Friday, June 27, 2025

Unshelving the ALA Annual Conference in Philly.

 I will be attending the American Library Association Annual Conference in Philadephia. My hope is to post some content related to what I participate in and learn while I am there. I am participating in two panels. One is The State of RA Today, presented by Booklist. I have the pleasure of presenting with some of the best reader advisory experts around. Susan Maguire from Booklist is also very passionate about books and readers. 




I am also participating in Booklist/LibraryReads annual Read 'n' Rave. Participants have 10 minutes to rave about as many books as they can! It's at 10:30, PCC Room 112AB. This year’s Ravers  besides me include:  Jessica Trotter,  Alene Moroni, Migdalia Jimenez, and Rebecca Vnuk. LibraryReads executive director Rebecca Vnuk is a master at this so I will have to be on my toes!

If you are in attendance, come and say hello!

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Monday, June 23, 2025

Using The Bram Stoker Awards and Hoopla Digital

 

The 2024 Bram Stoker Awards were awarded in Stamford, Connecticut on June 14, 2025. While your current collection may not yet have all of the titles awarded a Stoker, if your library has Hoopla Digital, you can create a social media post, online booklist, or book display with QR codes linking to your Hoopla Instant collection. These titles will only be paid for if a patron checks them out. It also gives you a chance to show the depth of your digital collection. 

Create a separate post, list, or display with links to the winning titles you own digitally and physically. The point is that if you have pay-per-use services like Hoopla Digital, you can use awards like the Stokers to promote your collection and provide passive readers advisory even if you don't own everything you would like. 

I listed these in two ways- linking to the titles and linking to a preselected search page with instant and the authors name selected. Some of the winning titles are available via instant checkout and some not. 

Bram Stoker Award Winners

Gwendolyn Kiste

Monika Kim

Robert P. Ottone

Eden Royce

Adam Cesare

Laird Barron

Mercedes M. Yardley

Carol Gyzander

Gou Tanabe


Guests of Honor - 

Paula Guran:

Adam L.G. Nevill: 

Joyce Carol Oates:
For more Joyce Carol Oates available with instant checkout, click here!

Tim Waggoner:

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Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Unshelve Your Collection By Crossing Genres

Many authors and readers are not tied to a single genre any longer so don’t keep your book displays tied to a single genre either. Create a display of “books that are successful as in two genres.” Another version of this idea is a display of books from one genre that would appeal to fans of another. While "romantasy" may be the hottest blend of genres right now, there are certainly many more. 

Your signage can reference "Try romance and..." while including romance/science fiction, romance/mystery, and even romance/horror blends. "Love in Space" could include romance and science fiction. Mystery and horror could have a sign that says "The Dark Side of Crime." Don't forget westerns, historical, and inspirational fiction as well. The titles and subtitles of online book lists can also inspire you. 

I'll include some lists below to get you started but remember to focus on what you have in your collection which could use some attention rather than trying to create a perfect display. 


Novel Suspects - Thrillers Brimming With Mystery and Horror
Crime Reads - 20 Essential Crime and Horror Crossovers

Also, genre blending was the topic of the first panel I ever moderated at the Horror Writers Association's StokerCon! I will be in Connecticut for StokerCon this weekend. I hope to post pictures and updates both here and on my social media accounts. Then it's on to ALA Annual in Philly. 


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Monday, June 2, 2025

Review - Acquired Taste by Clay McLeod Chapman

 *These are some note from my review which will appear in an upcoming issue of Library Journal. 

Strange addictions, the darker side of family, ghosts, and baby carrots scramble through this gathering of Clay McLeod Chapman's previously published stories. It's a Five Hour Energy shot of Chapman which will delight existing fans while also allowing the curious to taste what travelling through his longer works is like. Readers will do a double take at the start of these stories and will end up with the same sense at the end. 

He finds horrors beyond belief in ordinary places while also showing us a sense of humanity and grasp of human emotion that helps to balance these disturbing and gruesome stories. In some cases, you will think you know what is happening and will be terrified as you discover how wrong you are as Chapman leaves you trapped in a horrifying place along with his characters. 

Standout include the Shortwave Chapman Chapbook reprints Baby Carrots and Knockoffs as well as the novella Stay On The Line, the latter demonstrating where desperation for connection and those we have lost can lead. There is body horror in Debridement and Sweetmeat which takes Trick or Treating and somehow makes it more unsettling than anyone could imagine. Department store Santas become a conduit for heartbreak and fear in Psychic Santa as Chapman mixes the ghosts of children with a seedy, rundown department store at Christmas. 

This collection is a treat for existing fans as well as those who have enjoyed stories by authors like Eric LaRocca. It would also be an onramp for bizarro authors like Michael Allen Rose. 

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Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Five SFF Books That Feel Like Studio Ghibli Films - Book Display Idea from Reactor Mag

 

There is nothing wrong with grabbing the headline from articles and shifting them into a book display to help market your collection. Every library has titles on their shelves which are waiting to find their reader. Reactor Mag recently featured a list of young adult titles which would have appeal to fans of Studio Ghibli and the works of Hayao Miyazaki. This would be a great way to move some of your science fiction and fantasy titles which could benefit from some exposure. Moving the display away from your young adult collection will also help patrons who don't frequent that area discover something new about your library. Add any DVDs of Studio Ghibli films you have to help draw attention to the display.

