The Trouble With Bestsellers, or, NoveList Plus to the rescue
|
I just went to place a hold on The Nest, the current Globe and Mail number one bestseller by Cynthia d'Apix Sweeney, and while the library has 212 eBook copies, there are over 1,000 holds on the title. (Egads!) Admittedly, that amounts to only five people in line per copy; but that's still several weeks of anticipation to endure.
|
 |
Q: Should I despair?
A: No! The good news is, we pay attention to the number of holds on each item. Every night, an automated holds manager program checks on the number of holds per book, and tops up the number of books where necessary (within reason. We have to stick to a budget, so we're not likely to order 1,000 licenses for a single book, for example.)
And we have tools to help you find your fix of fiction while you wait. Your library card gives you access to a database called NoveList Plus. You can find NoveList Plus by searching for "NoveList" in the library catalogue and choosing "Access Online". Once you're logged in, you can search for a title, and click on the "Title Read-alikes" button to get a list of recommendations for books similar to the one you want. It looks like this:
Here are some books that NoveList Plus suggests I read while I'm waiting for The Nest to come in:
|
A Perfectly Good Family by Lionel Shriver Why NoveList Plus recommends it: "Though A Perfectly Good family is a bit more raw than the often humorous The Nest, both relate the (fraught) relationships between siblings over a family inheritance." — Shauna Griffin
|
 |
 |
Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian Why NoveList Plus recommends it: "Both upper middle class family dramas feature an ensemble cast of flawed, surprisingly sympathetic characters who struggle with the consequences of a relative's terrible accident. While the realistic characters are the focal point, the family crisis adds quiet suspense." — Stacey Peterson |
|
The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer Why NoveList Plus recommends it: "Both character-driven novels feature three adult siblings whose lives are disrupted by the actions of a fourth, the perennial problem child. Each captures the intimate details of family life, though The Nest is more humorous." — Shauna Griffin |
 |
NoveList Plus goes on to recommend six more titles, which ought to be almost enough to keep me busy while I wait for my hold to come in.
Have you tried NoveList Plus? How did it work for you? Let us know in the comments.
Comments