BLOGS  >  SEPTEMBER 4, 2026

Search, Curate, and Order Smarter: Titlewave 101 for Public Libraries

BY FOLLETT CONTENT


Ordering library materials should be easier. Titlewave®, the free ordering and collection development platform from Follett Content, was built to streamline your workflow.

What’s Titlewave?

Titlewave is a free online platform for discovering, ordering, and tracking library books and materials for readers of every age. There’s no cost to create an account, no commitment, and no order minimums. Public libraries use it to search for inventory and pricing, build and compare lists, place and track orders, and coordinate cataloging and processing.

Four things make the difference for library staff:

  1. Time savings – streamlined workflows that free up staff hours
  2. Accuracy – consistent, error-free ordering every time
  3. Visibility – a clear view of grids, orders, and audience levels
  4. Integration – works with the ILS your library already runs

How does grid ordering work with your ILS?

Grid ordering applies branch and collection codes across an entire order at once, rather than title by title. Grid presets save those selections for reuse, so a recurring order takes minutes instead of an afternoon. EDI integration automates order transmission, confirmations, and invoicing, which means fewer handoffs and fewer chances for a keying error.

EDI is supported across ILS platforms, including Sierra, Polaris, SirsiDynix, and Koha, with more integrations planned. Grids, brief MARC records, and custom call numbers are live today.

For a technical services or acquisitions team, the payoff is practical: fewer errors, less manual entry, easier collaboration across staff, and more time for patrons and collections.

How do you find the right titles?

Discovery is built around how public libraries actually select books. A few tools do most of the work:

  1. Series Release Calendar – Track upcoming installments so holds are ready before demand builds.
  2. Curation Services – Start from expert-built recommendations instead of a blank list.
  3. State Resources – Pull award lists and state-specific selections.
  4. Follett Tags – Filter by theme, audience level, and reader interest.

Advanced Search, World Languages, and Batch Search will narrow your results further. Public Library Resources and Public Library Lists collect selections built specifically for public library collections, across children’s, young adult, and adult titles.

What does list analysis do?

Analyze Lists gives selectors a way to review and compare titles before any money is committed. Rather than placing an order and finding the overlap later, a list can be checked, adjusted, and shared with colleagues first. For libraries balancing branch requests against a single materials budget, that review step is where most of the guesswork disappears.

How does street date delivery work?

Titles in the Follett Street Date Program arrive fully cataloged and processed before their official release date, so hold queues start moving on day one. Street date compliance is handled through the Street Date Affidavit, which confirms that materials won’t circulate before the publisher’s release date.

Explore the Follett Street Date Program

How does your data get into your system?

Once a list is final, grids and brief MARC records download together, so cataloging can begin before the shipment arrives. Selecting the right grid, choosing a processing profile, and downloading a brief MARC file all happen in the same workflow – no re-keying, and no separate export step to remember.

How do you get started?

Creating a Titlewave account is free! Libraries that want hands-on help can work with the Customer Success Team on onboarding, cataloging specifications, and ILS setup.

Behind the platform: more than 3.7 million in-stock books, a 98% fulfillment rate, 50,000 items processed daily, and more than 150 years serving libraries. Through December 31, 2026, all book orders are 25% off with free shipping and no order minimums.

Create Your Free Titlewave Account

Want to see Titlewave in action?

Our Titlewave 101 for Public Libraries webinar, hosted by the Follett Content Customer Success Team, walked through how public libraries search, curate, and order in the platform every day.

Watch On Demand


Learn more about our public library services.

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