Invite staff or patrons to recommend books and movies by adding a box and some paper for them to write their suggestions. After vetting the answers (know your patrons - this may not be necessary in your library), you can post them on or near the display which would add an interactive feature to the display. 

Below I've included some lists to get you started. There are many of these online which could mean that fans of Studio Ghibli are always looking for things which remind them of their favorite works. There are also a lot of people who discovered their works when they were children and still love them as adults. 

Five SFF Books That Feel Like Studio Ghibli Films  - Reactor Mag
Books for Studio Ghibli Fans - Penguin Random House
Books that feel like Studio Ghibli - Goodreads
Books that feel like Ghibli studios - Reddit
Books to Read if You Love Studio Ghibli - Book Riot
Books for Studio Ghibli Fans - Boston Public Library

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Monday, May 19, 2025

Unshelve your collection - Pairing Books on a Display (includes partnership/passive programming ideas)

 

I have written about book buddies as a book display before – those books that have similar vibes or remind you of each other. Another version on this theme is to create book pairings, like those created in restaurants with wines. Book clubs sometimes will pair books to give their members a way to gain a deeper understanding of a theme or context. You can provide some suggestions for any patron by creating a book display or online book list with pairing suggestions.  

One way to think about it is to pair a classic title with a book that updates or takes another view of the story - think Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea. The latter updates the story from the point of view of the first Mrs. Rochester. Another would be the work of H.P Lovecraft with books like The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle. That novella looks at "The Horror at Red Hook" from the viewpoint of a black man.

 Newer fiction titles can be paired with older books. Non-fiction and fiction can be paired together. You can cross genres by pairing romantic suspense with a mystery or traditional suspense novel.  It can be done to give patrons an option while they wait for a title with a long hold list or as a way of providing patrons with an option after they finish a great read.

Below you will find some lists with pairing suggestions. Ask your coworkers for ideas and don’t forget young adult and juvenile materials! Let interested staff present it as options on a dating app or wine list. 

Perfect Pairs: Books that Go Together Like Cats and Bookstores - Book Riot
What are good pairs of books to read together? - Reddit
Books in Pairs: Pairing up my 2024-reads -  The FictionFox
classic vs. Contemporary: Novel Pairings by Character and Archetype - lit & more
My Favourite Fiction and Non-Fiction Book Pairings - Keeping Up With the Penguins
Books that are better together: 16 favorite novels for book clubs - Modern Mrs. Darcy
Adult Fiction and Nonfiction Read-Along Book Pairings - Book Riot

If you want to go a step further, find a local coffee or wine shop and ask them to help you curate a list of drinks to pair with various book titles. This is clearly not something that has a firm right or wrong answer. Patrons of both the library and the business can be encouraged to contribute their own suggestions for pairings. 

The book list and drinks can be posted in the local business and on their social media and/or website. It is a fun way to draw in readers and highlight your local small businesses. By putting the information in the business and on their social media you may reach an audience who is not already using the library which should be one of your goals with marketing. 

Here are a few lists to give you an idea of what is possible:
Wine and Words : Perfect Pairings for Book Lovers - Drink in Life
Literary libations: 21 book & drink pairings for every taste - Libby Life
Pair Your Favorite Coffee Drink With A Matching Book! - Union University Library Blog

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Friday, May 9, 2025

Unshelve Your Collection Idea: 2025 Hugo Award Finalists

 Readers Advisory expert Becky Spratford has many posts on her blog, RA for All, detailing how to use literary awards in your readers advisory. I've linked to them and I strongly encourage you to read through them for some great insight on how they can help you as you assist readers in finding their next great read. 

Recently the 2025 Hugo Award Finalists were announced. The 2025 Hugo Awards, will be presented on Saturday evening, August 16, 2025, at Seattle Worldcon 2025. They honor works of science fiction and fantasy. I find awards like this helpful as I don't read as much science fiction or fantasy compared to other genres. It's a great way to get insight as to what are the best works in those genres. 

An example of using the awards in an online list can be found on the Chicago Public Library's website. Include nominees past works and short story collection in which the authors are included to add books to the display if you don't have all of them in your collection. You may find holes in your collection as you search for books which can be brought to your collection development librarians. 

Beyond the current nominees, use the lists of past award winners and nominees to fill in your display. There are lists of winners for best novel on Goodreads. 

Both WorldCon and the Hugo Awards are often enmeshed in controversy. Currently it's regarding the use of ChatGPT to vet participants. If you search you will find more. This is just a heads up if you choose to use the Hugos to promote your collection. Always know your community and use that as a guide as you work through ways to market your collection, services, and programs. 

I would be amiss if I didn't point you to Montana State University Billings great LibGuide collection devoted to literary awards. Let it inspire your own efforts on whatever scale you can manage!

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Unshelving the ALA Annual Conference in Philly.

  I will be attending the American Library Association Annual Conference in Philadephia. My hope is to post some content related to what I p...