Just In Case Book Display Ideas

 There will be months when you are out of ideas for a book display or are too busy to invest a lot of time in creating one. For these times, keep a list of easy displays with premade signage that can be filled quickly and replenished by anyone. Exactly what these lists consist of depends on your collection and patrons but make sure that they can include titles from every part of your collection including youth titles. As always, keep the focus on backlist titles that are not from the same bestselling authors that everyone knows about already.

Having data available about which authors, titles, subjects, and series need some attention makes this type of display easy. If you are not the person in your library system who runs these reports, you will need to reach out to them. Having this information will help you have display ideas on hand. I have done a display with nothing but fiction that was due to be weeded if it didn’t get checked out. The face outs helped them get attention and many of them were checked out.

You, of course, don’t need a formal list but at least have a few ideas that you can use when there is a time crunch and you just need something up on the display. These ideas are also useful when a display empties out and must be pulled down because there are no more titles to fill it. This is a nice problem to have because you helped many readers potentially find their next great read. But that display still needs to be filled in.

Here are a few ideas:

Cookbooks are popular but I am sure that you have titles that have been overlooked. A “Look What’s Cooking” display will allow you to bring them to patron’s attention and can be filled by anyone. Have a list of titles with lower circulation available for any member of your staff to reference.

Look in your fiction for series that are not getting enough attention. Bringing a series forward for patrons to discover will be popular, especially with those heavy readers who have finished their favorite series. Try international mysteries for those mystery fans who read every bestseller. Romance readers can be voracious. Pick a series that could use more attention on and load up the display.

Poetry is something I find circulates well when on display but which sits when it’s not promoted. A quick display of poetry is something that anyone can fill and which will bring attention to part of your collection which may not receive the attention it deserves

Book Display Idea - Five Book Friday!

 Reoccuring social media posts can be a reason for people to revist your social media pages even when the posts don't show up in their feed. A fun way to involve all staff, regardless of position, in readers advisory and marketing your backlist is what I call Five Book Friday. Everyone who works in your library system can find materials about a theme they love including books and audio-video materials. The idea can even work with your eBook collection. 

Announce the program and seek input from staff. With a calendar you can assign weeks and have part of your social media promotion set for the year. Allowing everyone to participate will add topics and titles that would otherwise be buried in the stacks to get a spotlight shined on them. Someone in your business office may love historical fiction. A member of your facilities team could love French cooking. A preschool storytime star may be an expert in space opera. Not only will this provide social media posts but it will encourage team building as staff learn about each other. 

Some examples? 

Heavy Metal - 

We Sold Our Souls - Grady Hendrix
Slash (autobiography)- Slash
Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga - Stephen Davis
Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal - Joe Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman
Fargo Rock City - Chuck Klosterman
or add two music CDs 

Witchy Fiction - 

Boneset and Feathers - Gwendolyn Kiste
Island Witch - Amanda Jayatissa
Hex - Thomas Olde Heuvelt
The Once and Future Witches - Alix E. Harrow 
The Year of the Witching -Alexis Henderson

Salads -

Salad Samurai - Terry Hope Romero
Salad Freak - Jess Damuck
Saladish: A Crunchier, Grainier, Herbier, Heartier, Tastier Way with Vegetables - Ilene Rosen
Seriously Good Salads: Creative Flavor Combinations for Nutritious, Satisfying Meals - Nicky Corbishley 
The Complete Salad Cookbook: A Fresh Guide to 200+ Vibrant Dishes Using Greens, Vegetables, Grains, Proteins, and More - America's Test Kitchen

The books can be in someone's hands or on a desk. The layout of the photos are up to you and how comfortable staff are with being on your library's social media page. Spread out the topics and make a mix between fiction and non-fiction. You can do all movie posts if that's an interest someone has. Use your physical and digital audiobooks as well. A staff picks carousel can be added to your eBook collection. 

Book Display Idea Using One Book - Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

 One book can be the inspiration for a book display or list. Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (Marysue Rucci Books, 2023) flips the serial killer tale to focus on the victims and those left behind. The killer isn’t named although he’s based upon the most famous serial killer of the 1970’s who was eventually captured in Florida. There are two narrators, Pamela Schumacher who survived the killer’s attack on her sorority house and Ruth, one of the killer’s early Washington state victims, who disappeared from Lake Sammamish State Park. By leaving the killer unnamed and exploring the lives of the women who became victims, Knoll de-mythologizes the murderer and allow the women to be complex and fully human, apart from their connection with him. Fast-paced and disturbing, readers who enjoy crime stories told from a different angle will find this book compelling.  I mention several books below which would be read-alikes for this book.

While one could go to the true crime section and just grab handfuls of books about serial killers, there are some other options I would like to explore to show how there are many ways to approach a book and fit them into a book display. The object is to market your back list and have fun with the process of creating a display or list, not create a project for an English class analyzing the text. 

