Five Things: July 9, 2026

NOTE: Back in January, I put together Five Things from the “I was made for the library…” wing of the archives, and my trip to ALA a couple of weeks ago led to my writing two new articles that I’m really proud of, so this is basically a sequel. I love blogging, but professional editors are a blessing, so if you don’t usually click on the links I share here, now’s the perfect time to start!

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_ONE

What Librarians Wish Publishers Knew: Takeaways from the 2026 Library Insights Summit | Me

Meanwhile, one of the long-standing challenges facing publishers and libraries is a general lack of understanding about how things work in other parts of the supply chain—including the fact that there’s no monolithic definition that captures the full range of the labels “publishers” and “libraries”.

I had a handful of sessions and people on my agenda for ALA this year, the first time I’ve ever been able to prioritize the program over the exhibit hall, and I had high hopes for the Library Insights Summit, in particular, thanks to its specific focus and strong lineup of speakers. It turned out to be a great event and, although I’m still an old school physical note-taker, I recorded every session to ensure I could refer back for context and/or full quotes.

I even bought a new digital recorder rather than relying on an app!

And then I learned a hard lesson I already knew: you don’t run a race in brand new shoes. While the recorder itself is great and worked fine on its own, I didn’t realize that the mic I had used in the past apparently isn’t compatible with it, because I only recorded one of the ten sessions I attended during the conference. Rookie shit. 🙁

Thankfully, I did take good notes and was able to follow up with several people afterwards for additional feedback. The end result (thanks to great editing from Albanese) does a good job of covering the breadth and depth of the program, which I believe achieved its organizers’ main goals.

Publishers, authors, and librarians still don’t fully understand how things work in other parts of the supply chain, which too often leads to unnecessary friction and antagonism instead of productive conversations and collaboration. Foreword partnering with trade organizations and key vendors has the potential to fill that gap, and I hope to be able to attend LIS again next year… in NOLA!

NOTE: The article isn’t paywalled, but if you’re not already subscribing to Words & Money and you have anything to do with publishing, you’re doing it wrong. Support the industry coverage you want to see more of!

__TWO

How Librarians Actually Choose Indie Books and Why Metadata Matters | Me

However, with the Big Five unwilling to collaborate with public libraries on ebook pricing, the opportunities for smaller publishers and savvy indie authors are greater than they’ve ever been—but success requires understanding how libraries work, where the gaps are, and how to fill them.

I didn’t know Ingram’s Ann Lehue before meeting her at ALA, but after coincidentally attending three different sessions she moderated, I’m officially a member of her fan club. That I got to write about two of those for The Bottom Line effectively makes me her hype man!

Metadata is the secret ingredient of good book discovery across every platform, including the physical shelves in your favorite bookstores. It was also the bane of my existence for the past 5+ years as publishers are generally bad at it (especially comics publishers), partly because vendors cherry pick which data they prioritize, making it easier for publishers to deliver the bare minimum in the name of efficiency. Many vendors often “enhance” that metadata for their own purposes, and then some libraries enhance it further for their MARC records — and none of that ever makes it back to publishers. The end result is a complete mess of inconsistent metadata across various platforms, making discovery more challenging and random than it should be for everyone.

Both sessions were a metadata nerd’s dream, and I hope my attempt to translate them into actionable insights was effective, with a huge thanks to Friedman for helpful developmental edits along the way. I’m also working on a couple of pitches to go a little deeper on this topic, although I’m not sure if that’s another article, or potentially a resource? Standards are only useful if they’re broadly adopted, and the prolonged industry-wide reluctance to embrace ONIX 3 as the default after 2.1 was sunset way back in 2014 suggests simply developing standards isn’t enough. You also have to evangelize them and clearly demonstrate their value.

NOTE: The article might be paywalled, in which case you can read the whole issue of the newsletter here. If you’re not already subscribing to The Bottom Line and you have anything to do with publishing, you’re doing it wrong. Support the industry coverage you want to see more of!

___THREE

How do libraries affect book sales? w/Guy LeCharles Gonzalez | A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast

If you look at it from a neutral perspective, the AAP is doing its job. They are protecting their constituents from the perceived threats to their business. The problem is libraries don’t need to be considered a threat.

I’m a long-time listener, occasional guest, and lifetime fan of the work Microcosm does, and frequently reference them as a good example of a non-Big 5 publisher doing things differently and, by all indications, successfully.

I always love getting to talk with Joe and Elly, but I always worry I’ll say something publicly that should be left off the record, especially once I get on a roll and start dropping f-bombs! I kept it pretty clean on this one, although kudos to the editor for making my comments somewhat coherent, and possibly for leaving the worst on the cutting room floor?

Side note: I usually listen to podcasts because, for me, they’re primarily for running and road trips, so it’s always weird seeing how much I talk with my hands!

____FOUR

Libraries, Book Discovery & the Truth About Getting Your Book Read | Insider Advice for Authors

So, if you’ve got a six-month wait list for a bestseller, that’s probably because that bestseller is really expensive. A lot of people want to read it, and publishers would rather force you to go to the bookstore or to Amazon and buy your copy instead, ignoring the fact that libraries aren’t stealing these books and giving them away for free. They’re buying or licensing these books to share with their communities.

This was the no-context bonus a few weeks ago because I couldn’t squeeze it in on its own at the time, but it deserves its own  moment in the spotlight.

Stephanie Anderson is another one of my favorite librarians, going back to my DBW days when she was one of the coolest indie booksellers I knew and did my favorite Pecha Kucha presentation ever, which was sadly lost to acquisition shenanigans when DBW changed hands and… became something else. Our host, Lynda Hammes, is a former magazine industry colleague who impressed me years ago during a different conference, and we’ve been connected ever since.

Being on a webinar with both of them to talk about libraries was a lot of fun, starting from a broader perspective before zeroing in on authors. It’s a great 101 (or refresher) for anyone who prefers video over text, and pairs well with both the Microcosm podcast, which was recorded afterwards, and the next thing.

_____FIVE

Public Libraries and Ebooks Redux [for Independent Publishers] | Me

Last year’s Immersive Media & Books 2020 research from the Panorama Project offered a lot of interesting data, including validation of previous research over the years that show libraries are critical discovery channels for many readers, and those readers buy books they found in the library. While some are happy to sit on a library’s hold list and wait weeks or months to read a book when it becomes available, others will buy it elsewhere so they can read it immediately. Consumer preference is a critical data point!

This was my write-up of a presentation I did for IBPA members back in 2022, which was sparked by a comment about library ebook  pricing more than a year earlier, at the tail end of my time at the Panorama Project. I re-read it in preparation for the Tertulia webinar (above) and it holds up pretty well today.

If I was a more strategic blogger, I’d update and republish it as a new post for more visibility, but I like to think of it as my version of the backlist waiting to be discovered at the right time — and now is a pretty good time!

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