Find Your Next Quarantine e-Read at The Seattle Public Library With Book Recommendations, Curated Book Lists and More
release date: May 5, 2020
In the best of times, librarians at The Seattle Public Library pride themselves on literary matchmaking: Tell a librarian about preferred authors or genres or an interest you’d like to explore, and bingo: They will suggest a short stack. Not quite right? They will come back with more.
Now, with physical libraries closed and many Seattle residents in isolation because of the state’s Stay Home/Stay Healthy order, Seattle librarians – working remotely, of course – are as focused on helping patrons find a digital read that meets their quarantine needs. Here are a few of the ways.
Book Bingo 2020 picks: Has there been a better time to crush the Library’s annual summer reading program for adults, which was launched early this year? Library staff have curated booklists for each Bingo square, from uplifting titles to indigenous authors to books that are “set at or by the sea.”
Curated e-book lists, with many “Always Available” titles. Through its e-book collection with OverDrive, the Library has curated a number of timely e-book lists, including an “Always Available” e-fiction list of high-interest titles whose publishers have granted libraries unlimited access through June 30; “Always Available” e-audiobooks; Cli-Fi (climate change fiction) reads; a film-focused list of titles, Behind the Screen, many children’s book lists (including “Always Available” titles) and more.
ShelfTalk blog: The Library’s book-focused blog is now posting multiple entries a week with all kinds of timely topics, from tips and tricks for navigating Hoopla’s digital comics to recommendations for cooking-oriented shows you can stream to homeschool inspiration.
Staff picks for adults, kids and teens: The Library’s “staff picks” area of the website, with sections for adults, children and teens, is chock full of book lists timed for this era, from “Arts and Crafts at Home” to “Family Read-Alouds,” to e-cookbooks and digital food magazines.
Your Next Five service: The ultimate in personalization, simply fill out a form with information about what you like (and hate!) to read and our librarians will email you a list of five e-books chosen just for you within four days.
Social media requests: If Facebook or Twitter are your favorite place to hang out, you can reach out to the Library’s Twitter account (@splbuzz) or Facebook account for book recommendations.
Ask Us: You can also get a quick e-book related question answered through the Library’s reference service at spl.org/using-the-library/ask-us.
If you need help accessing electronic books, the Library’s website offers tips, or you can contact Ask Us.
If you don’t have a Library card, no problem. Seattle residents can now sign up for a digital Library card in minutes at spl.org/card. To be eligible, you must be 13 years or older, live in Seattle and have a mobile phone to verify your account. People who successfully sign up will get immediate access to the Library’s OverDrive collection of 200,000 e-books and e-audiobooks, and to the rest of the Library’s resources within two or three days.
All physical locations of The Seattle Public Library are closed in accordance with public health guidelines through at least May 4, 2020, but the Library is offering many virtual programs and services. Find out more at spl.org/ChiefLibrarian.