Booklist

Last updated
Booklist
Booklist logo.svg
Booklist 20181215 cover.jpg
December 15, 2018 issue
Categories Book reviews, book industry, library science
Frequency22 issues per year
Publisher American Library Association
First issueJanuary 1905
Country United States
Based in Chicago, Illinois [1]
Language English
Website www.booklistonline.com
ISSN 0006-7385
OCLC 1536781

Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. Booklist's primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is available to subscribers in print and online. It is published 22 times per year, and reviews over 7,500 titles annually. The Booklist brand also offers a blog, various newsletters, and monthly webinars. The Booklist offices are located in the American Library Association headquarters in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood.

Contents

History

Booklist, as an introduction from the American Library Association (ALA) publishing board notes, began publication in January 1905 to "meet an evident need by issuing a current buying list of recent books with brief notes designed to assist librarians in selection." [2]

With an annual subscription fee of 50 cents, Booklist was initially subsidized by a $100,000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation, known for its public and university library endowments, and at first mainly contained the briefest 25- to 50-word summaries. In 1913, the Booklist offices were moved from Boston to the ALA headquarters in Chicago's McCormick mansion. By the 1930s the reviews had become more in-depth, and the journal began to include some articles. In October 1939, just a few weeks after the start of World War II, Booklist published an article entitled "Books for the 'Long and Calm View': On the Crisis, Its Background and Implications to the United States", intended to address "the demand for impartial books without the emotionalism of propaganda." Amidst a world crisis, the editor helped library patrons to have their questions answered while presenting various viewpoints. From the 1950s to the 1960s, Booklist reviews were limited to 150 words, generally three long sentences. Reviews were handwritten in pencil on yellow legal paper, edited and typed up for the printer. Artistic design choices for the magazine were minimal, with the only visual change between issues being the plain cover's solid colour.

The 1970s saw a great deal of change in the Booklist offices. As adolescent literature gained popularity, a Young Adult books editor was hired. The publication of such books as Judy Blume’s Forever, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Alice series, and S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders marked a need to evaluate books not meant strictly for either children or adults. In 1973, new editor-publisher Paul Brawley was the first to print editions of the magazine with recreated book jackets on the cover. Some Booklist subscribers protested the flashy new covers, supposedly claiming they liked the plain covers and the space they afforded for listing potential book orders. Under Brawley’s editorship, beginning with 16mm film strips and spoken-word recordings, Booklist began to accept submissions and print reviews of audiovisual products. During the 1980s and 1990s, Booklist began its Editors' Choice reviews and its first feature column, "Manley Arts", by Will Manley. The 1990s issues of Booklist were the first to be composed on in-office computers.

The June 2005 issue of Booklist marked the magazine's 100th anniversary. To celebrate the centennial, the acting editors published a feature article entitled "The Booklist Century", wherein they chose a book from each year of the preceding hundred to highlight its social impact — ranging from Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth (1905) to the 9/11 Commission Report .

Currently, the magazine can be found online and in print. The Booklist editorial team also creates supplemental products, such as Book Links, webinars and the Booklist Reader. [3] By 2023, Booklist published 8,000 reviews per year. [4]

Booklist offices are located in the 50 E. Huron building at the ALA headquarters.

Current masthead

Reviews and reviewers

Booklist Reviews: Booklist reviews are said to be "the haiku of book reviewing." Reviews include a brief synopsis, plus mention of the most successful elements of style. Most reviews fall between 175 and 225 words. [6]

Starred Reviews: The Booklist star indicates an outstanding title of a particular genre. All starred reviews are approved by the appropriate editor. [7]

High-Demand: Booklist recognizes that libraries wish to purchase new materials as soon as they become available, and therefore works to review titles as early as possible. The “High-Demand Backstory” symbol indicates titles likely to be surrounded by media coverage and patron popularity.

Adult Books with YA Appeal: As an additional source for librarians, Booklist reviews certain adult titles and labels them for YA appeal. These materials tend to have young protagonists or themes relevant to teenage readers.

Recommendation-only system: Since its founding in 1905, Booklist has followed a recommendation-only system. This means that every title reviewed would make a quality addition to library collections.

Booklist Selection Policy: The editors of Booklist magazine adhere to a selection policy consistent with the Library Bill of Rights. The process of choosing titles for reviews aims to promote readership, never censorship.

