Check it out: libraries remain important players in the book-selling market.

Trinette Blackwell is a card-carrying patron of the Prince George's County, Maryland, library system. Blackwell, her husband, Kenneth, and their three children are all avid readers. However, there isn't always space in the family's home or its budget for the all the books they read. The Blackwells often turn to the library--particularly the Oxen Hill branch near their home--and its extensive collection.

"We buy a lot of books, but sometimes we just want to read a book, not add it to our permanent collection" says Mrs. Blackwell.

The Blackwells are not alone. According to a March 2002 survey conducted by the American Library Association, 65 percent of Americans use public libraries and more than 80 percent of those go to borrow a book. Sales to libraries represent more than $2 billion in annual book-publishing revenues.

Even in the age of the Internet, libraries continue to play an important role ill connecting readers to books of interest and ultimately in driving the sale of books to individuals.

Since 1992, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of books published by and about African Americans in all genres. Bibliophiles, reading groups, retailers and libraries are hard pressed to keep up with the crush of new releases.

Angela A. Williams, librarian of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at Syracuse University in New York, says there were those who assumed the popularity of the Internet would cause an end to what she calls "traditional librarianship."

"Librarians are still providing their services as gatekeepers to the enormous amounts of information available to patrons," says Williams. "Often, it is the librarian who directs patrons to books that will satisfy their reading interests."

It is this relationship between librarians and readers that help book dealers identify trends. For example, Williams sees more students reading for pleasure beyond what is required for class, in spite of reports that such reading is in decline elsewhere. "While the popular titles are still in demand, an ever-increasing interest in the classics is apparent in many readers-both young and old."

Younger readers are discovering their history. Older, more mature readers are rediscovering new meaning in books they read years ago, she says, though faculty members appear to read mostly books in their fields.

Libraries throughout the country are making concerted efforts to reach out to their diverse constituencies, says Brenda McGlohon, assistant commissioner of neighborhood services with the Chicago Public Library.

By Popular Demand

How do libraries accommodate the needs of the communities they serve and keep abreast of the onslaught of new books?

Cynthia D. Smith, head librarian of Peoria (Illinois) Public Library's Lincoln Branch, says, "We are very sensitive to patrons' requests and make efforts to obtain those books. We have a branch book club that also keeps the library staff- informed on what the community at large is reading."

Smith says she and her staff- attend conferences, read professional journals, such as Baker and Jailor Forecast, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, consult Black Issues Book Review and look at general-interest publications that review books well in advance of their release.

"But first and foremost we listen to what our patrons have to say."

Another resource is the American Library Association's Black Caucus (BCALA). Founded in January 1970, the caucus's mission includes advocating for the "development, promotion, and improvement of library services and resources to the nation's African American community." The BCALA presents annual awards for works by African American authors. The ALA also presents the Coretta Scott King Awards, which can provide guidance to librarians.

In June 2004, Library Journal initiated its "Most Borrowed" list. "The list is compiled from data on both fiction and nonfiction books borrowed and placed on hold at public libraries throughout the country," says Francine Fialkoff; editor of the Library Journal, who quickly adds that the new list is not meant to replace current best-sellers lists. Library Journal and Publishers Weekly publish each others' lists.

Since books enjoy a longer shelf life in libraries than they have in most bookstores, library circulation of a book may increase as its "buzz" continues. In addition, so-called "sleepers" are resurrected in library stacks.

According to Fialkoff, the "Most Borrowed" list is reader driven and tracks what people are reading as opposed to what they are buying. Libraries, she adds, often tend to buy more copies of a title that they literally cannot keep on the shelf because they are in constant circulation.

Gwendolyn E. Osborne is a contributing editor to BIBR. She is the public affairs director for Illinois Institute of Technologies Downtown Campus.