The current lists’ tweak to publication date-including books that published up to a full year ago-spotlights several ‘older’ books that are likely sitting spine out on their respective category shelves rather than being featured on a curated table of local picks. “Our primary goal with Panorama Picks remains arming regional booksellers with useful data from public libraries to help them identify recent books local readers are still interested in despite their promotional windows having passed. By signing up you agree to our terms of useĪnother thing that makes these lists special is how they tend to be not only more inclusive, but also they showcase a wide array of genre. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. In all cases they represent an opportunity for booksellers, publishers, and authors to better leverage public libraries’ power as a primary discovery channel for avid readers.” Some are familiar titles that are enjoying sustained popularity others are under-the-radar titles that might not have grabbed national attention but are generating notable local interest well past their initial publication date. “The quarterly lists surface a wide range of in-demand titles in their respective regions.

“This unique program uses aggregated, anonymized hold list data from public libraries across the United States to identify recently published titles that have notably longer wait times for local library patrons-unmet demand that can help activate inventory, and identify opportunities for author events, read-alikes, and special promotions,” explains the website. This year, publication date is now nine months out (January–September 2019) in order to get a fuller picture of the life and interest in books for library users. Last year, they stuck to books published in a six-month window prior to the quarter. Panorama Picks took their data approach slightly different with the first quarter of 2020. A book might be especially popular in California but less so in the Midwest, and looking at that data provides a real opportunity for local bookstores and libraries. Panorama Picks groups public libraries by coordinating American Bookseller Association (ABA) regions, which allows for a really neat way of exploring interest on a regional level. The data looks at adult fiction, adult nonfiction, and young adult books (which includes fiction, nonfiction, and comics).

These are books which are seeing a lot of interest but haven’t necessarily stayed atop bestseller lists for months and/or books with particular interest locally. It’s a fascinating look at not just the most popular ebooks in public libraries-they don’t stray too far from what you’d expect of the bestseller lists-but also at the books that are seeing uniquely high demand at libraries. Once a quarter, Panorama Picks takes a deep dive into the data about ebook use at libraries across the U.S.

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