Unshelve in November - Non-Fiction November

Another reading challenge that you can harness into promoting your collection! The goal is to read as many non-fiction books in November as you can. One group that promotes it is The Federation of Children's Book Groups -   National Non-Fiction November 2026 

From their website: This year’s theme is ‘Reading is an Adventure’. It will be encouraging children and young people to use non-fiction books in the outside world – not just to read them, but to use the information in a more practical way. For example, read a book about bugs and then be inspired to go on your own bug hunt. Another example could be to read about learning a skill and then doing the skill, or read about a place then go to it. The topics will be Bugs, Animals, People, Places, Nature, and Adventures at Home.

This is a theme that you can use for every age group. Promote biographies to fiction readers. They are the story of a life. True crime books can be promoted to mystery/thriller/suspense fans. Dig through your collection for cookbooks and other non-fiction books related to popular fiction titles. 

Take The Federation of Children's Book Groups' idea and make it into a program and a display for adults. Set up a display of gardening books and invite a Master Gardener in. Find some local history or folklore titles and have a local historian talk about that. Let patrons submit their favorite non-fiction title in person at the library and by email. You can use a rotating display to showcase your community's choices.

And as I've mentioned before, everyone on your staff has a passion or expertise. Have staff sign up to set up a display about their favorite subject.

Reddit: /r/nonfictionbookclub 
            /r/nonfictionbooks

Goodreads: Nonfiction November Books 

Bookriot: Get Ready for Nonfiction November! Here’s How to Celebrate

It will be a fun break from the Thanksgiving preparations!

Unshelve Some More Horror - Internet Horror Edition

 While Halloween is Saturday, remember that it's not too late to set up a display and horror fans read their favorite genre all year. You can also make a note to come back here next September to review which horror displays will best showcase your collection. 

The internet has become a fertile place for horror. With true crime cases like the Slenderman killings as well as numerous suspense, thrillers, and horror novels in which the internet plays a huge roll, most libraries should be able to set up a display. Add AI and and social media focused books as well. 

You can tie it to a program by creating silent, phones off, reading time where patrons are welcome to grab their favorite book and join you in a meeting space to read offline and not interrupted. 

The Creepypasta website is here. Harness the power of your library's social media and have patrons submit their own short horror fiction to be shared with your library community. 

Book Riot - Please Pass the Creepypasta: 13 Novels Based on Internet Horror

Goodreads - Internet Horror Books

r/horrorlit - Horror literature involving the internet

The Lineup - 7 Horror Books Set on the Internet

Chicago Public Library - Horror Books Inspired by Online Stories

Unshelve with Local Events! World Series Edition

 Our local baseball team is in the World Series so our staff put up a book display filled with books related to baseball! One great source for book display themes is your local event calendar. 

Is there a pumpkin carving contest? A festival of lights? A holiday parade? 

Set up a display with books related to that event. You can even reach out to the group sponsoring the event to get flyers for your display. Making connections in your community is vital as libraries fight for every dollar in their budget. 

We also set up a display for a contest we are having at the library. Why just put up a sign when you can put up a book display and highlight your collection at the same time? 

Use those book displays to market your collection while also highlighting your community events or your own library events. 

31 Days of Horror With Becky Spratford

 Every year, readers advisory and horror expert Becky Spratford runs 31 posts in October to celebrate horror. You can read the posts here. This is a great series to recommend to your patrons who love horror and dark literature. The series includes posts about why various library workers, authors, podcasters, publishers, and editors love horror. It inspired her award winning book, Why I Love Horror, a must read for fans of authors like Stephen Graham Jones, Clay McLeod Chapman, and Tananarive Due. 

The review archive on her blog is also very helpful if you need to find a read alike. 

How I Can Help You Unshelve Your Collection (Updated October 2026)

A short introduction to me and what I try to do here. I have worked for my library system for 18 years as of this year. My time here has taken me from a branch library to reference to circulation and then to acquisitions. I updated our website, was an administrator for our ILS, and created and ran reports. As far as programming is concerned, I have created and ran programs for infants through older people. 

Basically, except for administration, I have done it in a public library. 

Before libraries, I earned a masters degree in religious studies with a focus on Holocaust studies and antisemitism. For a time, I was a manager at Barnes and Noble, ran a comic book store, and worked for a brokerage firm. 

