''Booklist'' is a publication of the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is available to subscribers in print and online. ''Booklist'' is published 22 times per year, and reviews over 7,500 titles annually. The ''Booklist'' brand also offers a blog, various newsletters, and monthly webinars. The ''Booklist'' offices are located in the American Library Association headquarters in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood.

History

''Booklist'', as an introduction from the

publishing board notes, began publication in January 1905 to "meet an evident need by issuing a current buying list of recent books with brief notes designed to assist librarians in selection." With an annual subscription fee of 50 cents, ''Booklist'' was initially subsidized by a $100,000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation, known for its public and university library endowments, and at first mainly contained the briefest 25- to 50-word summaries. In 1913, the ''Booklist'' offices were moved from Boston to the ALA headquarters in Chicago's McCormick mansion. By the 1930s the reviews had become more in-depth, and the journal began to include some articles. In October 1939, just a few weeks after the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, ''Booklist'' published an article entitled "Books for the 'Long and Calm View': On the Crisis, Its Background and Implications to the United States", intended to address "the demand for impartial books without the emotionalism of propaganda." Amidst a world crisis, the editor helped library patrons to have their questions answered while presenting various viewpoints. From the 1950s to the 1960s, ''Booklist'' reviews were limited to 150 words, generally three long sentences. Reviews were handwritten in pencil on yellow legal paper, edited and typed up for the printer. Artistic design choices for the magazine were minimal, with the only visual change between issues being the plain cover's solid colour. The 1970s saw a great deal of change in the ''Booklist'' offices. As adolescent literature gained popularity, a

Young Adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

books editor was hired. The publication of such books as Judy Blume’s ''Forever'', Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Alice series, and

S.E. Hinton Susan Eloise Hinton (born July 22, 1948) is an American writer best known for her young-adult novels (YA) set in Oklahoma, especially '' The Outsiders'' (1967), which she wrote during high school. Hinton is credited with introducing the YA ge ...

's '' The Outsiders'' marked a need to evaluate books not meant strictly for either children or adults. In 1973, new editor-publisher Paul Brawley was the first to print editions of the magazine with recreated book jackets on the cover. Some ''Booklist'' subscribers protested the flashy new covers, supposedly claiming they liked the plain covers and the space they afforded for listing potential book orders. Under Brawley’s editorship, beginning with 16mm film strips and spoken-word recordings, ''Booklist'' began to accept submissions and print reviews of audiovisual products. During the 1980s and 1990s, ''Booklist'' began its Editors’ Choice reviews and its first feature column, “Manley Arts”, by Will Manley. The 1990s issues of ''Booklist'' were the first to be composed on in-office computers. The June 2005 issue of ''Booklist'' marked the magazine’s 100th anniversary. To celebrate the centennial, the acting editors published a feature article entitled “The Booklist Century”, wherein they chose a book from each year of the preceding hundred to highlight its social impact — ranging from

Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray ...

's '' The House of Mirth'' (1905) to the '' 9/11 Commission Report''. Currently, the magazine can be found online and in print. The ''Booklist'' editorial team also creates supplemental products, such as ''Book Links'', webinars and the ''Booklist Reader''. Booklist offices are located in the 50 E. Huron building at the ALA headquarters.

Current masthead

* George Kendall- Editor & Publisher * Donna Seaman - Editor, Adult Books * Sarah Hunter - Editor, Books for Youth * Susan Maguire - Senior Editor, Collection Management and Library Outreach * Heather Booth - Editor, Audio

