December Book Display Ideas

 

December is almost upon us! This year has flown by and it’s time to think about merchandising your collection for December. While there are two big holidays to consider, I would always suggest that you include some displays and lists that are not about Christmas or New Year’s Eve. Not every patron celebrates Christmas or holidays in general. There will also be patrons who are seeking a break from holiday preparations, even if they do celebrate Christmas.

I also suggest that while winter-y décor is appropriate in the northern hemisphere, avoid decorations that are Christmas oriented. For those who are not from Christian backgrounds, it can be off putting to see a tree and so forth in their library.  Perhaps youth library staff can have the youngest patrons create snowflakes to hang from the ceiling. Adding a small Menorah for Hanukkah or Kinara for Kwanzaa doesn’t balance out a giant Christmas tree in your lobby.

An idea for an interactive display or passive program would be to ask patrons to put their best memory from this year on a card of some sort. You can display them on a bulletin board with a cart of books about memories nearby. At the end of the month, transition it to hopes for the upcoming year and add books about positive psychology, planning, or hope in general. Whether or not you mediate this program depends upon your building and your patrons. Set up separate ones in your youth and young adult area if that works better for your building and the expectations of your stakeholders.

Both programs can be replicated on your website or social media. Have patrons email you their answers and you can aggregate them in a post, in your building, or online.  If they write their memory or hope down, images can be posted, and your library can be tagged with whatever tag you come up with for these programs or your online passive programs in general. Don’t hesitate to do both – patrons who primary use eBooks and eAudiobooks should not be excluded from your programs if you are able to post about them online.

Fiction is filled with winter themed titles in every genre. Don’t forget to just use books with frozen, snow, cold, frost, winter and so forth in the title. Winter horror, thrillers, and suspense novels will be popular as will mysteries and romance. Winter starts on December 21^st officially, but this display can be up all month.

It’s best of the year time. Any outlet that sells books or has book news and reviews will be releasing their best of year lists. Review them and compare them to your collection. You may find titles that you need to order. Check for books that could use a circulation boost, especially those by underrepresented authors or from smaller presses. The books which were best sellers and filled your request list don’t need the boost that a book display or booklist can provide. Remember to make copies of the lists you post online available for patrons in your buildings. You can also put a shelf talker where the best of books are shelved and add read-alikes for when they are checked out.

December also includes Pearl Harbor day. It’s a good time to dig out military history, World War II history and fiction that haven’t circulated in a while. You can pair this display with a program with your local Veteran’s Administration office or hospital to highlight available services for veterans. There are constantly new historical fiction titles about World War II being published which makes this an easy display to keep filled.

With Hanukkah and Kwanzaa both starting near Christmas this year, they might not get the attention they deserve. While your youth collection likely has many options, don’t forget to add Jewish history books and fiction by Jewish authors as well as books by Black authors and 1960’s Black history to fill in your adult display and lists.

I hope this gives you some options beyond Christmas books for your December displays. While I have put up displays with holiday movies, music, and books, I always try to add some displays that are not Christmas themed. Remember that your library needs to represent everyone in your community.

Book Display Inspiration Using One Book - Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Best selling author Grady Hendrix has a new book coming out on January 14, 2025. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is another great book which will likely have a lot of holds at libraries. He does an amazing job of creating a diverse group of young women and their complex relationships. While being increasingly more frightening as the book progresses it does include the humor that has made Grady's books so distinctive. I also was fascinated by the version of witchcraft he created for the novel.  It's a great opportunity to promote other books in your collection. As part of a regular series, I hope to show you the many ways that you can use one title on a display while promoting your holds list and digital collection. 

Here is the summary of the book from the author's website:

Set in a home for unwed mothers in 1970, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, is about four teenage
girls who are sent away to have their babies in secret. Trapped in a maternity home in St. Augustine, Florida, they’re helpless, powerless, and in despair, until they discover the power of witchcraft.

There are a number of ways that you can approach this book. It's about witchcraft but it's also about young women and their group dynamic. It is set in a particular time as well. The home for unwed mothers also has somewhat of a boarding school vibe which creates yet another path you can take. If you set up this display, regardless of which themes you use, put up a sign or bookmarks in each book with information about your holds list and how patrons can add the title to it. You can also put in a bookmark with details about a program or service you offer. 

