Library Collection Marketing

Creating a traditional book display is perhaps the simplest, but most effective, form of advertising a library’s fiction collection. They are incredibly adaptive, and librarians can design them for any topic, and any age level, from children to adult, to even nonfiction. Seeing an eye-catching display makes a patron gravitate towards the books. Regardless of the old adage, patrons do judge book covers, according to Demco (2018), “Humans are visual creatures. We process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. It stands to reason that the individuals visiting your library are also making decisions based on aesthetics and appearance. They’re judging books by their covers, determining what they want to do at your library and how long they want to stay based on what they see and feel” (1). The choices really are endless- a book-to-movie display could be used along with free popcorn, a holiday-themed display, whatever the season or the occasion. They are also quick and easy for patrons who may not have any idea on what they are wanting to check out.

A second option for marketing a collection would be to create a program based on a book that was used from the collection. For example, a library could have a Book Club, Book Talk, Blind Date with a Book, or even a Book Tasting event with recipes from different fiction books, such as Amish recipes or recipes from books like Diane Mott Davidson, and then have a quick discussion about the books. The librarian could even take it a step further by suggesting other books that may include recipes or are read-alikes. 

A third way is to use technology. A librarian could perhaps work with an IT specialist on setting up their website so that they could be linked to the library’s social media pages or find a way to “single out” a few new books on the library’s home page. Either method could catch the patron’s attention before he or she even leaves their house. Another way to use technology for marketing a collection is to integrate QR Codes in the library that will link to the same library websites. The article QR Codes in Libraries: Some Examples by Michael Porter and Lee King (2013) on the website Public Libraries Online, states, “Half Hollow Hills Community Library in New York is using QR Codes to tag the ends of their bookshelves. These QR Codes point to subject guides related to the topics of the books on those shelves. For example, if you scan the code on the shelf labeled “cooking,” you’re directed to a subject guide on food and drink” (1). The possibilities are endless! 

Works Cited

Hornby, J. (2018). How to Spruce Up Popular Materials & Book Displays. Retrieved from http://ideas.demco.com/blog/book-displays/

Porter, M. and King, D. (2013).  QR Codes in Libraries: Some Examples. Public Libraries Online. Retrieved from http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/qr-codes-in-libraries-some-examples/

YouTube. (2017). Interactive book recommendation display. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQbETtHq-PU