BLOGS  >  MAY 4, 2026

What's a street date program for public libraries, and why does it matter?

BY FOLLETT CONTENT

If you manage adult collections at a public library, you already know the pressure that builds before a highly anticipated book comes out. Holds lists grow long. Patrons ask at the desk. And when release day finally arrives, the copies you ordered through a retailer may still be in a box somewhere, unprocessed and unavailable.

A street date program for public libraries is designed to solve exactly that problem. Here’s what it is, how it works, and why it’s becoming an essential part of adult collection development.

What's a street date? 

A street date is the official release date set by a publisher when a title is permitted to go on sale or be made available to the public. Publishers set street dates to coordinate marketing, manage distribution, and create demand ahead of release. For libraries, the street date is the date patrons expect a book to be ready to check out.

Meeting that expectation has historically been difficult for public libraries, especially when sourcing books from vendors who can’t guarantee pre-street-date delivery.

What’s a street date program?

A street date program is a vendor offering in which a library distributor commits to sourcing, processing, and delivering select new adult titles before the publisher’s street date. Rather than ordering a book and hoping it arrives on time, libraries can preorder titles for a street date delivery window.

Through a street date program, libraries typically receive books that are:

  • Shelf-ready – cataloged, labeled, and processed upon arrival
  • Delivered before the publisher’s official street date
  • Available for patron checkout on day one

This matters because patron demand for new adult releases, including best-selling fiction, popular nonfiction, and highly anticipated debut titles, spikes at release. Long hold queues are frustrating for patrons and reflect poorly on the library's ability to serve its community.

Why does a street date program matter for adult collection development?

For adult librarians and collection development professionals, a street date program offers several clear advantages:

  • Reduced hold queues. When books are available on release day, holds are distributed across more copies from the start rather than building on a single title waiting to arrive.
  • Less staff time spent tracking. Instead of monitoring release dates and preorder cutoffs across multiple publishers, a curated weekly list does that work for you.
  • Better patron satisfaction. Patrons who request a title months in advance expect to have access on release day. A street date program makes that possible.
  • Simplified vendor management. Ordering through a single vendor across publishers removes the complexity of managing multiple relationships and shipments.

The Follett Street Date Program for Public Libraries

The Follett Street Date Program is a commitment to delivering shelf-ready adult titles to public libraries before the publisher’s street date. Each week, a list of highly anticipated new adult titles are featured for preorder in Titlewave®, the Follett Content collection development and ordering platform. Libraries that place a preorder at least 60 days before the street date receive books that are cataloged, processed, and ready to circulate on release day.

The program covers select new adult titles spanning fiction, nonfiction, and popular genres, with new titles added weekly.

Ready to learn more about the Follett Street Date Program?

Visit the Follett Street Date Program page to browse this week’s featured titles and preorder in Titlewave.

Learn More

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