The book is set in 1970 and the time frame of the book plays an important role in the book.  Some other books about the same basic time and which feature relationship between women as as a plot point include: 

The Girls by Emma Cline
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollett
The Summer We Got Saved by Pat Cunningham Devoto
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

In addition, you can use these links: 

Historical Fiction Set in the 1970s - Penguin Random House
Historical Fiction 1970s Books - Goodreads
28 Groovy Books About the 1970s - Booklist Queen
Making History: Six Books that Embrace the 1970s - LitHub

Another historical element in the book is the issue of pregnant young women in the era before Roe vs Wade became law. 

What Life Was Like Before Roe V Wade - PM Press
Selected Books on History of Abortion - University of Wisconsin -Madison

Also check the subject headings of the books in your collection to find other titles. Don't forget to include your non-fiction. You should have books about the 1970's in your collection, including in your local history collection. Also, check for movies made in and about the early 1970's. 

Witchcraft is possibly an easier tie-in for the book. I have some lists below to get you started:
Horror Witches Warlocks Books - Goodreads
Popular Witchy Books - Goodreads
8 Horror Books About Witches That Are Truly Scary - Book Riot
Spells and Superstitions: 13 Horror Books About Witches: Read By Dusk
New Book Bonus Annotations: Chapter 7- Witches, Curses, and the Occult: RA For All: Horror

Don't leave out paranormal romance or historical fiction while you are assembling your display. There are also non-fiction titles that you can pull out related to witchcraft and the occult. 

As you can see, a display that focused on the time period in which the book was sent would be different than one that focused on the witchcraft aspect of the book. Either would create a great book display. 

I mentioned boarding schools above so I will add some lists with title suggestions: 
50 Must-Read Books Set in Boarding Schools - Book Riot
The Best Boarding School Novels - FIve Books

You can mix all of these ideas and include some of Grady's previous works. Try to make the display focus on the lesser known authors and those titles that can use a little more light. 

Using the Bram Stoker Awards to Create a Superior Achievement in a Book Display

 If you are not a horror reader, setting up a horror themed book display and reaching out beyond the best known authors like Steven King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice may seem daunting. Most readers and library workers have at least one genre that they aren't familiar with and don't personally dive into. There are plenty of resources to assist you. Some of them I have listed here. In addition, the genre focused resource posts I have created can also be used to find great horror titles. 

I want to focus on one resource in particular today. Annually the Horror Writers Association awards The Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in these categories: Novel, First Novel, Short Fiction, Long Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction Collection, Poetry, Anthology, Screenplay, Graphic Novel and Non-Fiction. These titles recommend some of the best of the best of the genre. The HWA has also worked to make these awards as inclusive as possible which will help you curate the best display possible as you select more recently published works. 

The list of past winners can be found on the Stoker Award website. Don't just use the winners - use the nominated books as well. You can also use the back list from nominated authors as well. 

More spooky book display ideas to come!

Social Media and Passive RA - Book of the Day

 Outlets like NPR , The Guardian, and the New York Public Library (and on NYPL Twitter) feature a different book every day. Titles for any audience, fiction and non-fiction, are selected. Your library can copy this idea for your own social media. It's a great way to market your backlist and to introduce titles they may have missed to your patrons. 

This is a perfect ongoing campaign for your entire staff to become involved with. Don't exclude anyone who wants to participate. As I have said before, everyone in your library is an expert in something and they may bring out titles that you are unfamiliar with. Please make sure that staff are using titles that are in your physical or digital collection. You want to draw people into your library to check out the titles you feature!

It will take some planning to keep going every day. Set up at least a week in advance. Repeat the call to your staff to submit their ideas monthly so that you can obtain enough content. The posts can be as simple as a picture of the book with text providing a quick synopsis. You can include a link to the title in your catalog or eBook collection. These are the sort of posts that you can mirror on all of your library's social media, providing content when you don't have anything else planned. 

You may want to expand the program to have patrons submit their options for book of the day. They will need to be told that submissions will be vetted by your professional staff and that not all submissions will be featured. This should help should anyone suggest a book that isn't what your library wants to feature. 

Finally, rotate the books chosen around your collection so that every part gets it's chance to shine. It may be necessary to send out a call if you don't receive enough varied submissions. Social media is wonderful for quick bursts of readers advisory. Use this program to jump start your RA efforts online! 

