This qualitative case study reports the influence of the Teacher Librarian on students’ book selection strategies in a well-resourced, genrefied, and professionally-staffed school library. This study consisted of 57 seventh grade students from a large suburban middle school in Iowa. During regularly scheduled library visits, students were presented with three book promotion strategies: book talks, book displays, and student-produced visual book suggestions called shelf-talkers. Three themes emerged over the six weeks of the study in response to the research questions. Theme 1 is Ask a Friend: Over Half of Students Are Influenced by Social Interaction to Share and Seek Feedback about Books Among Peers. Theme 2 is It’s a Good Starting Place: Over Half of Students Feel Drawn to Their Favorite Genre When Browsing, and Theme 3 is Putting It All Together: Teacher Librarian Book Promotion Efforts Are What Make Social Browsing and Genre Browsing Successful. The preferred method for selecting books for 56% of the students was browsing and conferring with a friend or classmate. Browsing in one’s favorite section of the genrefied library was preferred by 65% of the students. Of the teacher initiated book promotion strategies, shelf-talkers were most preferred by students, with 50% of students responding positively, further supporting the students’ desire for social interaction, even through peer recommendations, when selecting books for pleasure reading
