Sunday, February 19, 2017

It came from the library!

I tend to believe that the most effective way to promote a particular genre is through displays. While programming is fun and necessary when building a community of readers, I don't think it's going to be as effective in getting people to check out a specific novel or genre. It's the same reason bookstores put together eye-catching displays: it draws people in. There's also an aspect of impulse buying to displays. Readers might think "why not?" and check out an item if a display catches their eye.

For Teen Read Week in 2012, the theme was "It Came From the Library." The idea was to promote horror and thrillers, and I think this would be equally effective for adult marketing. Here's a sample of the promotional material put out by YALSA.


This could be adjusted to accommodate an older crowd. So many older readers have a fondness for (or at least remember) classic horror movies, so I think this phrase would play well to such a crowd. A display could be created using this theme, promoting classic horror novels and new authors like Justin Cronin and his Passage series. It would be no trouble to use integrated advisory here. The library could promote classic horror films alongside the fiction titles, as well as including any spooky non-fiction available. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, Spook by Mary Roach, and Death's Acre by William Bass and Jon Jefferson would all be excellent non-fiction additions to such a display. 


3 comments:

  1. Wonderful idea! I love that you thought to incorporate non-fiction as well! Full points!

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  2. Hello Rachael! I really like your "It came from the library!" display idea. While it is originally from YALSA's teen read week, this idea does seem like one that could be easily adapted to adults.

    Also, I agree with you about displays. When done well, eye-catching displays can get patrons attention in ways that programs and even interactions with librarians might not be able to achieve. I guess this is one example of the power of passive RA and how it can be quite effective.

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  3. Displays are so much fun! I've never made one at a library, but I have for my classroom. You can be as creative as you want, and the more creative you get, the more attention the display brings.

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