I serve as Volunteer Coordinator and Administrative Assistant for the Horror Writers Association and review (primarily) horror for both Booklist and Library Journal. I love promoting the books I love on my social media accounts. Spending energy putting a light on what you love is a better use of time than dragging books that didn't work for you online. I also add photos of displays I love to help give you ideas!

Now, I work to help library workers learn how to use passive readers advisory to market their collections more effectively. A well designed book display can help shine a spotlight on those titles that haven't received love from your patrons recently. Focusing on the books rather than decorations or elaborate signage, borrowing book store techniques can help your patrons find their next great read. This will likely be a book that they hadn't had on their mind when they entered your building. 

I have presented for a variety of state and national organizations including webinars for PCI and ALA. These topics include:

*Book Display Basics for Every Library Worker

*Book Displays That Do More - Interactive Book Displays with Passive Programming 

*Engaging Patrons With Better Book Displays

*Inclusive Readers Advisory for Any Library Worker

*An Introduction to Passive Readers Advisory

*Love Is In the Air : Marketing Your Romance Collection Using Passive Readers Advisor

*Marketing Your Collection, Services, and Programs with Better Book Displays

*Not Just In October: Marketing Your Horror and Dark Literature Collection with Passive Readers Advisory

* Using Book Displays and More to Market Your Winter Holiday Collection 

In addition, I am currently working on presentations on: 

*Graphic Novel Passive Readers Advisory

*Non-fiction Passive Readers Advisory Basics

*Tying Together Displays - Pairing displays around a theme including youth focused displays on a similar theme

*Pop culture and Passive RA - how to harness what’s hot to help merchandise your collection. 

*Developing a Year-Round Plan for Book Displays

If you are interested in having me teach your staff my techniques for using passive readers advisory as well as how to plan your best book displays, please reach out to me - Lila.Denning (at) gmail (dot) com. 

Unshelve Your Horror for Halloween - There is still time! LIght Horror

 If you haven't set up a horror display yet, don't worry! You still have time. If the issue that your community is not ready to have a spotlight shown on books with disturbing content, you can set up a display of more gentle, light, cozy (pick a word) horror novels that create a suspenseful, eerie spooky sense without a lot of gore, trauma, or extreme terror. 

There are horror novels which create a sense of fear that is just right for some people; not everyone wants the most extreme horror in their lives and we have books for them as well. Some people want just a spooky little read! Pair this display in one area with another with books that are more terrifying. 

Here are some lists -let the titles inspire your signage!

Book Riot: 4 Light Horror Novels for Scaredy Cats

Laurel County Public Library: Softer Scares: Lighter Horror Books

Reddit r/horrorlit: "Light" horror recommendations

            r/suggestmeabook: Beginner/Light Horror book

Goodreads: Light Horror Books

Litreactor: 7 Books for Fans of Subtle Horror

Planning to Unshelve - November Edition

 It's already time to plan for November. I mentioned some ideas last year and you can find them here. For Thanksgiving (the big day in November in the USA) don't forget to put out cookbooks and entertainment books early. I would plan for November 1. Beyond that, a display with books about gratitude and thankfulness in general would be a nice way to include those who don't celebrate the holiday. 

Penguin Random House - 14 Books To Inspire Gratitude and Thankfulness

r/suggestmeabook - best books for gratitude and grounding yourself? Non religious

Goodreads - Gratitude Books

Laurel County Public Library - 15 Non-fiction Books To Inspire Gratitude and Thankfulness

Doing Good Together - 23 Favorite Children's Books About Gratitude to Inspire Everyday Thankfulness

The holiday of Diwali falls on November 8 this year. It is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists, Here is some information on the holiday from The Providence Journal. Spend some time looking into the holiday which can give you some inspiration for displays. Using the theme of light is a great option for this time of year. Here are some lists: 

Harris County Public Library - Diwali Novels for Adults

PBS - Celebrate Diwali with Books!

King County Library System - Happy Diwali: Books to Celebrate the Holiday

r/Indiansread: Guys recommend me short book to read on diwali ( context below)

Goodreads: Listopia > Diwali Book Lists

Native American Heritage Month is something that I will mention again. I will also repeat my suggestion to mix fiction, non-fiction, music, and movies together. I would pair a youth display nearby as well. Find a broad range of books and include the depth and breadth of Native American culture. 

Finally, November 21 is World Hello Day. The idea is to greet ten people to encourage world peace by encouraging communication over physical force. This is another idea you can use with both adult and youth titles. Books about communication, peace, neighbors resolving conflicts, letter writing, and even books with Hello in the title. 

What are your November ideas?