I just returned from a week in California, so I'm late in getting to this assignment.
I have a little experience with NoveList but not NoveList Plus. I have used NoveList a few times to help patrons who asked for recommendations for new authors similar to writers that they like.
1. I picked the Hunger Games series because I have searched this database for a high school student who loved the series and was looking for other authors that wrote books similar to it. The View is a great way to connect users with books because it brings up a list of titles with brief descriptions, that can help them decide if the books listed will be interesting to them. The Appeal terms is another good feature they can use. Looking at the terms that describe a book they liked, they can decide what exactly appealed to them, so they can look for other books that have the same features. Sometimes a reader may not be able to put this into words, but having the lists provided can make them consider what they enjoyed about the book.The ability to print out a list of titles for the patron will also make it easier for them find books that they will enjoy, either in the library collection, through interlibrary loan, or to even purchase.
2.I have had patrons who wanted books in a style similar to a favorite author. I have done searches like this, but not on NoveList Plus. Having the writing style highlighted along with the appeal factors, shows why the recommended authors came up in the search results. And providing a list of all the books written by that author, will let the patron get a better sense of what the author has published. Being able to print out a list that the patron can use as a guide should make it easy for them to find books in the style that they like to read. I often have patrons ask me to recommend authors or books - and I will do the search for them. If I could get the patron to actually do the search themselves, they could carry the search farther by picking out the specific traits they like, and exploring the choices that come up.
3. I explored other search options available, especially the Book Discussion
Guides section. My library book group is discussing "Fahrenheit 451" on Monday so I looked that up in the book discussion search. I will use the results to help add insight to our discussion. This feature could also be useful in selecting titles for future meetings. I am excited to share this with the members of the group.
I can see NoveList as a way to get more use from our collection because if an older title we own is listed as a read alike to a popular book, it will be taken out and read by a new audience.
