Frequently Asked Questions
About Booklist Publications
Mission Statement:
As the book review journal of the American Library Association, Booklist connects library and education workers to the books and resources needed to support and enrich their communities. Booklist Reader, our patron-facing publication, answers the question, "What should I read next?".
Q: What is Booklist Online?
A: Booklist Online is the web version of the Booklist print magazine. It offers free content to non-subscribers including a Review of the Day (a highlighted review we're featuring), and a generous selection of additional reviews and features written exclusively for Booklist Online. Subscribers also gain access to digital editions of Booklist and the full Booklist Online database, which contains more than 180,000 reviews and thousands of features dating back to 1992 and 8,000 new reviews and related features every year. Much of that content dynamically linked—review to review, review to feature, and feature to feature.
Q: Who writes Booklist reviews?
A: Booklist has a large team of book reviewers: contract reviewers, freelance reviewers, journalists, subject specialists, and of course, Booklist editors. If you are interested in reviewing for us, follow the instructions for getting in contact with the editor of the section you're interested in at our Reviewers page. Remember to send relevant samples of your work.
* Opinions expressed in Booklist and Booklist Reader columns are those of the author and do not reflect ALA views unless so stated.
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Subscribing to Booklist
Q: What is included in a Booklist subscription?
A: All Booklist subscriptions includes a year of print Booklist magazine issues and 24/7 password-access to Booklist Online (one user per subscription). A subscription to Booklist also gives you access to the digital editions of Booklist and Booklist Reader. Booklist Online contains additional reviews and online-only feature content as well as the contents of the print magazine. For multi-user access to Booklist Online, please see our institutional Booklist Online Unlimited product.
Q: What is included in a Booklist Reader subscription?
A: All Booklist Reader subscriptions includes a year of print Booklist Reader issues (in quantities from 25 - 1,000+) and 24/7 password-access to Booklist Online (one user per subscription). A subscription to Booklist Reader also gives you access to the digital editions of Booklist and Booklist Reader. Booklist Online contains additional reviews and online-only feature content as well as the contents of the print magazine. For multi-user access to Booklist Online, please see our institutional Booklist Online Unlimited product.
Q: How do I subscribe to or renew Booklist, Booklist Reader, or Booklist Online Unlimited?
A: You can subscribe to Booklist here, Booklist Reader here, Booklist Online Unlimited here, or through your periodical sales agency. For Booklist renewals, please go here. For Booklist Reader renewals, please go here. You may also call toll free at 1-888-350-0949 (or, for international orders, 1-847-252-1197). Visit our Customer Service page for more information and options.
Q: How can I get help with my Booklist subscription?
A: To begin, renew, modify, report a missing issue, or troubleshoot a subscription problem, please contact Booklist, P.O. Box #977, Lincolnshire, IL 60069-0977 (1-888-350-0949). If you are having difficulties connecting your print Booklist or Booklist Reader account to a Booklist Online profile, please contact info@booklistonline.com or call 312-280-5715.
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Setting up access to Booklist Online
Q: I'm trying to read the digital edition of Booklist or Booklist Reader, but it bounces me out after a few pages. What's wrong?
A: You need to be signed into your Booklist Online profile or be authenticated in another way through your account to read the digital editions. If you are jumping off from the Issues pages, either https://www.booklistonline.com/issues or https://www.booklistonline.com/reader-issues, and getting kicked back there after a few pages, that means that your browser is blocking the cookie that “authenticates” your device. That could be a security setting in your browser. Switching to a different browser often will fix this issue.
Q: Can I read the digital editions on mobile devices?
Yes, you can download the mobile app and read it that way (tablet or phone). You need to have a profile set up first (https://www.booklistonline.com/my-profile), so you can sign in with the app. Download Booklist's free app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. If you have difficulties accessing digital editions, please send an email to info@booklistonline.com. We'll be happy to assist you!
Q: I subscribe to the print Booklist. How do I set up my included Booklist Online account?
