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? 

Unsheving with Help from All those Newsletters - More from Barnes & Noble on Horror

If you shop at Barnes & Noble, you have likely received one of their newsletters. While your selectors can use them for collection development ideas, you can also use them for book display ideas. Besides promoting the biggest and most recent titles, they also have links to lists you can use as a display for spooky season. An October 3 newsletters has two great ideas - 31 Best Books to Read for Halloween and The Best and Scariest Horror Books Ever. 

What I like about these ideas is that they are generic enough that you can easily adapt them to your collection. Something like "best" is subjective so you can use what you have in your stacks. Your readers will just want to discover something new and spooky. Don't worry about matching their lists. Just use the idea. 

To expand the idea, make either of them an interactive display or social media post. Encourage your patrons to submit their best Halloween reads and what they think the best or scariest horror books are. Solicit input from your local sports stars, politicians, business leaders, and staff. Create a best books for Halloween and best horror that your own community has created. 

Unshelve Your Horror for Halloween - International Version

If you are looking at what kind of books to shine a spotlight on during spooky season, don't forget to look at horror in translation. International horror is a great way to discover different kinds of scares, different folklore, and new ways of viewing what is horror. 

It's a good way to help people find their next great read without falling back on those authors that they already know. 

Not sure where to start with international horror? Check out these lists: 

Austin Public Library Horror From Around the World

Book Riot 8 Horror Books in Translation

Goodreads Translated Horror Books

The Indianapolis Public Library Horror in Translation

Lawrence Public Library Terror in Translation

The Lineup These Spooky Translated Fiction Open Terrifying Portals to Whole New Worlds of Horror

Reddit  [List] translated horror books i have read so far ( also looking for more recs )

Reddit  Best international horror novels?

Vogue Scandinavia 12 Scandi horror novels to get you in the mood for Halloween

Unshelve With the Seasonal Change- Fall Themes

 While October is the home of Halloween which is many people's favorite holiday, there are other ways to celebrate the season. Depending upon your community, including fall may be something that is expected of you. 

• Suggested themes include: 
• Dark Academia 
• Cozy Reads
• Fall in Love with a Romance
• Small Town/Cottagecore
• Nostalgia

Here are some lists to give you inspiration

Martha Stewart  11 Books That Capture the Magic of Fall 

Reddit  Can you please recommend books that have a fall theme, and are compelling, but aren't "cozy"?

Reddit  What's the best book to read in Autumn?

Goodreads Listopia > Book Covers That Give You A Fall Vibe

The Everymom Your Perfect Fall TBR List: 40 Cozy Books to Read with a Pumpkin Spice Latte

Perpetual Page Turner The PERFECT Autumn Vibes Reading List For 2026

IL Librarians - Learn about genre blends from AART

 The Adult Reading Round Table is, as described on their website: 

Founded in 1984, the Adult Reading Round Table (ARRT) is dedicated to helping library workers develop readers’ advisory (RA) skills, learn useful tools for practicing RA, and promote reading for personal enrichment for adults throughout public libraries.

Led by a steering committee of Illinois library workers, ARRT plans and presents RA professional development opportunities, including in-depth genre studies and book club leadership sessions. We are committed to discussing and exploring works by and about a wide array of people and cultures to authentically reflect a variety of ideas, information, stories, and experiences.

Their current genre study   involves genre blends, something I have repeatedly suggested as a great theme for a book display. While the in-person meeting is for Illinois librarians, they do have their meeting topics and notes on their website. Use both the lists of books (under assignment) and the notes to get a better understanding of genre blends, a trend which will only get stronger and as inspiration for your own book display. 

If you can attend the meeting on October 1, 2027  at the Algonquin Area Public Library District – Eastgate Branch from 2-4 pm, you will learn a lot. Both Karrie Stewart and Emily Vinci will be there to guide you through horror blends. They are both great librarians and enthusiastic readers advisors.