Become a Library Power User

The library has more to offer than many people realize, and you don’t need special training to take advantage of it. Library Power User is a blog series designed to spotlight helpful features across our catalog, website, app, and databases that make finding books, movies, and information easier. Each post focuses on simple tools and tips that help you go beyond basic searching and start using the library like a pro.

Find Your Next Favorite Book, Right in the Catalog

Have you tried our readers' advisory databases, NoveList Plus or NoveList K-8 Plus, to find read-alikes? Did you know that it's also integrated into our catalog, so you don't even have to leave the site to find expert recommendations? Here's how it works:

Read-Alikes: Books Chosen With a Purpose

When you look up a book or author in the catalog, you may see Read-Alike recommendations suggested to you. These are books that share similar themes, tone, pacing, or writing style to the one that was searched.

What makes these suggestions especially helpful?

• They’re curated by librarians and readers’ advisory experts
• You’re shown why a book is being recommended
• You can quickly decide if it sounds like your kind of read

Recommendations from a search: great options when a book is checked out

Sometimes, the book you want is on a hold list or is unavailable. That’s where "While You Wait" comes in. Instead of hitting a dead end, the catalog automatically displays similar titles that are ready to borrow. That way, you have something to read while your book becomes available.

Below is an example of a patron searching for Kristin Hannah novels. Since all the standard print copies of The Great Alone are checked out, the catalog's "While You Wait" feature appears at the bottom of the record. 

Recommendations from a book record: perfect for getting multiple titles

You can also find more read-alikes within a book record. Below, a patron is viewing the page for The Surrogate Mother by Freida McFadden. 

Power User Tip 💡

Next time your favorite author’s newest book is checked out, don’t stop there. Scroll down, explore the recommendations, and use Similar Titles to keep your reading momentum going.

Series Information in the Book Record

If a book is part of a series, the catalog helps you determine its place within the series. When you open a book record, such as Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, you’ll find a series section that shows all the books in order, making it easy to tell which title comes first and what to read next.

If the library owns a book in the series, you can click directly from the list to check availability or place a hold. You’ll also see the full series lineup, even if the library doesn’t currently have every title. That means you can understand the complete story arc and reading order without having to search elsewhere.

Power User Tip 💡

If you’re starting a new series, check the series section before placing holds so you don’t accidentally skip a book or jump in the middle.

View All NoveList Content

At the bottom of the Explore further section, you can click "View all from NoveList" to get an expanded view of all of their read-alike recommendations available from them. We'll go over each section, continuing to use Fourth Wing as the example.

Books in this Series

Similar Titles

Similar Authors

Power User Tip 💡

Finished an author’s backlist? Try Similar Authors. This is a great way to branch out without taking a gamble on something completely different.

Similar Series

Curated Lists

Story Finder

Power User Tip 💡

Think of the bubbles as filters. Mix and match tags to create custom recommendations instead of relying on a single genre label.

Becoming a Library Power User is about discovering the tools that work best for you. Whether you’re finding your next great read, skipping long wait lists, or exploring new authors and series, these features are designed to help you get more out of the library with less effort.