Fort Erie library not only source for books
One of the best things about a public library is that it exists for everyone to use. Everything about the library is shared.
The downside of this is that books aren’t always available as soon as you’d like; sometimes, you have to wait your turn for that book you’ve been dying to read.
The good news is that there are lots of ways to find other excellent books. Whether you’re patiently waiting your turn on the holds list, or just trying to find something new to read, you should check out these fun ways to track down your next great read.
Fort Erie Public Library subscribes to a great database called NoveList. You can access NoveList by visiting our website and choosing ‘Books’ from our menu. On the right side of the screen, you’ll see a link that reads ‘NoveList Recommendations.’
If you open it up, you’ll be able to access the entire NoveList database. You can search within NoveList to find fiction and nonfiction read-alikes by author, title or series. It will even recommend books by keywords such as ‘moody’ and ‘gritty.’
Another great online option is the website Goodreads, the world’s largest website for readers and book recommendations. You can search for free through lists of books, annotations and user-written reviews. Similar to Netflix, Goodreads uses a machine learning algorithms to analyze which books people might like, based on books they’ve liked in the past and books that people with similar tastes have liked. You can make a free account, and once you’ve rated 20 books on its five-star scale, the site will begin making recommendations just for you.
A simple but effective method is to look up your desired title on Amazon. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen, and you’ll see sections with the heading, ‘Customers who bought this item also bought’ as well as another section called ‘Frequently Bought Together.’ Both will feature titles purchased by other shoppers. Click through to look at the other titles — they will be similar and there’s a good chance that you’ll love them as well.
Don’t forget to ask for recommendations. Friends are an easy way to find out about new books. Don’t be shy about asking at the desk — our staff loves to read and recommend books, making them a trusted source for great book recommendations.
If you’re planning a trip, remember that you can always call the library to renew your books over the phone. Be sure to check out our online options as well: Overdrive, Freading, Hoopla and RBDigital to access magazines, books, movies, TV shows and audiobooks that you can download right to your tablet or ereader.
Lastly, a reminder that replacement library cards are free this month. If you’ve misplaced your card — whether it was last week, or years ago — visit your closest branch to get a new one. New library cards are always free.