The Librarian's Secret Weapon: NoveList
Have you ever asked a librarian what to read next and they’ve recommended the perfect book? True, your librarian is probably awesome at what they do, but they may have access to a secret weapon—the NoveList database. It’s like a combination of Netflix and IMDB, but for books. It categorizes books by genre, story element, appeal term, and theme, and it can help readers develop a language to articulate WHY they like a particular book.
If you’re visiting a branch library, you can poke around on the full database yourself. You will undoubtedly stumble into countless rabbit holes. And if you’re browsing our catalog from home, the detailed title records are enhanced with information from NoveList. This is particularly useful if the book you want has a long holds list. Here’s how to access it:
When you search the catalog, you’ll get a list of search results and you’ll have to click into the more detailed record.
Once you’re there, scroll down towards the bottom of the page until you see NoveList Recommendations and Read-alikes:
If you click on one of the titles or authors, it will tell you the reasons it is similar to the main book. Search for your favorite book or something you enjoyed recently, and these read-alike descriptions can alert you to certain qualities about that book.
If you scroll down further, you can pinpoint certain story elements and appeal terms that apply to the selected book from the catalog. This tool allows you to select traits (like unreliable narrator or satirical fiction) and find other works that have the same quality.
