I would use the following methods for marketing a
fiction collection:
Displays
I’m a big fan of displays in the library. I think they are eye-catching and draw
attention to items that patrons wouldn’t normally consider. And while it might be corny to some, I would
like to have displays that coincide with holidays or events. For example, right now in my town, the
Kentucky Derby is a huge event, so any library you go to at this time most
likely has a display about Derby history, horses, and bourbon. I would have themes for Valentines Day (romantic
reads), Halloween (horror/suspense), etc.
Book
Clubs/Talks
I had never attended a book club prior to this
class, but having done so, I am now a fan.
I would like to have more open type clubs, like the one I attended,
where the readers don’t necessarily read the same book, but discuss what they
have been reading in general to open up a vast array of new titles to other
club members. I would set up the clubs
by genre (mystery, literary fiction, etc).
Library
Recommendations
I love the idea of staff recommendations, and I
would include this on the library website for patrons to view at their
leisure. I would ask the staff to give
just a brief commentary on the book and why they liked it, also providing a
method for the patron to email the staff member to ask questions about the
book. I would post signs in the library
to bring the program to the attention of patrons in case they were unfamiliar
with the website. Not only does this
market the fiction collection, it markets the website as well.
I think your open style book club would be a great way to promote the collection! You don't have everybody clamoring for just one title, but you've got a range of books to choose from. Word of mouth is a powerful resource, especially as people learn who has similar tastes and they can continue to read works that others recommend. Building up that trust can be hard at first, but once people realize they have a favorite book or author in common, there's no stopping the recommendations!
ReplyDeleteHi Melanie!
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of displays, too. What I really love about them is the opportunity to use props. Last December I did a Nutcracker Suite display and used a nutcracker from my collection. What I quickly learned, however, is that our library needs more nutcracker books. Although it was full when I started, it was quickly depleted and I was scrambling to find additional books. I used some biographies on Tchaikovsky and some other random ballet books, but it didn’t have the same feel. I was reminded of this when I read Saricks’ (2005) article in which she says that before creating a display, to make sure “…that enough good titles are available beyond the first 20 so that the display can be properly stocked for the expected time it will run.” Now I create a list of books for a display before I even start!
Saricks, J. (2005) Promoting and marketing readers’ advisory collections and services. In Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library. Chicago: ALA. 136-160.
Melanie, when I worked at ACPL I always shared what I was reading when we did our staff recommendations. However, we slowly moved from providing staff comments--"one of the most beautiful books I've ever read;" "fast-paced, but a cozy read," etc--and just shared the titles. That made me sad, because I think what's so appealing about staff recommendations is actually hearing what drew the staff member to that title.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if the place where I work now does staff recs. I should probably mention that, lol, because I'd love to see us start!
Great post and wonderful ideas, full points!
ReplyDelete