Comments on: Are you on a state readers’ choice committee? http://blogs.slj.com/practicallyparadise/2008/07/31/are-you-on-a-state-readers-choice-committee/ A School Library Journal Blog Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:58:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Jennifer Smith http://blogs.slj.com/practicallyparadise/2008/07/31/are-you-on-a-state-readers-choice-committee/#comment-482 Jennifer Smith Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:32:18 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/practicallyparadise/2008/07/31/are-you-on-a-state-readers-choice-committee/#comment-482 I am the chair of a state middle school reading list. 3 years ago, we got an administrative assistant who keeps contact with the publishers, informs them of nominations, distributes the members' mailing list and requests books. We also have a very strong state association and annual conference. The chair and admin assistant take the time to make personal contact with each publisher. We also share the cost benefit of a book appearing on our list. (If every middle school and public library buys 1 copy of the book, so much money would be earned.) Some publishers send us all their new releases for the age group; some only send what is requested and/or nominated; some don't send anything. We accept review copies. We have built some good relationships with publishers and our list has a good reputation. I think it takes time to build the relationships, but contacts at the publishing companies change so often that it is difficult to know who to contact. I think a list of companies that want to provide copies would be great. It would also be good if each publisher had a standard contact address/email for committees, not a specific person who may be here today and gone tomorrow. I am the chair of a state middle school reading list. 3 years ago, we got an administrative assistant who keeps contact with the publishers, informs them of nominations, distributes the members’ mailing list and requests books. We also have a very strong state association and annual conference. The chair and admin assistant take the time to make personal contact with each publisher. We also share the cost benefit of a book appearing on our list. (If every middle school and public library buys 1 copy of the book, so much money would be earned.)

Some publishers send us all their new releases for the age group; some only send what is requested and/or nominated; some don’t send anything. We accept review copies. We have built some good relationships with publishers and our list has a good reputation. I think it takes time to build the relationships, but contacts at the publishing companies change so often that it is difficult to know who to contact. I think a list of companies that want to provide copies would be great. It would also be good if each publisher had a standard contact address/email for committees, not a specific person who may be here today and gone tomorrow.

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