The value of award-winning ebooks in library collection development

Among the most effective collection development strategies librarians employ is the selection of award-winning and notable ebooks. Titles recognized by prestigious awards undergo rigorous evaluation by experts, making them a reliable choice for libraries committed to providing high-quality content.

Among the sources librarians turn to are Choice Outstanding Academic Titles (OAT), which highlights top scholarly works, Doody's Core Titles and Doody’s Special Topics lists, which are curated by medical librarians and the Book Citation Index (BKCI) from the Web of Science Core Collection^™ from Clarivate^™, which identifies highly influential titles based on citation metrics. Additionally, Library Journal Starred Book Reviews and Resources for College Libraries (RCL) are widely used by academic, public and school libraries as a key selection tool.

Awards lists span a multitude of disciplines and categories, making them ideal sources for curating collections that cater to the multi-faceted needs of library users. From the Alex Awards, which recognize adult books with teen appeal, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards, which celebrate African American authors and illustrators, to the Dartmouth Medal for Excellence in Reference which is invaluable for supporting research and study and the Michael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature, these awards highlight diverse voices and perspectives.

Streamlining the selection process

Lists of award winners are critical as the vast number of ebooks published each year continues to grow. They simplify the process of sorting through thousands of titles to find the best ones for library collections.

ProQuest^™, part of Clarivate, tracks the output of providers of trustworthy reviews. A dedicated team of Collection Development librarians enhances this process by meticulously compiling award lists, making them easily accessible to libraries.

Among the many international and regional awards tracked are:

• ALA Book Awards
• Alberta Literary Awards
• Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence
• Coretta Scott King Book Awards
• Costa Book Awards
• Dartmouth Medal for Excellence in Reference (RUSA)
• London Review of Books
• The Booker Prize
• National Book Award - US
• Nature Book Reviews
• Nebula Award
• Pulitzer Prize
• Stonewall Book Award
• The New York Review of Books

Cara Huwieler, Clarivate Senior Manager of Content and Workflow Strategy, emphasizes that these lists allow librarians to efficiently identify notable content: “When deadlines loom and there's a demand for top-tier content across multiple topics, I always advise our customers to turn to our notable and award-winning lists or come to us for a custom collection.”

Promoting DEI through purchasing award-winning books at Temple University

For several years, Temple University Libraries has been working with the ProQuest Collection Development Support team on a project aimed at enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within their collections. The initiative involved setting up an approval plan to systematically acquire award-winning books that feature underrepresented populations.

Librarians at Temple University began this project with a list of DEI-related book awards. To decide which award winners to purchase, Temple University staff categorized awards based on the population and discipline they represent, as well as whether the awards are given for works about or by members of these populations.

For the last three years, ProQuest’s Collection Development team has used Temple’s list of awards to generate an annual list of books, which the libraries then order. The books acquired through this initiative are part of a named collection, "Award Winners Honoring Diverse Voices” and are made discoverable through enhanced metadata and targeted promotions. The books are part of the circulating collection.

Karen Kohn, Collections Analysis Librarian at Temple University, said: "We greatly appreciate ProQuest’s willingness to work with us on this project and their attention to our customized criteria. We receive a list of award-winning titles promptly every year and the team has been responsive to our feedback on which books to include. We see this project as successful, both in terms of workflow and the end result of making our collection more inclusive."

Moving forward, the library plans to annually review the awards, purchasing patterns and usage data to refine the approval plan, ensuring that the collection continues to support DEI goals.

Notable and award-winning ebooks at your fingertips

Choosing notable and award-winning ebooks is a smart strategy for librarians dedicated to maintaining vibrant and relevant collections. It allows librarians to efficiently meet user needs while keeping their collections current and impactful.

To make it easy and convenient for librarians to find and add award-winning ebooks to their collections, the ProQuest team of Collection Development librarians have made several lists available to easily browse and select:

• • Book Citation Index Titles (BKCI)
  • Choice Outstanding Academic Titles (OAT)
  • Doody’s Core Titles and Doody’s Special Topics
  • Library Journal Starred Reviews
  • Resources for College Libraries (RCL)

To browse these titles:

• • In LibCentral: Navigate to the main Dashboard and discover under the Notable Titles section on the right-hand side.
  • In Rialto: Navigate to Market >> Curated Topics and search for any list name.
  • In OASIS: View notable lists in the Curated by ProQuest & Partners section under the “Review Titles” heading.

Need a bit of help?

Speak to your expert Content and Workflow Strategy Consultant (CWSC). Not only do they offer complimentary collection-building services and custom lists, they can also help you streamline your library's workflows.

Let us handle the heavy lifting so that you can focus on what matters most - supporting your users. Not sure who your Consultant is? Reach out and we'll connect you.