Overdrive Libby has just gained new functionality for libraries to share thoughts, quotes, trivia and recommendations. Shelf Talkers provides a new space for each library to showcase their curatorial expertise and knowledge through personal notes to patrons within the Libby app. Shelf Talkers in Libby allow librarians to connect with readers by recommending titles, providing interesting facts about a title or author, showing curators’ personalities and adding more library-specific flavor to their Libby collection.
“I love Libby shelf talkers because I get to connect with our digital patrons the same way we connect with patrons in our physical branches,” said Kaitlin Booth, Collection Development Specialist of eMedia and eResources at Cuyahoga County Public Library in Ohio. “I use the feature to make Libby feel hyper-local by featuring staff recommendations, fun topical themes and CCPL branch book clubs or other library events.”
Shelf talkers can be viewed on a title’s details page in Libby and scheduled for future publication to keep them fresh and timely. The following types of shelf talkers are currently available (with plans to add more in the future):
- Recommendation: Share librarian and staff recommendations.
- Favorite quote: Highlight a favorite quote from a title.
- Trivia: Include fun facts about a title or author.
- Thought: Share timely updates about titles, such as readalikes, an upcoming movie adaptation, the anticipated release date for the next book in a series, or an upcoming book club or author visit at the library.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
