Tuesday, August 11, 2020

American Dirt Read-Alikes

Suggested titles to pick up while you are waiting for American Dirt

This display was a way to encourage patrons to read more about Mexico, Mexican Americans, migration, immigration, etc without being judgemental. You can encourage them to do a deeper dive on the subject as well as to read books by authors they may have not yet encountered. It was a mix of fiction and non-fiction and included a variety of genres. Read alike book displays allow your library to bring midlist and older titles to patrons' attention. 

Westerns! We got them!

Image of book display with various western booksSign from western book display -- "If you wear western clothes ... Are you ranch dressing?"

Westerns circulate well at my library. We put them up several times a year, often when there is display fatigue. Another librarian set up the display and made the sign. 

Large print westerns circulate better for us. This display is another example of moving books out of their regular home and into another area. It's also easy for anyone to fill. 

Women in Horror Month

February Women in Horror Month book display with fiction and audiobooksWomen in Horror Month book display with a variety of titles  included.
in Horror Month book display including audiobooks. Be as broad as possible in interpreting the genre when you put up genre-based book displays. For horror, that could include slipping in some suspense or thrillers. As always, check your display for inclusion. 
Don't leave horror for October only; I guarantee you that people will check out horror all year. 

Black History Month - Black Authors and Literature

Black History Month book display featuring non-fiction about black authors and literature.

Black History Month display with titles from the 800's on literature and authors. This particular part of non-fiction does not generally circulate well at my library so this was a chance to highlight it in an area with more foot traffic. 
The previous display emptied out. For month-long celebrations, I try to start with a list of ideas so I can replace them quickly. I also use a generic sign template. 

Clive Cussler Memorial Book Display

Clive Cussler memorial book display after his death in 2020.Clive Cussler book display put up after his passing in 2020. These are easy to put up and can help circ backlist titles. Don't forget large print and audiobooks as well. Another suggestion would be to add a handout with information about your ebook collection if it includes the author's titles. 


Mardi Gras/New Orleans

Mardi Gras book display with titles about New Orleans
One of my favorites, , asked for a Mardi Gras book display with New Orleans themed titles. I started with just fiction because that was the fastest and easiest.

As the display emptied out, I added non-fiction and audiobooks. For non-fiction, some places to check are: biographies, music, cooking, history, and travel.

Edgar Award Nominees

Book display with Edgar award nominated booksThese are Edgar award nominees from the Mystery Writers of America. I always post the list with any display about awards as well. It can be filed in with other books by the nominated authors as well as winners and nominees from previous years. 


ARRTCon 24 Presention - Marketing Your Collection, Programs, and Services With Better Book Displays.

I am a huge fan of Chicago-Area libraries and their library workers. Every time I visit, I learn something from the trip. Recently, I was fo...