the topic, theme, and author, and also get off track talking about weekend plans. 😜
If the title would be a good addition to our library I usually buy it, and sometimes we look for it on the website for our local library. Teachers aren’t the only ones who share good book recommendations, friends, and relatives often have great ideas as well! Start chatting!
5. LIBRARIANS
If you are a librarian, I hope you are part of a wonderful network of library-minded people! School librarians and public librarians are such a great resource for finding new book titles. They have purchased books, seen hundreds of titles go in and out of their libraries, and usually have a pulse on what titles, genres and topics are popular with their students and patrons. Need some fresh ideas? Reach out to these colleagues, I know they would be happy to help! If you don’t have a real-life network, find a librarian Facebook group and ask for some ideas!
6. CATALOGUES
As I write this, I am thinking about how outdated this method has become for me. I do still look at book catalogues, but not nearly as much as I did in the past. Although publishing companies feature their “newest” books, I often have already seen them (or bought them) after seeing an Instagram post or hearing about it from somewhere else. I guess I could look on their website, but for some reason, I never think about this option. When I do have to purchase from a school board-approved company, or from Scholastic, a classic catalogue is always there ready for me.
Are you ready to start searching??!!
You can find good book titles in so many places, and these sources will change over time just like they did for me! What is your favourite place for finding new books? Pop a comment down below to let me know!
May you find more amazing book titles than you have money to buy!
Jenn
Check out some of these book recommendation IG posts…