Reviews and reviewers

''Booklist'' Reviews ''Booklist'' reviews are said to be "the haiku of book reviewing." Reviews include a brief synopsis, plus mention of the most successful elements of style. Most reviews fall between 175 and 225 words. Starred Reviews The ''Booklist'' star indicates an outstanding title of a particular genre. All starred reviews are approved by the appropriate editor. High-Demand ''Booklist'' recognizes that libraries wish to purchase new materials as soon as they become available, and therefore works to review titles as early as possible. The “High-Demand Backstory” symbol indicates titles likely to be surrounded by media coverage and patron popularity. Adult Books with YA Appeal As an additional source for librarians, ''Booklist'' reviews certain adult titles and labels them for YA appeal. These materials tend to have young protagonists or themes relevant to teenage readers. Recommendation-only system Since its founding in 1905, ''Booklist'' has followed a recommendation-only system. This means that every title reviewed would make a quality addition to library collections. ''Booklist'' Selection Policy The editors of ''Booklist'' magazine adhere to a selection policy consistent with the Library Bill of Rights. The process of choosing titles for reviews aims to promote readership, never censorship. ''Booklist'' Reviewers Titles are reviewed by a corps of librarians, freelancers, journalists, and educators, as well as ''Booklist'' editors and staff.

Other products

Website ''Booklist Online'' is the website and archive of the ''Booklist'' print magazine. Within the database, subscribers have access to digital editions of the print magazine, an archive of over 170,000 reviews, and a host of feature content. Non-subscribers can read a Review of the Day and sign up for free monthly webinars. ''Booklist Online'' was developed in 2005, concurrent with the magazine’s centennial, and launched in early 2006. Blog Launched in September 2014, ''The Booklist Reader'' is updated daily with feature content for both librarians and recreational readers. Articles often link to reviews found on ''Booklist Online''. ''Book Links'' A quarterly supplement to ''Booklist'' that is free to ''Booklist'' subscribers, ''Book Links'' magazine helps educators and youth librarians design topical literature-based curriculum. ''Book Links'' provides thematic bibliographies with related discussion questions and activities, author and illustrator interviews and essays, and articles written by educators on practical ways to turn children on to reading. Each issue includes specific suggestions for tying

Common Core State Standards The Common Core State Standards Initiative, also known as simply Common Core, is an educational initiative from 2010 that details what K–12 students throughout the United States should know in English language arts and mathematics at the conc ...

to books featured in the publication. Published in September, November, January, and April, each Book Links issue focuses on a different core curriculum area, including social studies, multicultural literature, language arts, and science. Book Links articles from October 2009 onward are available to ''Booklist'' subscribers on ''Booklist Online''. Webinars ''Booklist'' hosts 3-5 webinars per month with varying subject matter. Booklist webinars address such topics as curriculum design, how to increase reading rates, seasonal features, and publishing previews sponsored by various publishing houses and imprints. Anyone can sign up for a ''Booklist'' webinar, regardless of whether or not they subscribe to the publication. Newsletters ''Booklist'' publishes a variety of monthly, bimonthly and quarterly newsletters, all of which are delivered in electronic form via e-mail. * 'REaD ALERT'' provides links to a chosen few reviews from the current issue of Booklist. * ''Booklist Online Exclusives'' offers links to the set of reviews and feature articles that are published exclusively on Booklist Online. * ''Booklandia'' offers links to popular YA reviews and feature content that highlights trends in the YA genre. * ''Quick Tips for Schools & Libraries'' provides discussion questions and activities for librarians and educators working to connect children with literature. * ''Corner Shelf'' provides content that addresses Readers’ Advisory and Collection Development, aimed at helping librarians find common ground between the two. * ''Top Shelf Reference'' offers recurring features such as "Real-Life Reference," "Talking Shop with . . ." and "Reference Site to Remember," in order to assist librarians with reference collection development. * ''Booklist Online Video Review'' is an overview of the most highly recommended video and audiovisual titles. * ''Bookmakers'' is a periodic e-newsletter that focuses on the history of a single publishing house.

References

External links

''Booklist'' magazine
(updated; current official webpage)
''Booklist'' Online
* Hathi Trust
''Booklist''
1905— {{Authority control 1905 establishments in Illinois Bimonthly magazines published in the United States American Library Association Literary magazines published in the United States American book websites Book review magazines Library science magazines Magazines established in 1905 Magazines published in Chicago