Marketing [Week 15 Post]
Marketing the collection is one of the most important things you can do if you want that collection to actually circulate. Something we do constantly at our library that was mentioned by Saricks is book displays (139). However, I have found that some are better than others. Sometimes our adult department does not even put a sign with it, so I'm not sure what the display of books are representing. Other times when there is not a sign I know they are thinking the books "speak" for themselves (the titles all being fitness related, for example), but I don't feel that is helpful for the patrons who come across the display. It could use a sign, maybe some literature, or a bookmark of other suggestions/read-alikes or other types of materials (videos, podcasts, youtube links, ya titles, etc) to go along with the display. But alas, there are only adult non-fiction fitness materials, not even dvds.
That being said, I think book displays are a fantastic way to highlight varying parts of the fiction collection. It could be used to boost circulation numbers for books and related materials that need a little more front facing time. In the youth department, we have a display for "Staff Recommended Reads" display and each month a different staff member is in charge of the display. This could easily be translated to an adult services display as well. There could be holiday book displays. As I mentioned for the Integrated Advisory Post for week six, a horror display for Halloween would be very fitting.
Another way to market the collection to use the end caps or the open ends of the shelves to place a-la bookstore-style. Obviously, you could only use the end caps of the shelving if shelving has that capability. At our library, we have a small shelf on the end of each of our shelving units. The actual use of those shelves, from what I understand, are for patrons to put books on so they don't put books back on the shelves on their own in the wrong place. However, while these shelves would not fit a huge amount of books, they would be a great place to highlight a book or two! Furthermore, our shelves are not full and would allow a book to be forward facing at the end. It would be neat to have it forward facing with a staff recommendation go with it as to why they enjoyed it.
Another idea I really liked from Saricks was creating bookmarks (144). This is something that we have never done at our library, to my knowledge. I think there could be two different types of bookmarks created for use at the library. The type that Saricks discusses would be more time-intensive and would involve picking books or materials from the collection. The bookmark would be created by taking that title and finding read-alikes to place on the bookmark. In order to highlight other areas of your collection, you could also include other parts of your collection, including dvds, ya materials, etc. That way, when the patron checks out said book, he/she will have suggestions for materials if he/she enjoyed the book. The other type of bookmark we could create would be as if we were creating a display. It could be a "Great Books You Might Have Missed" bookmark or a "Beach Reads Suggestions" bookmark. These could be placed at the circulation desk for patrons to take when they checkout.
Works Cited
Saricks, Joyce G. Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library. American Library Association, 2005.
I like the bookmark idea. I always lose mine some way, some how, so I am always asking for one. I might not lose it if it came with book recommendations. Good idea!
ReplyDeleteI think there are lots of ideas we can take from bookstores (and a lot of patrons now expect libraries to resemble them more), but I think one of the best things we can take from them are the use of endcaps and staff recommendations. I think using this space for special displays is a great idea. I also thought about using book covers and recommendations in this area for when you don't have shelf space (or want to keep the display with all the books and the books on the shelves). Great ideas!!
ReplyDeleteI think that end caps have been one of the most effective ways that libraries have marketed books to me. With displays and bookmarks, I can often ignore them but time and time again end caps will catch my eye and I will be leaving with a book I had no intention of picking up.
ReplyDeleteI am all for staff recommendations! At least, as a reader. It is as close to a personal recommendation as you can get from a busy librarian, and it seems like librarians read with different eyes from a leisure-reader; at least, maybe--with a more critical eye. I think classes like this give us a vocabulary for talking about books that we might not have had otherwise.
ReplyDeleteExcellent ideas! The more visible and prominent we make books, the more people will read them! Full points!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the idea of a bookmark, something so simple of an idea, that I had never thought of doing! That's a creative idea, which would be versatile and used for different marketing opportunities. I liked the display you chose for this assignment, very creative and professional. Fun too!
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