Reading Lists can be overwhelming.  Some are too long; you don’t know where to start. Some are too short; you want to find more. The reason is simple: reading lists on the internet are usually not tailored for you.

Here is a reading list offered by NYU SH in library guides. 

But we, as librarians, can help with that. A librarian offers a service called reader’s advisory.  This helps you pick a book to read based on what you like, need, or want.  It is a great responsibility for us, and a great opportunity for you.  Work with the librarian to understand what you have read so we can move forward.  Share what you didn’t understand or didn’t like. Together, we can search for a different perspective, format, or genre to reveal a new point of view on the same topic.  

Since taste and preference in books is very hard to identify, describe, or translate, reader’s advisory doesn’t always succeed.  But librarians have tools for it. Each librarian watches a variety of platforms or emails where specialists share lists and suggestions, identifying new releases or reminding us of old, forgotten gems.  Check in with us to start a conversation.

Photographer: Qian Qi