Panorama Project

Data-INFORMED insights on libraries and their impact on book discovery, author brand development, and sales

Using transparent data to measure the impact more than 16,000 public libraries in the United States have on developing readers, driving book discovery, and generating book sales in their local communities and beyond is particularly timely as there’s fierce competition for every reader’s attention and discretionary spending. Publishers need to understand the complex dynamics of book discovery and sales, and where public libraries fit in readers’ lives.

The Panorama Project is a cross-industry research initiative working towards purposeful collaboration and transparency to more accurately measure the role public libraries play in the book business, while partnering with publishers and libraries to measure and analyze the impact of library marketing and events on discovery of specific titles and authors, and sales via local booksellers and beyond.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Our research initiatives are focused on three specific areas: Discovery, Brand Development, and Consumer Sales.

READERS’ ADVISORY DIRECTORY

Public libraries and librarians use many approaches to connect readers at all skill levels and ages with books and authors. For decades public librarians have honed their skills in what is known in the library world as Readers’ Advisory Service—an umbrella term for the many activities that librarians use to aid readers in finding books that they will enjoy reading. Readers’ Advisory Service is basic to public libraries, even though its impact on the publishing industry has generally been ignored.

RESEARCH

The Panorama Project advocates for purposeful cross-industry collaboration and transparency to more accurately measure the role public libraries play in the book business, while partnering with publishers and libraries to measure and analyze the impact of library marketing and events on discovery of specific titles and authors, and sales via local booksellers any beyond. Key research initiatives include the Community Reading Event Impact Report and Immersive Media & Reading 2020.

PANORAMA PICKS

Panorama Picks provides local booksellers with quarterly lists of popular fiction, nonfiction, and young adult titles that are in demand at public libraries—optimized for local interest via regional groupings aligned with the American Booksellers Association’s (ABA) regional associations. This unique program uses aggregated, anonymized hold list data from public libraries across the United States to identify recently published titles beyond the biggest bestsellers that have long wait times for local library patrons—unmet demand that can help activate inventory, and identify opportunities for author events.

NEW PROJECTS

LIBRARY MARKETING VALUATION TOOLKIT

Extending from the 2019 Readers’ Advisory Activities Survey, we want to get a better understanding of the different ways public libraries produce and host author visits. This includes literary festivals, book clubs, and other experiential events that directly connect readers to books and authors. The Library Events & Book Sales Survey asked U.S. public librarians for additional insights into the various book-related events they produce for their communities, how they market them, which partners they work with, and how they measure and report on the impact of these events. We will produce a combined report & toolkit which will identify best practices for producing events, and specific tactics libraries can use to drive book sales and calculate the total monetary value of their readers’ advisory and marketing efforts.

The Panorama Project is an open membership initiative. Join us!