For fiction, consider books like Emma Cline’s The Girls. Both are based on real crimes, from roughly the same time, and from the perspective of women rather than the criminal. Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates is another option. It tells the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969 which led to the death of Mary Jo Kopechne as flashbacks as she slowly drowns. You can add other novels based upon true crimes or novels that read like true crime. Consider novels set in the 1970’s in general as well. It was a time of upheaval and crisis which has led to many great books 

The book is set in both Florida and Washington state which present other options. Florida and its history have been part of many novels. Fortunately, many large library systems create lists of books set in their state. A display contrasting these two places, at opposite ends of the United States, would also be interesting. 

The university setting could become part of a display about the darker side of the college experience. Academic thrillers have been popular lately with both suspense and horror novels popping up. A sign playing with the idea of a syllabus or dreading the next semester would draw in readers along with the face outs. 

If you do want to use true crime, select books which also focus on the victims and their lives. Boys Enter the House : The Victims of John Wayne Gacy and The Lives They Left Behind by David Nelson is not about Gacy but about many of his victims and the lives of gay men in 1970’s Chicago. Last Call : A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green focuses on the victims of a killer who preyed upon gay men in New York City in the 80’s and 90’s. I’ll Be Gone In The Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara is almost a classic in the genre now. McNamara’s book focused on the victims and crimes of the then-unknown Golden State Killer. Finally, Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker retells the lives and deaths of five women who were the victims of the Long Island Serial Killer and the families they left behind.

Ideas For Book Displays and Other Passive Readers Advisory - Horror Edition

Horror is very popular now which makes some library workers uncomfortable because it is a genre they personally avoid. There are plenty of resources out there to help you do don't be scared! 

Remember that I am trying to avoid repeating resources in these guides. You will find horror information on some of the science fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction guides. 

One site you should have bookmarked is Becky Spratford's blog for horror fiction, RA for All - Horror. She posts reviews, trends, and other vital information about horror fiction. There is plenty of detail about the major horror awards such as the Stoker Awards and the Splatterpunk Awards. In addition, it is the place to find information about Summer Scares. A project to promote reading horror in the summer, Summer Scares is a joint effort of United for Libraries, Book Riot, Booklist, The Horror Writers of America, and NoveList, a division of EBSCO Information Services. Three titles are picked for adults, young adults, and middle grade readers. An author is selected to be the spokesperson for the year as well. It's a great way to add horror to your summer displays. The Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library creates a programming guide each year for use by libraries at no charge. A link to that is also on Becky's Summer Scares resource page. Horror themed programming is a nice way to change up your usual summer programming fare. 

ReadJumpScares by Emily Hughes includes information about horror novels including her very valuable list of this years' upcoming horror novels. Her website also lists what she has written about horror on a variety of websites. 

The Horror Writers Association is the premier organization for those interested in horror and dark  fantasy. The organization issues the annual Bram Stoker Awards. In addition to a blog with interviews and information about a variety of people from the world of horror, they also have a strong interest in helping libraries promote horror. You can reach out to them for information including how to find an author to speak at your library. 

Founded by authors Brian Keene and Wrath James White, the Splatterpunk Awards are presented annually at KillerCon. These awards are focused on splatterpunk and extreme horror. These subgenres of horror have been growing in popularity and I have found that the winners of these awards circulate well. 

Cemetery Dance was founded by author Richard Chizmar in 1988. Besides publishing books, they also feature news and reviews on their website. The right hand sidebar has links to series like "Brian Keene's History of Horror Fiction."

Horror DNA is a site with news and reviews from all over horror including books, TV, movies, and video games. 

A long time standard bearer of horror, Fangoria magazine also features news and review from horror TV, movies, books, and more. They also have four podcasts. 

If you have more resources, add them below. Also, don't forget to check out my other genre guides for sites with horror information. 

Book Display Idea - Annual Reading Challenge Suggestions

 If you need a good idea for a fill-in book display, you can always return to the many reading challenges that pop-up in December and January. These challenges sometimes have an overall theme based upon a genre and sometimes they are very broad. Each month, a prompt to read a certain kind of book is presented. "Read a book that takes place in [city/country]" or '"read a book There are months where readers will struggle to find a title. In addition, some readers will discover a reading challenge that they didn't know existed. This might be an idea you reserve until June when you can set it up a half way through the challenge theme. While I am on record as advising against too many signs and decorations on a display, remember to include information about the challenge and where patrons can find out more. 

Your book clubs can use these challenges for those months where there is a struggle to agree upon a title. There are challenges which focus on books by particular groups of authors such as queer authors or Black authors in addition to genre focused ones. 

These challenges are also a great way to get some attention focused on your back list. 

