Week 15 Prompt Response
Displays are my favorite, creative, in-house method for promoting the library collections. A display is virtually free (unless you spend $ on supplies for backdrops, props, etc.) and can be the best way to get patrons who are already in the library to see some of the gems that may otherwise get lost in the stacks. As an example, I once realized that our children’s collections boasted a ton of Scooby Doo books but they were spread between picture books, easy readers, graphic novels, and juvenile fiction (chapter books). This could keep patrons from realizing how many options we had for this subject. I pulled many of the books from the different fiction collections together in one display early on a Saturday morning. I started with about 25 books. Saricks (2005) notes that 20 to 30 books are a good starting point for pulling books to display, as you will need some for restocking the display if it proves popular.
Well, the Scooby Doo display was hands-down the most popular display I did over ten years. And it was basic: books on a table with some easels and stacking blocks for display. No fancy signs or added information. Just the books. By the afternoon of that Saturday, I had replenished the display more than once and almost all the books were gone. In all, over 40 Scooby Doo books went out that Saturday. Does Scooby Doo make for award winning literature? No, but kids were reading and clearly excited about the books. The topic of the display spoke for itself, needing no explanation, and the library circulated books that patrons might not have thought to look for on their own.
Another tool for marketing the fiction collections is through a next-generation catalog. Over 75% of holds are placed remotely through the library catalog (Tarulli and Spiteri, 2012, p. 118). This means that patrons are online, in the catalog, looking for items that may or may not be at our physical branches. Meeting them at this point of need with RA services that market the fiction collection has obvious benefits. Integration with NoveList can help accomplish this. Lexington Public Library (KY) is a good example of this: https://catalog.lexpublib.org/?section=home. A “You Might Also Like” feature within the catalog integrates with NoveList to provide read-alikes, appeals/story elements, similar authors lists and more. Collaborative features in a next-gen catalog such as reviews and ratings, tagging, lists, links, and more can also enable patrons to learn about the library’s collection remotely. Dallas Public Library has these same features plus a good catalog homepage that provides book carousels with lists such as Staff Reads and New Titles: http://catalog.dallaslibrary.org/polaris/. As patrons are more and more used to providing consumer reviews online, using Goodreads, and just sharing online in general, using the catalog to promote fiction and other collections just makes sense.
Social media is the third tool I would use for marketing the fiction collections. Displays catch people already in the library, and catalog services reach those seeking the library remotely, but social media has the ability to reach the larger community through re-posts and likes in news feeds on a variety of platforms. Marketing the collection here gets it out to the community in a way that wasn’t possible a decade ago. Carroll notes that linking read-alike lists within Facebook posts and tweets is a way to market the collection through social media.
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| Dallas Public Library uses #DPLWhatsNext to tag tweets about what to read next. These tweets include a link to the #DPLWhatsNext book recommendations section on their website. |
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| For a more visual platform, a simple picture with a short description on Instagram can serve to market materials and link to more info. Oak Park Library (IL) often posts a display or book grouping picture on Instagram and links to more book info to be found on their website. |
Using social media to market collections was not something that my library did well. I used Pinterest frequently for my own research and for gathering ideas for storytime crafts and activities, but we didn’t use it as a community facing tool to market materials. I look forward to finding a new library position in the future that allows me to work more in this capacity!
References
Boyer, K. (2012, December 27). Using Pinterest @ The Library. Retrieved from http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2012/12/using-pinterest-the-library/
Carrol, Bill. (n.d.) Don’t Talk to Me: Passive Readers’ Advisory. Retrieved from
https://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/c-d/continuing-ed/iloc/copy_of_iloc-
2016/handouts/dont-talk-to-me/donttalktome.pdf
Saricks, J. (2005) Promoting and marketing readers’ advisory collections and
services. In Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library. Chicago: ALA. 136-160.
Tarulli, L. & Spiteri, L. F. (2012). Library Catalogues of the Future: A Social Space and Collaborative Tool? Library Trends 61(1), 107-131. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Carrol, Bill. (n.d.) Don’t Talk to Me: Passive Readers’ Advisory. Retrieved from
https://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/c-d/continuing-ed/iloc/copy_of_iloc-
2016/handouts/dont-talk-to-me/donttalktome.pdf
Saricks, J. (2005) Promoting and marketing readers’ advisory collections and
services. In Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library. Chicago: ALA. 136-160.
Tarulli, L. & Spiteri, L. F. (2012). Library Catalogues of the Future: A Social Space and Collaborative Tool? Library Trends 61(1), 107-131. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Wow, I am impressed with you creative ideas, especially Scooby Doo. I think why it was so successful, is that you separated the books out. I am sure th kids thought, since the books were singled out, this must be something unique like a special exhibit. It is funny how people react. On their own they might pass it up, but with a little creativity it becomes something exceptional.
ReplyDeleteI love how you did the Scooby Doo display! I do that in my youth department with varying topics. The most popular one has probably been the princesses display. It amazed me at how many different type and age ranges we had for princess books and how quickly the books went out. Also, social media is a great idea. Every week our "WowBrary" newsletter goes out on social media and so many people use it to find books they want to read. We could use it for so much more, though, by curating actual booklist ideas or readalike lists. You have put some great, creative ideas here. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas! Our library is reviewing different catalog options that will hopefully allow more intuitive searches and integrated RA. Beginning in 2014, the San Antonio Public Library system set up digital library kiosks at the airport and several community centers . The kiosks are made of digital wallpaper. (http://guides.mysapl.org/digitalquickstart)
ReplyDeleteI read about them in 2016, and I still think the idea would be effective outreach and marketing for other large library systems, including IndyPL.
I love your idea to integrate NoveList recommendations with your online catalog! That's a great idea to allow for passive readers' advisory with patrons who might not otherwise look for it. I like your approach to passive readers' advisory: you look for where patrons are going to use library resources and then find a way to use that for RA.
ReplyDeleteI love all your ideas and I love all the pictures! I love that you included the story about your Scooby Doo display, it's amazing some times what patrons will react to! Something I think everyone will love becomes a dud, and something I think is lame, may be a hit! Great job, your ideas are all excellent! Good use on including the links to the library catalogs, their online content is great ! Full points!
ReplyDelete