Attending the Library Insights Summit – co-located with the #alaac26 – offered me great opportunities. As a debut author with my first book coming out this fall, one of my top priorities for ALA Annual 2026 is connecting with librarians so that I can better understand how they select the books they’ll feature in their libraries.
As a librarian, you already know that part, but hopefully, these quick takeaways from the Library Insights Summit will give you some new ideas for working with authors and publishers too.
Takeaway #1: Why Reviews and Metadata Matter
Even before attending, I knew reviews and metadata were important… but, it wasn’t until I heard James Larson and others explain what a librarian’s typical day is like that I understood why. For example:
- Reviews help librarians justify their purchase, especially if the title is later challenged (not knowing which books will be challenged means everyone has to be prepared)
- Metadata makes a book searchable during the acquisition phase and, then, it helps for circulation too. If there isn’t enough accurate metadata about a book, it will be excluded from search, so it may be overlooked when a reader asks for a recommendation
- Librarians are busy, so instead of reviewing individual book websites one-by-one, they have systems to help them achieve more. For some, their acquisition processes are automated to align their efforts with their (required) collection development policies and ensure nothing is overlooked
Takeaway #2: Acquisitions is Not the Only Starting Point
In a different panel, Trenton Smiley suggested a more creative approach to library acquisitions: start with programming.
Trenton said creating experiences (like story walks, activity pages, or discussion questions) to help each library serve its community better are generally well received and often result in additional book sales. Similarly, creating assets (like editable images and sample text) for promotion ease the burden on librarians, so they can help authors and publishers earn more visibility without investing additional hard costs. In the end, everyone wins when the right audience discovers good books.
Takeaway #3: Plan and Connect Early to Get Ahead
No matter which approach an author or publisher takes to connect with librarians, planning ahead is helpful (and, in some cases, necessary – for example, when pursing trade reviews). Authors and publishers should be fully prepared with all of the relevant information they have when they meet a librarian.
Authors and publishers know their books better than anyone, but librarians know their audience best, so working together can make brainstorming easier. Aligning a book with any upcoming themes and holidays librarians may be planning for (often, at least a quarter in advance) is a smart way to get relevant titles included in their displays.
Conclusion: Genuine Collaboration is a Win-Win-Win
Overall, it felt like the theme of the day was collaboration. One of the biggest reminders in every session was that none of us can do this alone, even if it may feel like we have to from time to time.
Near the end of the day, Barbara Fitzgerald said, “I had never heard that a publisher wanted to have a relationship with library people.” To me, that felt a little sad (of course, we want to have a relationship with you!)… but, also, it set the bar at a more attainable level. Regardless of the logistics required for a title to be considered for placement within a library, caring is a huge differentiator. And, any of us can choose to care, no matter our other circumstances.
* I’m curious – do my takeaways from this event align with your experience? Every librarian is different, so please comment below to let me (and your peers) know what you think!
Robyn Davis, CPTD, CEM (she/her) is the author of Exhibit Smarter: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trade Show Success, a member of her local library society (in Charleston, SC), and a new member of the ALA. This year, she will be attending the Library Insights Summit (a co-located event bringing publishers and librarians together) for the second time, but it’s her first time attending the full conference for ALA Annual. Robyn is looking forward to attending sessions where she can learn more about how librarians acquire new books and to visiting the exhibit hall. In addition to blog posts here, you can follow along with Robyn on LinkedIn.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.
If you are interested in submitting a guest post, please read and fill out our Guest Blogging Interest Form. We would love to hear from you!