September Book Display Ideas

 September is almost here already and it's time to start thinking about book displays. Planning and scheduling them in advance is the best way to make certain that they are best able to help you market your backlist, programs, and services. Have fun with them and let staff be creative but don't lose sight of how they can be a serious marketing tool. 

Back to school is the first topic that comes to mind when September rears its head. (Even though many students will return to class in August.) No doubt your youth librarians have picture books with themes including first day of school. There are also many juvenile fiction titles about school friendships and problems. Look to your adult fiction and non-fiction sections for books which reference school or teaching. Don't forget books about mathematics, grammar, and other basics. In addition, work with your local schools to see what topics, upcoming assignments, and focus areas would be most helpful to your patrons. Curate lists of your eBooks and databases that will also help students and teachers. 

Labor Day is September 2. For adults, there are fiction titles which focus on different careers and work in general, even if just in the title. Remember that we are trying to put backlist titles face out and give them some more attention rather than create a perfect collection of books on a given topic. Check your collection for books about careers, the history of the labor movement, and labor law. There are also usually plenty of youth titles covering careers and work. 

9/11 has been given the name Patriot Day. Your collection likely includes titles related to the event and the aftermath. Here are some lists with some suggestions: 

Flight 93 Recommended Reading from the National Park Service
Seven More Books Worth Reading About 9/11 and Its Aftermath from the Council on Foreign Relations
9/11: Books About the Impact of September 11, 2001 from Chicago Public Library
7 Books for Kids About September 11 from the Floyd County Library
Remembering 9/11 with Kids & Teens from New York Public Library

Mawlid, the birthday of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, is celebrated by Muslims on September 15 and 16. Collect titles about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad for adults and children. If you find few in your collection, bring this up to whomever does collection development for your library. Planning book displays is a great way to identify where your collection could use some additional titles. 

National Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15. As a build up to Halloween and spooky season, set up a display of Hispanic horror authors. The Horror Writers Association has a blog, the Seers Table, which includes interviews with diverse authors. The Smithsonian has a page with information about Hispanic Heritage Month. Don't forget cookbooks, history books, and books about civil rights struggles in the Hispanic community. 

 The autumnal equinox falls on September 22. With the growth of interest in paganism and witchcraft, your collection likely includes some titles which could be incorporated into a display. Include books with fall themes or fall images on the cover including craft books. There are cozy mysteries and romance books which would work on a display. 

Books to Celebrate the Autumnal Equinox and Harvest Time! from Evanston Public Library
Autumn Equinox from Goodreads
Autumnal Equinox: Books & movies for fall from Oak Park Public Library

International Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19. This is a fun holiday to celebrate with book lists and displays. Use pirate broadly and reach into your fiction collection to find titles. Your adult non-fiction collection likely includes books about historical pirates as well as more modern ones. Any book with pirate in the title or a pirate on the cover is fair game for a display. 

Arrr, Ahoy Me Hearties! Books for International Talk Like a Pirate Day from Book Riot
International Talk Like a Pirate Day Book List from Charles County Public Library
Books to Read for Talk Like a Pirate Day from Jacksonville Public Library
Talk Like A Pirate Day from San Jose Public Library

Hobbit Day is September 22. You should include cozy reads as well as read alikes for Tolkien's creations. For read alikes, look into the epic fantasy that your collection includes. Think about creating a book list or display that has the spirit of Hobbits rather than exact matches. Your library's staff likely have their own favorite cozy reads. In addition, include breakfast books because a second breakfast is always a good idea. 

Comfort Reads For Hobbit Day | Staff Favorites from Orem Public Library 
There and Back Again: Hobbit-Inspired Reads from Chicago Public Library 
Happy Hobbit Day! from Arapahoe Libraries
Books Like Lord Of The Rings from Goodreads
15 Books Like Lord of the Rings from Book Riot

National Indoor Plant Week is September 15 - 21. With the increase in interest in indoor plants and the rise of the "plant parent" this is a good time to review your collection for current titles on the subject. Beyond non-fiction books about plant care and identification, look for fiction with plants on the front including lush general plant themes on the front. As this has been a trend recently, there should be plenty of candidates. 

Book Recommendations Based Upon Your Favorite....

The website The Portalist recently ran an article called "Sci-Fi and Fantasy Recs Based on Your Favorite Foods and Drinks." As I have mentioned before, these sort of lists are flexible and there are really no right or wrong answers. They have been created based upon a reader's favorite character in a movie or TV show, astrological sign, tarot cards, and more. Publishers often send out lists like this as part of their marketing emails or library newsletters. 

