The library encourages everyone in our community to read.  We strive to have something for everyone. That’s an imposing job. We purchase more than 3,000 titles each year. That sounds like a lot until you realize that it is less than 1 percent of the books published each year.

So how do we select that one-out-of-100 book that is right for our library?

We start with the obvious. There are a few authors who are guaranteed bestsellers, and a lot more who have fans that follow them closely.  Many write in series and our patrons eagerly await the next installment. Since we already know we are going to buy the books they publish, these authors are sent to us automatically. We have a list of about 750 authors on this automatic list, which accounts for a large portion of the adult fiction. A lot of the children’s books are selected in a similar manner. In addition, we pour over reviews from Booklist, Publisher Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus and other sources to find that promising debut novels and rare gems.

Selection of adult nonfiction is less straightforward and more time-consuming. The nonfiction book selector has to know the collection well to maintain an appropriate balance in the various Dewey classifications. She has to know her community’s unique reading tastes. She has to stay on top of societal trends that result in shifts in reading habits. For example, political nonfiction has been very popular lately. Not too long ago, everyone wanted DIY and crafting books. We use a vendor that allows us to scroll through lists of upcoming releases and easily access reviews.

For e-books, the authors and titles are the same as print books, but the format and the selection process is different. The e-books available to Niles Distrirct Library patrons through OverDrive are shared with a consortium of libraries in southwest Michigan. There is a committee in charge of selection.

Children’s books provide some unique challenges for the selector. A larger portion of the children’s book budget goes to replacing well-loved copies of perennial favorites. Of course, it also has unique delights, such as flipping through the newest picture books with delicate drawings by Julianna Swaney or the comical drawings by Jules Feiffer.

It is challenging, and we take it very seriously.  Still, I don’t know many librarians who don’t love the part of their job that is formally referred to as “selection” — or what lay people call “buying books.”

J.K. Rowling said, “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”  We say, “If you haven’t found the right book at our library, we haven’t done our job.  Please, let us know.”

Nancy Studebaker is the executive director at the Niles District Library. She can be reached by email at director@nileslibrary.net.