How Do I Get a copy of CCBC Choices?
You can download a pdf of the most recent editions from our web site here. Back copies of Choices are available digitally through Minds@UW, the UW-Madison Digital Library.
How do books get selected for CCBC Choices?
The CCBC librarians read hundreds of new books throughout the year—at home, on the bus, in the car (but never while driving). We discuss what we’ve been reading with one another and talk about books with others visiting the CCBC or whom we meet on our travels. Sometimes we seek out content experts who can provide insight we need to determine if a book is accurate or authentic to the experience portrayed.
We are looking for books that are well written, authentic, entertaining, engaging, original, compelling, unique, provide content we know is important . . . in other words, there’s no single thing that makes a book a Choice. Our goal is to create a list of high-quality books that will meet a wide range of needs and interests.
All of our reading and discussing and feedback informs our selection process, and in the end it comes down to the books that the current CCBC librarians agree on. Because it’s a list created by consensus, there are always a number of books we appreciate individually that don’t end up in Choices, and others that we all liked, but not quite enough to make them a Choice. And every year we find a few after the fact that we wish we’d included.
Do you read every new book that you receive?
We don’t read every new book, but one or more of the librarians does examine every book that comes into the library. Many of them are subsequently read by one or more of us.