Are you wondering what books you should read or request next? The staff at the Iowa Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped want to make sure you are reading the books YOU want to be reading. Reading a book that is of actual interest to you will make the reading experience that much more enjoyable. And it is good to play a role in the books you are receiving and reading. Your request list with the library can be as long as you want it to be. When the library staff download books to your cartridge or send you Braille or large print, they are taking books from your request list, so it is good when that list is long and provided by you. There are different resources to help you choose what you want to read next.
You can always use the Talking Book Topics to choose what you want to read. Talking Book Topics does a good job of grouping the books into different genres and also offering a nice summary of the book to help you decide. You can send us your request list through the mail, give us call or send us an email with your picks.
The library’s online catalog (http://idblibrary.blind.state.ia.us/EOSWebOPAC) can also help you choose what book(s) you may want to read. Simply do a keyword or subject search for your favorite authors or subject and discover titles you may not have already read. Or check out the “Lists” section of the catalog and see what titles in the collection the library staff have highlighted. For example, under “Special Titles” there is a list of titles by Iowa authors, a list of Mystery Picks, etc.
There are also a few websites that could be helpful in choosing your next book:
Amazon (http://www.amazon.com)
GoodReads (https://www.goodreads.com)
All Readers (http://www.allreaders.com)
These websites do a good job of providing different lists from which to choose books or offering title suggestions that are based on a title you have entered. If you see a book on one of these sites, give us a call with the title and author and we’ll check to see if we have it and put it on your request list. Or go to our catalog and you can search for yourself!
Remember, we want to send you the books YOU want to read!