In addition to speaking with officials in other cities that have pulled off the concept — including Chicago, Philadelphia and Seattle — New York officials asked an advisory panel made up of heads of public libraries, publishers, academics and others to suggest possible books. They winnowed that list down to five, and now the public will vote.

The main voting mechanism will be online. In addition, readers will be able to vote on the interactive digital kiosks now in many subway stations.

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In a climate in which Staten Island has one independent bookstore and the Bronx has none, Ms. Menin said there was a “real economic development message in this, to promote independent bookstores. By having a shortlist of five books, it hopefully encourages people to read all five books before they vote. And to buy them. We want to be very supportive of these industries.”

Lisa Lucas, the executive director of the National Book Foundation, expressed excitement about the One Book plan, but also said she hoped this was just one small step in more robust support for the publishing world. Ms. Menin’s office has only recently been charged with working with the publishing industry, and Ms. Lucas, who has previous experience in the world of film, praised the way that the agency has “changed the way film works in this city,” providing “incentives to keep business in the city, and to make sure businesses were thriving.”