Manipulation isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The flexibility that comes with curated collections lets you control not only groups of titles, but also what students see when they first visit your digital library site. First impressions are important and you always want them to notice something new each time so they’re encouraged to return. Since you can create collections that are grouped in any manner you choose, you can always make sure there’s something interesting on your home page and/or collections menu.

Now is a great time to hone your curating skills so you can create lists for summer break. Don’t have a summer reading program? Create one! If you’re looking for additional ideas for collections, Carol Maples and Donna Cook from Central ISD in Pollock, Texas have you covered. They’re always coming up with new collections for their students, including:

  • SLJ’s Battle of the Kids’ Books. This comes out in March and plays off of the March Madness tournament, and is a great way to relate to your students who are into sports.
  • YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten. This is one you’ll want to have up during the summer so students can read them all and vote for their favorite starting August 15.
  • State reading lists, including Tayshas, Lone Star, and 2×2.
  • Award winning titles like Triple Crown Awards and Bluebonnet.
  • Advanced Placement titles for required reading in AP classes.
  • “Hot n Hurry” – used to highlight popular titles that are time-metered.

These are just a few innovative ways to use the curate feature, and next week we’ll be adding a curated list to your drafts in Marketplace. All you have to do is publish it – it doesn’t get any easier that that! Be on the lookout for Fantastical Fairy Tales, and we’ll announce when it’s ready through the blog and as a Marketplace alert (as well as provide instructions for publishing it to your site).

We highly recommend adding custom collections to your site if you’re not taking advantage of the curate feature. Refreshing your collection by adding new purchases is one of the best ways to increase circulation. For schools with tight budgets, curating your existing titles in new collections is a great way to manipulate (maybe enrich? Does that sound better?) your home page and refresh your collection. Instructions on how to curate can be found on page 59 of the Marketplace User Guide, and ask your Account Specialist for more help.