9:30 AM - 4:00 PM Eastern
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We’re thrilled to invite you to this year’s Back to the Book, where we’ll explore the exciting world of genre-blending in modern literature.
The day kicks off with Lainey Mays from HarperCollins, who will share insights into current trends in genre fusion and offer a sneak peek at what’s next in the publishing world. Next, we dive into the comeback of Cozy Everything,
After lunch, we will have a collaborative brainstorming session where we’ll exchange ideas on genre-blending and book discussions. Next, we will explore the ever-popular rise of romantasy—where romance meets fantasy in bold, unexpected ways.
We’ll close the day with an exciting virtual author talk featuring Kara Loo and Jennifer Young, co-authors of Alice Chen’s Reality Check, as they discuss their unique approach to storytelling and genre-crossing narratives. You won't want to miss this one!
Genre Blending
What makes a book stand out in its genre? Does it need to blend different tropes? Does it need a certain ending? Genre mashing is ever-present and won’t be going anywhere soon. In this session, we will dive into some current trends in several genres and how they overlap. There will be a discussion of forthcoming books that fall into these categories as well as a display of all the FREE resources HarperCollins has for librarians to stay up-to-date on HarperCollins offerings.
Presenter:
Lainey Mays is the Assistant Manager for Library Marketing at HarperCollins Publishers. Originally from Mississippi, she came to New York to study for a Masters in Publishing. She enjoys reading any and all things as long as she can learn something new. She represents all adult titles for HarperCollins by scheduling author visits to libraries across the country, offering title presentations, and conducting author interviews. Her job allows her to hang out with librarians all day and talk about books…can life get much better than that?
Cozy Everything
Cozy is making a comeback and expanding beyond mystery into many other genres. The challenge for librarians and readers is finding a novel that celebrates the elements of cozy fiction while staying true to the things we love best about genre fiction. In this session, we will discuss the hallmarks of cozy fiction, take a fresh approach to the idea of cozy across genres, and build a book list of conceptually cozy reads for your patrons. (Spoiler alert: cozy horror is still horror.)
Presenter:
Mary Olson is Readers' Advisory Librarian at Medina County District Library. Her duties include training, direct service to book clubs, promotional writing, collection development, and programming. She is the 2015 Allie Beth Martin award winner and the 2016 Pat Carterette Award winner.
A Court of Bat Boys and Shadow Daddies: Enter the Realm of Romantasy
Your most popular holds lists, and E-book purchases are filled with fae, dragons, vampires, witches, and shifters. A beloved genre has seen new life thanks to an explosion of interest on social media. Romantasy readers savor a book where the love story is just as important as the world building and plot. In this session, we will discuss the tropes, acronyms, authors, and series that define romantasy. You will come away with a list of books to recommend, from introductions to popular series, to deep cuts for your most avid romantasy readers
Presenters:
Kelly Halleen is the Supervisor of the Brunswick Library Children’s Department, a branch of Medina County District Library. She has worked 12 years at MCDL. She is currently the Assistant Coordinator of Ohio Library Council's Children's Services Division. She has presented at several OLC conferences including Convention & Expo, Storytime Foundations Workshop, and the Youth Services Conference. She loves cheering on her library staff, storytime, and connecting with all the families in her community. Beyond her children's experience, Kelly is a devoted reader of adult romance, fantasy, and excited to work with the "grown-ups" at this training.
Kaitlin Booth is the Collection Development Coordinator for Akron-Summit County Public Library. She supervises the librarians and support staff who select and manage ASCPL’s physical and digital collections. She previously worked as a Collection Development Librarian at Cuyahoga County Public Library, an Acquisitions Librarian at Medina County District Library, and has been a librarian in the youth services, reference, and genealogy departments at Stark County District Library.
We will end the day with a virtual author visit from Kara Loo and Jennifer Young, co-authors of Alice Chen's Reality Check.
Hilton Garden Inn
8971 Wilcox Dr
Twinsburg, OH 44087
UNITED STATES
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Competency: Readers' Advisory
Non-Member Cost: $160
NEO-RLS Bronze Member Cost: $120
NEO-RLS Silver Member Cost: $80
NEO-RLS Gold Member Cost: FREE
NEO-RLS Individual Member Cost: $80
There is an additional $40 surcharge for facility use and amenities.
Lunch will be provided.
We encourage you to register a minimum of three (7) days in advance for this event in order to ensure that we can accommodate your full participation in terms of seating, hand-outs, food, etc.
It’s never too late to save your library money. NEO-RLS Memberships are pro-rated! Call us today to join.
| 10/9/2025 |    |