Since I wanted to use this training opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and learn more about resources and genres with which I am less familiar, I decided to try EarlyWord and Tor as a resources.
EarlyWord has been a new and delightful experience! One of the first things that struck me about the website was how many tie-ins it offers to books that have been recently promoted on NPR. Customers often come to the information desk looking for a title that they heard about on a radio or television program. This is a wonderful opportunity to get ahead of the curve a bit and anticipate what they might be looking for.
Another section that caught my eye was the Movie and TV based on books section that details upcoming releases. This is another way to anticipate what customers are looking for, be aware of why there is a lengthy waiting list for an older book, and maybe even be prepared to suggest a similar title that they may enjoy so they don't go away empty handed.
I often browse the library catalog's "Hot Titles" list to see what is being released, and also to troll for new material for myself. EarlyWord's Categories on the left side of the page provide a wonderful selection of material for many different genres. Just out of curiosity, I took a peek at the thriller category under Fiction, and immediately found a title of interest that I had not heard of before.
The site also offered a link to an article in Harper's Bazaar called "The 12 Summer Books That Everyone Will Be Talking About. It was good to see what is on the horizon for recommended summer reads, and to at least be somewhat familiar with what customers want.
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