Here are some challenges you can use: 

• The Candid Cover has what is perhaps the most comprehensive list of reading challenges. Olivia has done a magnificent job providing a wide variety of challenges including those for kids, those on Instagram, and bingo reading challenges. 

• Goodreads has an annual challenge that may be appealing for those readers who use the site. It's centered around readers picking a goal as to how many books they will read for the year. Some find this approach invigorating and drives them to read more and some find that it just causes anxiety. You can suggest novellas or shorter non-fiction to help patrons "catch up." The Carnegie-Stout Public Library (Iowa) has their own version of this type of challenge. 

• Book Riot titles their annual challenge "Read Harder." There are 24 ideas to help readers "explore settings, characters, formats, genres, and perspectives that might be outside of your reading norms" The New York Public Library created a list of suggestions in December that you can use to springboard your own suggestions. 

• The Massachusetts Center for the Book has a reading challenge that would work for any genre of fiction as well as non-fiction. Your local consortia, county system etc can create one for you patrons as part of a larger program. 

• Pop Sugar has a popular reading challenge. There are 45 reading prompts for the year and 5 advanced prompts. This kind of challenge may appeal to those who like to gamify their reading or those looking for a challenge that allows the reader to pick from a list rather than be limited to just one. 

May Book Display Ideas

 May has a variety of traditional and more adventurous reasons to set up book displays. Remember that you should use your programs and local events as inspiration as well. 

Here are some suggestions for May book displays: 

• May Day- There are a variety of reasons to celebrate May day. It's the traditional start to summer. You could use Midsommer (the film) as an inspiration and include some non-fiction on wicca in addition to folk horror. 
  It's also International Workers' Day which would mean titles about the labor movement and work in general. 
• Star Wars Day: May the 4th be with you - Don't limit this display to just Star Wars films and titles. Look for other space operas in your collection which could use some exposure and put out some read alikes and watch alikes for Star Wars. 
• Mother's Day (2nd Sunday)- Besides the more obvious fiction and non-fiction about mother/child relationships and mothering in general, think about a "Bad Mothers" display. Books like Clay McLeod Chapman's What Kind of Mother can be used for this kind of display. (It would also be a great title for a display.)
• Harvey Milk Day- Pride isn't just for June. Remember the openly gay man to be elected to public office in California by putting up a display about the LGBTQ+ rights struggles of the 70's, California in the 70's, and include biographical works of other 70's gay icons.
• National Road Trip Day (Friday before Memorial Day)- I like to create a display with audiobook suggestions for car trips. This is a great way to integrate your digital collection into a display in your library. You can mirror a list online with one in your library. 
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month - Remember to look broadly at your collection and include genre fiction. A display of mysteries or romance would be a great way to introduce fans of those genres to new authors. 
• Jewish American Heritage Month- Again, look broadly at your collection. Think beyond just books about the Holocaust. I have a masters degree focusing on the Holocaust but like any community, the Jewish American experience is greater than just tragedy. 
• Mental Health Awareness Month- This would be a great display to pair with local resources or even a program. Add information patrons can take with them about any local agencies or groups. 
• Memorial Day- This is a holiday to honor those who died while serving in the US armed forces. Keep this in mind as you plan displays and any active or passive programs. Having your local veterans groups table in your library or someone from the VA come in to explain available services would be a way to tie a display into programming and make new connections in your community. 
• Cinco de Mayo - Please research the history of this holiday and what actually happened on that day before you set up a display. It's not really about tacos and margaritas. There are plenty of Mexican and Mexican-American authors you can promote from your collection. 

Summer Scares 2024

 I will recap PLA 2024 at the end but there has been a lot of good talk about upcoming horror novels at the convention. I wanted to remind everyone that Summer Scares, a partnership between the Horror Writers of America, BookList and NoveList, is a great opportunity to promote horror outside of October. 

I can guarantee that your patrons don't only think that beach reads are cheery and light. Living near the beach, I see people check out plenty of thrillers, suspense, and horror novels to take with them. Don't prejudge what your patrons are interested in and seasonally limit what portions of your collection that you market to them.

There are adult, YA, and middle grade titles selected each year. They are always back list titles that are in print. An author is selected as spokesperson and this year it is Clay McLeod Chapman who is an excellent author to suggest to patrons who think they don't read horror. You can find out more about his books here. 

There are free webinars with the authors available courtesy of BookList. The Springfield-Greene Co Library (MO) creates a programming guide each year that has ideas for how you can include Summer Scares in your summer programming. 

Becky Spratford, Readers Advisory expert and secretary of the Horror Writers, maintains a regularly updated list of resources on her blog, RA For All: Horror. Her blog includes information about the 9 books selected for this year, a link to the programming guide, webinars, and other information to help you shake up summer reading by adding some horror to your programming, displays, and book suggestions.