Book Display Planning - August

I think that it's always easier to plan out your book displays and lists in advance. That gives you time to see what will and will not work with your collection as well as time to develop some of them into passive programs. Some will work better as online lists or social media posts depending upon your physical and digital collections. But don't forget to mention your digital collections in your library on the book displays. Never assume that patrons are aware of all the services you provide. 

First step is to consider the basics that come up every month. Read this post for a list. 

August doesn't have big national holidays to consider. But there are some fun celebration weeks and celebration days that can lead to great displays. 

LibraryReads has released their August list. Voted on by library workers, it's a great way to have a regular display with upcoming titles that are diverse and which will include a variety of genres. You can expand it with other books by the authors on the list, past August titles, or the Hall of Fame titles and authors. If you are not voting and participating, I recommend it! Read more about it here. 

August 1-7 is International Clown Week: This can clearly be made into a display of children's materials. Don't forget to look at adult fiction about circuses and clowns as well as non-fiction in your collection. There are plenty of movies that you can also include. 
The Ringling Circus Museum has an online archive which can be linked to as part of a blog or social media post. 

In the spirit of Summer Scares, don't forget scary clowns. Book Riot has a list to get you started.
For a passive program, hide clowns in your library and have patrons search for them as a scavenger hunt. They will learn more about your library on the way. 

August is also Black Business Month. You can put up a display with biographies of Black entrepreneurs as well as general titles about entrepreneurship, starting a business, and leadership. Reach out to a local Black business leader and ask them to create a list of their favorite business titles. Use your social media to list locally owned Black businesses and partner with them to leave flyers about your programs and services inside. 

ARRR-Gust: International Pirate Month will also be upon us. Displays with youth and adult materials should be easy to set up. Goodreads has a long list of pirate books to get you started. Be broad with how you define pirate and include space pirates as well.  Allow patrons to vote on their favorite pirate and post the daily results online. Don't forget to post staff favorites. 

A final suggestion is National Simplify Your Life week. Your non-fiction collection likely has more than a few books about minimalism, cleaning, organizing, and so forth. Don't forget books about financial simplicity or frugal living. Books on happiness and how to find it would also work as would meditation titles. You could solicit ideas from patrons about how they simplify their lives and share them. 

I hope this has given you a start for August!