Key Takeaways:

• Book newsletters are a great way for libraries to offer reading recommendation email newsletters to their patrons.
• NextReads newsletters are curated by the book experts at NoveList, ensuring quality book recommendations.
• Library staff can use NextReads with a great degree of flexibility, from choosing how many newsletters they provide to the books featured.

In our world of constant communication, how can a library break through the noise to speak to their patrons? The answer remains the same: Email. Nearly all people check their inbox every day — and it’s the first thing they check, according to Optin Monster. Email remains one of the highest return-on-investment strategies in promotions, as well, especially with its ability to be targeted in approach. Best of all, email empowers you to speak in a conversational manner with your subscribers.  

The value of this kind of personal communication cannot be understated.

So, why should a library send email newsletters? Or book newsletters, in particular? Think first about your goals. Are you looking for ways to:

• Increase your library’s circulation  
• Grow literacy in your community   
• Keep your collection top of mind for your readers 
• Help your readers find a great book   

Email newsletters containing book recommendations can help you achieve these goals. A major benefit of email promotions is that you can link them to your catalog to help your readers immediately put a book on hold. In fact, one metric of success you could use for email promotions is how many holds or checkouts occurred on the day an email was sent.

You might consider providing a book recommendation in every email your library sends — after all, the books are what it’s all about. Sending an email about a craft program? Insert a craft book. Got a tutoring program? Insert a relevant nonfiction title.

And then there are email newsletters which are nothing but book recommendations. LibraryAware makes it easy for libraries to send these. Every customer of LibraryAware has automatic access to NextReads, a robust selection of reading recommendation newsletters. 

• NextReads makes it easy for libraries to offer up to twenty reading recommendation newsletters to their readers. These genre and topic-based newsletters are curated by the book experts at NoveList, link directly to your catalog, and go out automatically to subscribers.
  • If your library has LibraryAware but isn’t using NextReads, learn more about getting started here.
• NextReads is flexible. The issues of NextReads are made available as a finished email and can be used as-is or customized by allowing you to change what books are featured and to add your library’s branding to the emails. Your library can also choose which of the NextReads newsletters they’d like to offer their community.
• It’s not only patrons who can sign up for NextReads! Library staff can subscribe as well, and use the information to stay ahead of the fast world of book publishing. Collection development staff at libraries tell us they even use the newsletters to help them make purchasing decisions!
• When a new patron comes in to sign up for a library card, let them know they can sign up for book recommendation newsletters from the library. You’ll be caring for your newest cardholders and reminding them why they’re there: Books. 

Interested in learning more? LibraryAware is the promotional platform made with libraries in mind — including NextReads. Learn more on our website and request a complimentary demo and free trial today. 

Leigh Gaddy is the Marketing Specialist at NoveList. She is currently reading The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (after being mocked by it on her TBR shelf for over a year).