A: To set up access for the first time, have a print issue in hand and go to the online profile setup form and follow the setup-steps. You may only register one Booklist Online account per subscription. If you had previously taken a trial of Booklist Online, you may be asked to update your existing profile. By adding your print account number to your profile, you will connect your print subscription to Booklist Online.
For additional help setting up or accessing your Booklist Online account, contact info@booklistonline.com or call 312-280-5715.
Q: Why do I get this message: "You have requested a page of Booklist Online that is available only to subscribers."
A: You may not have logged in yet or your previous session has timed out. You need to be logged in as a subscriber or authenticated user (a user with access via an institutional subscription) to get full access to Booklist Online. Enter your Username and Password in the boxes at the top right of any screen.
For information about the various subscription options, please visit our Subscribe page.
Q: Can I use any parts of Booklist Online without a subscription?
A: Yes, Booklist Online includes a lot of free content, accessible without logging in, including all content on the HOME page. You may also click on any link on the HOME page and read the resulting content for free. This means than many columns, departments and features of the magazine are available to all readers. You can also sign up for free newsletters and register for our free webinars via the website.
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How to share Booklist Reader with your patrons
Add Booklist Reader to your reader services. Booklist Reader is a sharable, patron–facing publication, featuring diverse readers' advisory recommendations, for readers and listeners of all ages. Filled with high-interest, themed lists that showcase books patrons can read and check out now. Booklist Reader is an exclusive service for subscribers and their patrons. Print subscriptions to Booklist or Booklist Reader include digital sharing of Booklist Reader.
Already a subscriber?
- If you have not set up a Booklist Online profile, then complete this registration form using your Booklist account number. You can find your account number on your mailing label.
How can I share Booklist Reader with my patrons?
You have options on how to share all or some of each issue of Booklist Reader:
- Watch this short video to learn how to share the Booklist Reader with your patrons.
- Adding your library’s unique link code to your library’s website or newsletter will send your patrons to the Booklist Reader landing page. You can display the current cover by inserting the short embed code into your website.
- You can download and copy individual pages for inclusion in your newsletter or on your library’s website. (We ask for attribution as "Booklist Publications" and a link back to Booklist Online.)
- You can also print individual pages to keep by the circ desk.
- Feel free to innovate! Let us know how you've shared Booklist Reader.
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Using Booklist Online
Q: What do the icons mean?
 The title is available in book format.
 The title is an audiobook.
 The title is available as an e-book.
 The title is a video, whether available as DVD or digital download.
 A star is assigned by Booklist editors to indicate that the title is exceptional in its genre or format.
 The blue ribbon indicates that the title has received an award. Look to the right of the review under the heading "Awards and Honors" to see which award it has received. We list all American Library Association awards and major non-ALA award such as the Pulitzer Prize, Man Booker Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, and National Book Award.
Q: Do I need to pay attention to capital letters when I search?
A: No, searching in Booklist Online is case-insensitive. You can use ALL UPPER CASE or all lower case or a Mixture to search authors, titles, and keywords.
Q: What are Booklist Editors Recommends lists?
A: These are hand-picks read-alikes chosen by the Booklist editors. These are handy tools for making quick readers' advisory recommendations for people who liked the book in question, or books of its type. The editors use a "book sense" that comes from reading millions of pages. If that’s not enough, you can perform a custom search by selecting your favorite subjects in the original review, then ranking them in your preferred order.
Q: What is the meaning of the “High-Demand Backstory” note I see on some reviews?
A: In our print magazine, an “HD” icon before a review indicates a book we expect to be in high demand on library reserve lists, giving library selectors an opportunity to acquire accordingly. (These titles are almost always reviewed well in advance of actual publication.) The “High-Demand Backstory,” which we preserve online, explains some of the factors our editors have taken into account, such as author or series popularity, prominent media tie-ins, and extensive marketing plans by the publisher.
Q: Nothing happens when I click PRINT to print search results and when I click EMAIL to send them.
A: You must have "Allow pop-ups" enabled on both your Web browser (Internet Explorer, for example) and your Internet security software (Norton, for example) for PRINT and EMAIL to work.
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If you have a question not covered here, please email Booklist Online at info@booklistonline.com.
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