Book displays and online book lists work for those patrons
who enter your buildings or view your website and social media accounts. It is
possible to extend your outreach to those in your community who aren’t
currently using the library. By increasing the percentage of members of your community
who use and appreciate the library, you are increasing the stakeholders and
voices who can be asked to speak up during times when your library could use
more defenders such as when budget cuts are on the horizon.
One option is to partner with local businesses and non-profit
organizations to create book lists designed for their customers or clients.
Books and Brews for a local microbrewery would be an example. Create bookmarks
that their customers can take with them that have a suggested lists of titles
as well as basic information about your library. Small fliers or posters with a
QR codes to eBook displays and your website can also be made available. The idea
can be expanded to include whichever agencies or businesses that your library
partners with.
Building a relationship with your community is beneficial as
far as bringing your library to the forefront of residents’ minds as someone to
partner with in other kinds of projects and events. You may find that your
library’s opportunities to expand its reach increases through bookmarks and
online lists. Programming ideas could be created through this kind of partnerships.
Local experts in a variety of areas, craftspeople, or local historians may be
discovered and brought into your library.
Another idea would be to use donated books to expand your
reach. Use labels and stamps to brand them with your library. Create a label or
flier with read-alikes and put it on each book. Add a bookmark with information
about your library including digital services. Reach out to places like doctor’s
offices, laundromats, barbershops, beauty parlors, senior centers and so forth
with an offer to add free books for their customers to read or take with them. Provide
a contact who can drop off more books when necessary. Giving away the books in
a program such as this will be more valuable than whatever book sale revenue
your library may lose.
Finally, look to local events, concerts, and festivals.
Create book displays, online book lists, and social media posts to promote them
and in exchange ask for permission to do a library card sign up at the venue.
Patrons can get on the spot readers advisory, take away information about
library resources, sign up for cards, and so forth (depending upon your library’s
technology.) Patrons will both find out about events in their community and those
who attend local events can be reminded about their local library.
If you brainstorm with your co-workers, you can likely
discover other opportunities to expand the idea of a book display or book list outside
the walls of your library and into your community.
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