MEDT 6465 Selection
Summer 2014
Stephanie R. Holloway
Selection Tool Evaluation
Selection Tool – Booklist
Author or Responsible Party – Booklist and Booklist Online are published by the American
Library Association.
Price, frequency, format(s)– Subscriptions to Booklist include twenty-two print issues,
quarterly Book Link print supplements, single user password access to Booklist Online.
New subscribers in the United States and Canada can subscribe for one year for $147.50,
two years for $255, or three years for $350. Subscribers outside of the United States and
Canada can subscribe for one year for $170, two years for $295, or three years for $410.
Additionally, unlimited-use subscriptions are available to Booklist Online for school
libraries. For one school, the price is $350, for two-five schools in a system the price is $250
each, and for more than six schools in a system, interested subscribers must contact
info@booklistonline.com for pricing.
Content – Booklist is published by the American Library Association to be a resource for
librarians selecting materials and vendors selecting books for sale. In the print issues, the
following items are reviewed:
 Books
 Audio books
 Reference sources
 Video
 DVD
Additionally, the printed issues also provide upcoming information on popular titles,
topics, and genres including biography, young adult, multicultural literature, graphic
novels, romance, sports, etc. American Library Association award winners are listed as
well as several “best” lists. Interviews with authors, essays, advertisements, and
informative articles are also included. Many sections of the current print issue were linked
on the website for review. The June issue focused on the Biography and gave great
information related to this topic, including: Hollywood biographies, a top 10 list of
biographies, a top 10 list of biographies for youth, and many other interesting articles,
reviews, and links to additional features.
The print subscription includes online access to the Booklist Online web database. Booklist
Online does have a free component to the website that is used to expand on reviews and
articles within the Booklist magazine. The site includes:
 Access to the recent print issues
 Reviews
 Twitter feed
 Blogs
 Newsletters
 Webinars
 Awards
However, to access full reviews and the web database, you must subscribe to the service.
Fortunately, there is a free, 14-day trial subscription for this service.
MEDT 6465 Selection
Summer 2014
Stephanie R. Holloway
Arrangement – To me, the Booklist website was easier to navigate than the School Library
Journal site; however, it was not as aesthetically appealing or as freely accessible. One
feature I thought was particularly interesting is the link that reads, “First Time Here?” at
the top of the page. I thought this would be incredibly helpful to new viewers, but the link
was broken. The site navigation was clearly labeled, easily to use, and divided into the
following categories: home, about us, awards, great reads, blogs, newsletters, webinars, my
alerts, my lists, my profile, help, and renew/subscribe. A quick search feature was listed at
the top of the left pane on the site This feature would allow the user to quickly search by
title, author, content, section, etc. Below the Quick Search Feature was a picture of the
cover of the June Print Issue with links to various sections and features within the print
issue and web exclusives. A link was provided to the April issue of Book Links; however, to
view much of the content, users were required to enter a password. The link to the
journal’s print issue archive was hidden at the bottom of the long, scrolling homepage. At
the center of the page, users could read a “Review of the Day,” browse the ALA Booklist
Twitter feed, follow several blogs, or read the latest articles. Our school library media
specialist had not subscribed to Booklist, so printed copies and password access was
unavailable. Advertisements and announcements were included on the right pane of the
site.
Annotations/Reviews – The reviews found within Booklist are primarily written by the
Booklist Editoral Staff. However, a multitude of additional reviewers ranging in profession
(librarians, authors, teachers, journalists, etc.) were also listed. Anyone interested in
becoming a reviewer must contact the section editor via email with work samples.
Bibliographic Info – Much of the review information is unavailable until you register for an
account. However, to try Booklist, you can register for a free 14-day trial account. Reviews
I read found within the Booklist website listed the following items:
 Picture of the work reviewed
 Citation Information (title, author, publisher, publication date, ISBN, genre)
 Type of work (book, audiobook, etc.)
 Recommended Grade Level, if applicable
 Number of pages, total time, etc.
 Amazon link for purchase and purchase price
 Awards received
 Brief statement of the content or plot
 Review of work
 Recommendations for further reading
 Options for sharing to social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, etc.)
Special Features – Although I did not have access to a print issue of Booklist, I found the
14-day free trial of the website to be very helpful. There are so many special features
available, especially to a techno-junkie like myself. First, I thought it was helpful that
Booklist reviews audiobooks and certain reference ebooks, and is considering expanding to
review more ebooks soon. Additionally, I love all the social networking features of Booklist
Online. The twitter feed on the home page was interesting and gave readers additional
resources, images, and ideas. In addition to the valuable print and online resource, enewsletters, quarterly Book Links supplements, webinars, and blogs on varying topics are
also provided. For almost every article, review, column, etc. I found, users had the options
to save the item to his/her profile, and download, print, email, or share the item on social
MEDT 6465 Selection
Summer 2014
Stephanie R. Holloway
networks. Finally, the quick search feature was very helpful. You could filter search
results for title, author, key word, or ISBN, by reviews only, featured content only, or both
reviews and featured content and by adult books, youth books, media or reference sources.
Recommendation – I would most definitely recommend this resource for use in our own
school library and for other library media specialists. In fact, I intend on subscribing
myself when the new school year begins. Although many reviews are found online for free
with the School Library Journal and that there is a cost associated with the Booklist
subscription, I like the fact that the reviews are written by more than just school librarians.
I like the fact that Booklist is published by the American Library Association, and that a
link to purchase items through Amazon is supplied. I also really liked the additional
information provided by several of the reviewers. For instance, in the sample review
below, the reviewer added some additional information about the author and book. The
searchable database on Booklist Online is also a great feature. Additionally, I believe that
one of my first tasks as the CHS LMS will be to develop some social networking features
for the Library Media Center, and I think the ability to share a review through social
networking will be very helpful.
Sample Review – The Fault in our Stars by John Green