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A Closer Look: Starred Reviews
This month, Leah Langby, Library Development and Youth Services Coordinator for the IFLS Library System, responds to questions about “Starred Reviews,” a monthly compilation that she and WVLS Public Services Consultant Anne Hamland develop and share with member youth services colleagues.
How did “Starred Reviews” get started?
Starred Reviews has been going for probably 20 years! Rob Reid, who used to work for the IFLS Library System, started them as a way to help librarians in the area keep track of the thousands of books for youth published every year.
What is the process of choosing the books featured?
Excerpts from reviews from the following professional journals are included: Booklist (BL), Horn Book (HB), Kirkus (KIR), Publishers Weekly (PW), and School Library Journal (SLJ). We feature books that have received stars from these journals. Stars indicate that the reviewer feels that this book is of extra-high quality (in the case of most of the journals), or will be especially popular (in the case of Publishers Weekly).
How often are these done?
Every month, librarians can find Starred Reviews in their inbox.
Why are they important for librarians?
Each issue of Starred Reviews is valuable for a wide range of reasons. Starred Reviews is a trusted resource list of new titles reviewed and selected by professional journals as top quality choices for young readers. This list also saves time as librarians do not need to pop into each of the resources to find selections.
Additionally, each issue of Starred Reviews is sorted into categories: Picture, Juvenile, Teen, Non-fiction, Audiobooks, Professional. Again, this saves time for those interested in specific areas.
Ultimately, Starred Reviews is a tool for collection development, reader's advisory, and professional development. After browsing the reviews and becoming familiar with the aspects reviewers are keying in on each title, librarians will naturally build their own critical reading and assessment eye when serving young readers.
Like most tools, Starred Reviews is not foolproof! Libraries will definitely need to choose titles that aren’t on the Starred Reviews list, and not every book that receives a star is going to be a good fit for every library collection. Sometimes, even books that have received a starred review from one source receive important critiques from another. It provides a solid starting point for books that libraries could purchase for programs or displays.
How has Starred Reviews changed in the last 20 years?
We now use Google Docs to make it easier for Anne and I to share the duties. The journals we use has changed a bit—we added Kirkus and stopped using VOYA. We have built our distribution list to quite a few libraries across the state. And the biggest and best addition has been having two of us do the project—it is time-consuming, so having a team to do it really makes it possible to continue.
Are the reviews archived anywhere?
They are not publicly archived. However, if you are looking for back issues, please send a note to Leah Langby (langby@ifls.lib.wi.us).
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