Booklist Reviewers: Titles are reviewed by a corps of librarians, freelancers, journalists, and educators, as well as Booklist editors and staff.

Other products

Website: Booklist Online is the website and archive of the Booklist print magazine. Within the database, subscribers have access to digital editions of the print magazine, an archive of over 170,000 reviews, and a host of feature content. Non-subscribers can read a Review of the Day and sign up for free monthly webinars. Booklist Online was developed in 2005, concurrent with the magazine’s centennial, and launched in early 2006.

Blog: Launched in September 2014, The Booklist Reader is updated daily with feature content for both librarians and recreational readers. Articles often link to reviews found on Booklist Online.

Book Links: A quarterly supplement to Booklist that is free to Booklist subscribers, Book Links magazine helps educators and youth librarians design topical literature-based curriculum. Book Links provides thematic bibliographies with related discussion questions and activities, author and illustrator interviews and essays, and articles written by educators on practical ways to turn children on to reading. Each issue includes specific suggestions for tying Common Core State Standards to books featured in the publication. Published in September, November, January, and April, each Book Links issue focuses on a different core curriculum area, including social studies, multicultural literature, language arts, and science. Book Links articles from October 2009 onward are available to Booklist subscribers on Booklist Online.

Webinars: Booklist hosts 3-5 webinars per month with varying subject matter. Booklist webinars address such topics as curriculum design, how to increase reading rates, seasonal features, and publishing previews sponsored by various publishing houses and imprints. Anyone can sign up for a Booklist webinar, regardless of whether or not they subscribe to the publication.

NewslettersBooklist publishes a variety of monthly, bimonthly and quarterly newsletters, all of which are delivered in electronic form via e-mail.

The American Library Association sponsors and juries many annual literary awards, such as the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal, and the Alex Award. Booklist itself sponsors three main awards: the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, and the Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production.

The Printz Award is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association. The Carnegie Medals are administered by an annually appointed selection committee, including a chair, three Booklist editors or contributors, and three former members of the RUSA CODES Notable Books Council. The Odyssey Award is jointly administered by the Association for Library Service to Children and the Young Adult Library Services Association.

Additionally, Booklist selects Editors’ Choice lists for adult books, young adult books, books for youth, adult audiobooks, and audiobooks for youth. The best title in each category is selected to a list known as Top of The List. Editors' Choice and Top of the List titles are announced in December and printed in the subsequent January 1 & 15 double issue of Booklist. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Pearl</span> American librarian, writer, and reading advocate

Nancy Pearl is an American librarian, best-selling author, literary critic and the former Executive Director of the Washington Center for the Book at Seattle Public Library. Her prolific reading and her knowledge of books and literature first made her locally famous in Seattle, Washington, where she regularly appears on public radio recommending books. She achieved broader fame with Book Lust, her 2003 guide to good reading. Pearl was named 2011 Librarian of the Year by Library Journal. She is also the author of a novel and a memoir.

<i>Publishers Weekly</i> American weekly trade news magazine

Publishers Weekly (PW) is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of Book Publishing and Bookselling". With 51 issues a year, the emphasis today is on book reviews.

<i>Library Journal</i> American trade publication for librarians

Library Journal is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice. It also reviews library-related materials and equipment. Each year since 2008, the Journal has assessed public libraries and awarded stars in their Star Libraries program.

<i>School Library Journal</i> US monthly magazine

School Library Journal (SLJ) is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology, multimedia, and other information resources that are likely to interest young learners. Reviews are classified by the target audience of the publications: preschool; schoolchildren to 4th grade, grades 5 and up, and teens; and professional librarians themselves. Fiction, non-fiction, and reference books books are reviewed, as are graphic novels, multimedia, and digital resources.

<i>St. Nicholas</i> (magazine) American childrens magazine

St. Nicholas Magazine was a popular monthly American children's magazine, founded by Scribner's in 1873. The first editor was Mary Mapes Dodge, who continued her association with the magazine until her death in 1905. Dodge published work by the country's leading writers, including Louisa May Alcott, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Mark Twain, Laura E. Richards and Joel Chandler Harris. Many famous writers were first published in St. Nicholas League, a department that offered awards and cash prizes to the best work submitted by its juvenile readers. Edna St. Vincent Millay, F. Scott Fitzgerald, E. B. White, and Stephen Vincent Benét were all St. Nicholas League winners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Readers' advisory</span> Library service for book suggestion and promotion

Readers' advisory is a service which involves suggesting fiction and nonfiction titles to a reader through direct or indirect means. This service is a fundamental library service; however, readers' advisory also occurs in commercial contexts such as bookstores. Currently, almost all North American public libraries offer some form of readers' advisory.