Take advantage of these ideas to market your own backlist and promote those titles that can benefit from the spotlight that a book display can provide. Don't worry about using the same titles that are included in the email or newsletter; instead take the idea and apply it to the titles you have in your physical or digital collection. While the themes can promote creativity and provide an interesting and fun task for staff, the real purpose of a book display is as a marketing tool for the books which are in your collection and not receiving promotional help from publishers, TV/movie adaptations, or other media focus. 

Here are some ideas to get you started but don't feel as if you need to follow any of these precisely. Take The Portalist list and change it to favorite coffee drinks or desserts. 

The book to read based on your favourite Taylor Swift song - from Penguin Random House
What To Read Based on Your Favorite Taylor Swift Era - From Penguin Random House
Taylor Swift Song Titles and Lyrics Pop Up in the Names of These 17 Books - From People Magazine

Read Based on Your Zodiac Sign 2024 - from Pima County Public Library
The Best Books to Read This Year, Based on Your Zodiac Sign - from Readers Digest
Which Mystery Subgenre Should You Read Based on Your Zodiac Sign? - from Murder & Mayhem

What to Read Based on Your Fave TV Show - from Kensington Books
19 new books to read in 2022, based on your favorite TV show - from Business Insider
If You Love This is Us, Read This—And Other Book Recommendations Based on Your Favorite TV Shows - from Parade Magazine

10 YA Books to Read Based on Your Favorite Aesthetics- from Drizzle and Hurricane Books
Books to Read Based on Your Favorite Aesthetics - from Hachette Book Group
The books to read based on your aesthetic - from Libby Life

12 Books To Read Based Off Your Favorite Baked Goods - from Epic Reads
20 Desserts Inspired By Literature - from Books, Baking, and Blogging
Ice Cream Book Recommendations - from Arapahoe Libraries

Recently Read Titles - Our Black Hearts Beat as One by Brian Asman & At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca

 I recently finished two books, one back list and related to my Brian horror fest and the other an upcoming release. 

Our Black Hearts Beat as One by Brian Asman is a novella about heartbreak. I posted a short review on Goodreads, available here. It's a book with an increasing sense of dread and levels of unease. The plot, from the author's website: 

"Hearts don’t just break, they explode. Destroying everything around them."
Michael Mallory's living the dream as the lead singer of a hot, up-and-coming band, Modern Love. When a sudden breakup shatters his world, he plunges headlong into the city's occult underbelly in a desperate bid to salve his pain. Lost amidst wayward souls and brutish killers, godlings and grotesqueries, Mike's about to learn one incontrovertible 
There's nothing more terrifying than love.

Put this title up on a display with other titles about heartbreak and deep emotions. Because Michael is in a band, fiction about music would also be appropriate. There is also an occult aspect to the book. 

Stoker nominated author Eric LaRocca's next release is At Dark I Become Loathsome. My short review is here on Goodreads. From the publisher's website: 

“If you’re reading this, you’ve likely thought that the world would be a better place without you.”

A single line of text, glowing in the darkness of the internet. Written by Ashley Lutin, who has often thought the same—and worse—in the years since his wife died and his young son disappeared. But the peace of the grave is not for him—it’s for those he can help. Ashley has constructed a peculiar ritual for those whose desire to die is at war with their yearning to live a better life.

Struggling to overcome his own endless grief, one night Ashley finds connection with Jinx—a potential candidate for Ashley’s next ritual—who spins a tale both revolting and fascinating. Thus begins a relationship that traps the two men in an ever-tightening spiral of painful revelations, where long-hidden secrets are dragged, kicking and screaming, into the light.

Only through pain can we find healing. Only through death can we find new life.

As with Our Black Hearts Beat as One, this is horror which is about intense pain and loss. LaRocca's books are a headfirst dive into disturbing ideas and pain. The reader is compelled to go forward even as they can almost feel the emotional trauma of the characters. 

Because LaRocca is a Splatterpunk award winning author, search your collection for other examples of extreme horror and splatterpunk. Bring out the more extreme titles in your collection. I do suggest that you look into adding the Splatterpunk award winners to your collection. They circulate well at my library. 

You can add titles about grief, loss, and surviving loss. Because of the physical transformation, look for books about body modification.