My 2026 Professional TBR

It will likely come as a shock to no one that I, a person educated in library and information science, am a voracious reader. Since 2023, I’ve read over 250 books, mostly fiction with a few non-fiction titles sprinkled in for good measure. However, this year I’m being more deliberate about what I’m reading for my professional growth.

Below is my current professional to-be-read (TBR) list for the year, along with why each book feels relevant to my work right now:

💫 Irresistible Change: A Blueprint for Earning Buy-in and Breakout Success by Phil Gilbert

I want to strengthen how I think about organizational change and change management, particularly from the perspective of a design organization, including how design leaders can build alignment, earn buy-in, and sustain momentum during transformation.

💫 Stop Wasting Research: Maximize the Product Impact of Your Organization’s Customer Insights by Jake Burghardt (Foreword by John Cutler)

This book is on my list because I want to improve the impact of the research I conduct. I am especially interested in how insights move, or fail to move, through organizations and how research can better influence product and strategy decisions.

💫 The User Experience Team of One (2nd Edition) by Leah Buley and Joe Natoli (Foreword by Jesse James Garrett)

As a UX team of two, I am curious what lessons and frameworks from this book apply to my work, as well as what perspectives it offers for navigating constraints, prioritization, and influence without a large UX team.

💫 Business to Brand: Moving from Transaction to Transformation by Fiona Killackey

Branding is an area I have become more interested in, particularly with the launch of IU’s Brand 2.0. I also see brand thinking as increasingly relevant to my volunteer work with nonprofits where clarity, positioning, and trust matter deeply.

💫 Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company by Patrick McGee

I have recently been drawn to learning more about business and innovation in China, especially within tech. I am curious how these dynamics might inform my teaching of Global Digital Services and what lessons can be applied to my work in the U.S.

💫 Nonlinear: Navigating Design with Curiosity and Conviction by Kevin Bethune (Foreword by: John Maeda)

After enjoying Reimagining Design, I am interested in exploring Bethune’s perspective on nonlinear approaches to product creation and how curiosity and conviction can shape design strategy in complex environments.

💫 Libraries Supporting Online Learning: Practical Strategies and Best Practices by Christina Mune

This book feels particularly relevant to my role as an adjunct instructor in LIS, teaching in a fully online, asynchronous environment. I am hoping it helps me stay connected to current practices in the field and informs how I think about learning support at scale.

If you have read any of these, or if you are building your own TBR this year, I would love to hear about it in the comments!