American Libraries is the flagship magazine of the American Library Association (ALA).

<i>Book Links</i> Magazine

Book Links is a quarterly magazine and is the supplement of another magazine Booklist, which are based in Chicago.

Library Connect is a program offered by Elsevier that provides resources and information for librarians in the academic, medical, corporate, and government sectors. The program includes a newsletter, webinars, symposiums, and social media channels and focuses on library best practices, issues, trends, and events. Additionally, it promotes Elsevier's products and services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Partridge</span> American writer

Elizabeth Partridge is an American writer, the author of more than a dozen books from young-adult nonfiction to picture books to photography books. Her books include Marching for Freedom, as well the biographies John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie, and Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange. Her latest book is the middle grade novel, Dogtag Summer.

Lockwood & Co. is a young adult supernatural thriller series by Jonathan Stroud. It follows three young operatives of a psychic detection agency as they fight ghosts in London, England.

Shelf Awareness is an American publishing company that produces two electronic publications/newsletters focused on bookselling, books and book reviews.

<i>Eyes Wide Open</i> (book) 2014 book written by Paul Fleischman

Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines is a young-adult nonfiction book written by Paul Fleischman and published by Candlewick Press in September 2014. The book was published in Australia by Walker Books on January 1, 2015.

<i>All American Boys</i> 2015 young adult novel by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

All American Boys, published in 2015 by Atheneum, is a young adult novel written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. The book tells the story of two teenage boys, Rashad Butler and Quinn Collins, as they handle racism and police brutality in their community. The novel has gained attention in recent years, becoming the 26th most banned book of 2022, due to its inclusion of anti-police messages, alcohol, drug usage, and profanity.

Anna-Marie McLemore is a Mexican-American author of young adult fiction magical realism, best known for their Stonewall Honor-winning novel When the Moon Was Ours, Wild Beauty, and The Weight of Feathers.

<i>Camp</i> (novel) 2020 book by L. C. Rosen

Camp is a young adult fiction novel written by L. C. Rosen and published in 2020 by Little, Brown. The book tells the story of Randall Kapplehoff, a gay teen who goes every year to a queer summer camp and is finally ready to start a relationship with his crush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Wolf</span> American author

Allan Wolf is an American poet and young adult author. His books are primarily multi-perspective historical fiction in verse, but he has also published several poetry books for children. He is also an accomplished slam poet.

<i>Lovely War</i> 2019 novel by Julie Berry

Lovely War is a young adult romance novel by Julie Berry, published March 5, 2019 by Viking Books for Young Readers. The book is a New York Times Bestseller and was well-received by critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book Review Digest</span> American reference work and periodical

Book Review Digest is a reference work by H. W. Wilson Company that compiles recent book reviews. Printed monthly with annual compendia, it digests American and English periodicals from 1905 to the present day. Before the Internet, Book Review Digest was a significant reference tool and bibliographic aid used by the American public and librarians alike to find current literature. An online edition of the collection is offered in two subscription products: Book Review Digest Retrospective (1905–1982) and Book Review Digest Plus.

<i>The Ogress and the Orphans</i> 2022 childrens book by Kelly Barnhill

The Ogress and the Orphans is a children's book written by Kelly Barnhill and published on March 8, 2022, by Algonquin Books. It counts the events of a small fictional town, where the library is burned down and an orphan goes missing, which leads to its citizen blaming an ogress who had just moved in.

References

  1. ↑ "Book Review Magazines". Book Market. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Introduction". Booklist. 1 (1–2): 2. Jan–Feb 1905.
  3. ↑ "About Us".
  4. ↑ Kirch, Claire (April 12, 2023). "Legendary 'Booklist' Publisher Bill Ott Dies". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  5. ↑ "General Info - Booklist Online".
  6. ↑ "General Info - Booklist Online".
  7. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Booklist. 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-08-30.
  8. ↑ "General Info - Booklist Online".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.