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Help Center - How to find books to request

Search Terms:

You can find a book to request at PBS many, many ways! 

There are three main Search pathways:

  • Quick Search field   ...in the toolbar at the top of the site.

To use the Quick Search, enter any keyword in the field and click

  • The Search Area   ...click Search in the toolbar.

Click Search in the toolbar.  Tabs include Browse by Genre, Browse Member Books, Browse by Title.  Links include Advanced Search, Books Posted Today, NYT Bestsellers and award-winning booklists.

  • The Search Menu   ...that drops down under Search in the toolbar.

Mouse over Search in the toolbar and choose from the menu that drops down.

There are three main Browse options:

  • The sliding displays on your homepage that show currently-available books in your genres of interest.
  • The Books Posted Today page that shows recently posted books (this can be sorted to show your genres of interest)
  • FABIL (Find a Book I'll Like), under My Account >> My Lists.  FABIL recommends books based on your Wish List and book ratings, among other things.

Search Tips:

  • You can choose to view All Books, Only UnPosted, Only Posted, and Only Club Wish Listed, on any search result.  If you are a Gold Key Member, you can also choose to narrow the results to books on your PBS Friends' Bookshelves. To learn more, read Old Postal Rates: Effective Jan 26, 2020- Jan 23, 2021.
  • There is a link to the Advanced Search on each search result to narrow that search.
  • If a search result doesn't find the book you want, click "Don't see the book you are looking for?" on the upper right.
    • If you still don't see the book, try searching by ISBN (if you know it).  This will sometimes add the listing to the database, and you will be able to Wish List the book from the added listing.
  • Click any author's name on a Book Details page to see a list of that author's works.

Examples of what you can do. (Click a link to be taken to details of how to do this)

Examples of How to Find a Book:

Looking for a specific book? (do you know the title?)

  • Do a Quick Search:
    • Enter a title into the Search field in the toolbar at the top of the site.
    • Click

Looking for an author?

  • Do a Quick Search:

    • Enter an author name into the Search field in the toolbar at the top of the site.
    • Click

Want to see ALL of an author's books in one list?

  • Do a Quick Search:
    • type the author's name into the Search field in the toolbar at the top of the site
    • Click
    • When your search results come up
      • click the author's name under any book on the search result page
      • you will see a list of ALL of that author's books, with available books in green, and currently unavailable books in red!
      • You can also get to the list by clicking the author's name on the Book Details page for any book by that author.

 

Want to Browse Books in a Specific Genre?

  • There is a Browse by Genre tab in the Search area:
    • Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the site
    • Choose the Browse by Genre tab, second from the left
    • Choose a genre from the dropdown list
      • Then choose a subgenre (if you want ) from the list that appears to the right
    • Click
    • You can narrow your search results by choosing further sub-genres at the top of the page
      • use the boxes that appear to the right of your Genre/Subgenre choices to select further sub-subgenres from the dropdown menus
    • You can also "jump" to any other genre/subgenre from the top of any Genre search result

Want to browse Popular Genres (Westerns, Homeschooling, Audiocassettes, AudioCDs, and Libros en Espanol)?

  • Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the site
  • Choose the Browse by Genre tab, second from the left
  • Click any of the Popular Genre links on the left on the Browse By Genre view

 

Want to see only specific booktypes (audio, hardcover, Large Print) of a specific title or author or genre?

  • Use the Advanced Search:
    • Place your cursor over Search in the toolbar at the top of the site
    • Click Advanced Search in the menu that drops down
    • Enter the title or author or genre you are interested in
    • Click to place a checkmark in the box beside booktype(s) you are interested in
    • Click

 

Want to see only books about a certain subject (ie, quilting)?

  • Use the Quick Search:

    • enter your keyword in the Search field in the toolbar at the top of the site
    • Click

Want to see Award-Winning Books?

  • See the current New York Times Bestseller Lists
    • From the toolbar at the top of the site:
      • Place your cursor over Search in the toolbar
      • Click NYT Bestsellers from the menu that drops down
    • From the Search area:
      • Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the site
      • Click the "NYT Bestsellers" link at the top of the page
  • See Pulitzer Prize Winners or Newbery Medal Winners
    • Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the site
    • Click the link to "Pulitzer Prize Winners" or "Newbery Medal Winners"

Want to browse members' bookshelves?

  •  Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the site

    •  Click the Member Book Search tab
      • Enter PBS Nickname OR City and State OR PBS User Email into the appropriate field
      • Click
      • Click the link to "Posted Books" next to any member's name in the search result to bring up his or her bookshelf (links to member Wish Lists are shown too)

Once on a member's Bookshelf, you can:

  • Sort the Bookshelf:
    • display by title, author, or date posted, in ascending or descending order.
  • Browse by genre:
    • Click at the top of the page
    • Choose a genre to see only items in a specific genre on that bookshelf
  • Do a keyword search:
    • Click
    • enter author, title, subject, booktype, publisher, etc. into the Keyword search field that pops up

Want to see books that have been recently posted? (Books Posted Today):

  • place your cursor over Search in the toolbar and click Books Posted Today in the menu that drops down

Want to Browse Member Book Reviews?

  • Place your cursor over Search in the toolbar
  • Click Member Book Reviews in the menu that drops down
    The most recently-written book reviews will be at the top

 

Related Links:
Tips to find the book you are looking for!


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