Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Week 15 Prompt

              The three ways I would like to market my library fiction collection is through book displays, book discussion groups, and book talks. I do help with 2 out of 3 at this time. I put together different book displays on different topics. One display that we started doing last year and did again this year that I loved was a March Madness display where we found a writer from all 68 schools in the tournament. I did most of this display this year and it not the easiest to do but I had fun trying to find a writer from each school. I did fudge a few because the school had no authors that went to the school or we didn’t have them in our library. This year display went better than last years and people actually took some of the books. Other displays that I have helped put together are smaller displays usually dealing with something that we are doing in the meeting room and we want to help promote it and show what books we might have on the subject. We usually try to put a small display in the meeting room on the day of different events that deal with the topic or movie being shown. Displays are a very passive way to promote different books in the system. One more display that we have up all the time is the staff pick section. This display has different books that staff have read and would like to recommend to another reader at a glance. Any staff member in the library can put something on display on this shelf and at one time we use to put bookmarks in the books so patrons know who read the book. This help patrons have an idea of who might like the same books as them and know who they want to ask for a recommendation.
                I like using discussion groups to help patrons get out of their comfort zones. I start going to a book club to get myself out of the rut of just reading the same type of books over and over again. About a year and a half ago I was asked to run one of the library book clubs and I have loved the experience it has given me. I enjoy hearing what people feel about books and what they did or didn’t like about them. I at one point made read-alike bookmarks for all the books we read to give the member other books they might like if they enjoyed the book we were reading. I stop this because no one seems interested in these bookmarks or the books on them. I like being able to talk to people about different books and find books that I really enjoyed that I wouldn’t have read if it wasn’t for the book club. It is fun spending an hour once a month talking about a specific book with others who have read the same book, it is one of the funniest things I get to do.
                The last thing that I wish I got to do is book talks. My library doesn’t really formal book talks as a program.  I don’t know how comfortable I would be getting in front of a group of people to talk about books but I think I would like to try at some point. In the chapter about “Promoting and Marketing Collections and Services” by Saricks, she talks about how you don’t have to read all the books that talk about you can use other people experience the book (156). These talks are short 5 minute talks about each book you pick so depending on the time given will decide how many books you choose. Book talks are done a lot more for children and teens in a school setting but would work with adults as well. This is something I would like to at some point bring to my library. These are all ways to help promote the different books that the library has in their collection.


Sarick, J. “Prompting and Marketing Readers’ Advisory Collections and Services.” Readers’ Advisory Services in the Public Library. Chicago, ALA, 2005, pp. 136-160.

4 comments:

  1. Laura,
    Great plan....offering distinct ways to educate and engage patrons will reach a variety of interests. Do you think one means is more effective than another?
    Also, a thought about book talks...I love book talks...a personal, inviting, quick way to learn the basics of a book. You could post book talks on your library website [and avoid doing them physically in front of a group of people. Then, patrons could access the book talks at their leisure.

    thank you.

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  2. I love that you did a March Madness book display-that's very creative! I also like the idea of book talks, but I am not sure that I would be the best one to do them. I'd like to be able to go to another library that did them to get a feel for how they might go about it. It's great that you're heading the book club and are reading outside your normal genre. That's a great thing to work toward and achieve! It is difficult to find books outside of your niche.

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  3. Hi Laura!
    I liked the fact that you brought up book talks and about being uncomfortable about public speaking. I'm the exact same way, but I think if I had a book I was familiar with and enjoyed, it would be easier to get in front of a crowd to talk about it. Another point I liked is when you mentioned getting out of a reading rut. I find myself doing that, too! I read from the same author, or read the same genre, or get stuck in a long series, and forget that there are other books out there to explore. That's where patron/staff picks come in handy, too!
    You made several great points!

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  4. Great ideas! I really love the march madness one! full points!

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