Fun with Displays

You know those days where all of the kids have the same assignment?  While this happens a lot, the one that is our least favorite is Michigan biographies.  It seems as if all the classes in our service area have the same assignment at the same time to coincide with Michigan week at the end of May.  Now I don't know how familiar you are with Michigan.  We have a lot of nice things going for us-camping, lakes, etc.  When you talk about famous people, not so much.  Then there is the fact that there are very few books written on the Michigan famous people other than Henry Ford and Rosa Parks.  The kids who come in on the first day the assignment is passed out are all set.  It's those kids who wait until the last minute that really need our help.

This is our Michigan biographies display.  I like it because it helps the librarian quickly see if there are any biographies available.  It also gives the kids a choice in famous people instead of just giving us a blank look when you ask who their report is on.  We had to really stretch to pull this one together.  Anyone with any sort of Michigan connection is pulled, whether they were born here, still live here, or played for a sports team.

In addition, we have a sign highlighting our Biography In Context database.  This is to help those kids who need multiple sources for their report.

Here are today's tips for creating a display:
1.  The area you are using should be clean (not dusty).  After all, if you see dusty items on store shelves, do you really want to buy them?

2.  If you are using sign holders, they should be in good condition.  This includes no big scratches or cracks. 

3.  Pull visually pleasing titles.  I like ones with bright colors or fun illustrations on the front.  Covers should be in good condition, even if you have to add some book tape or replace the book cover.  This is a good time to check over the section for books in need of repair.

4.  Size matters-it creates interest.  Big items should be in the middle and little items should be on the outside (think pyramid).  This will draw your viewers eyes into the display.  You can also start small and continually get bigger (like on my second shelf above), similar to a ramp.  This is something, though, that you only want to do once and not throughout the whole display or it will look chaotic.

5.  Can you pull items from more than one section?  Can you add dvds?  While I didn't do it here due to the theme, this makes the display fun.  It also highlights your different collections.  I get a lot of people saying, "Oh, I didn't know that you carried_________."

6.  Can you pull in a web presence?  This could be QR codes, highlighting your databases, or taking a picture and posting it on your library's Twitter account.  With so many people having mobile technology, this is a great way to reach them.

7.  Do you need a sign?  Some displays are obvious, such as all books on the Titanic, and wouldn't need one.  Some need a little help or you want to make a connection with something, such as a Michigan biography display and a Michigan biography assignment.  You want the lightbulb to go off in people's minds when they see it.

8.  Refill.  Refill.  Refill.  No matter how much it excites you to see empty holes because it means the books are going out, the point is to highlight your collection.  You can't do that if people can't see the items.

Random display fun-if you are out shopping at one of your favorite stores, pull out your smartphone and snap a picture of displays that interest you.  Go home and look at the picture again and figure out why the display was appealing-was it colorful?  Was it filled with items?  Was there something else?  Stores have merchandisers and libraries don't.  This gives you a chance to learn some tips from them.

Poetry Month Display

This is a display that I have been looking forward to putting together because it encompasses so many different sections.  Poetry is an area that really speaks to Common Core because there are many fun ways you can pair the books.  I try to share something a little different every time I write a post on displays (feel free to check out the tag on the right for past posts).  This time I am going to talk about what books to use.  

While you could highlight only your poetry section (811.54), chances are that customers are already finding it.  We have a lot of school assignments here where kids are required to read poetry.  The first kids always pull all of the Shel Silverstein books and then they choose based on length and covers (we all remember what it was like to be in school and have five assignments at once).

Let's start by pulling some fiction into this display.  While it may be shelved in your jfic area, there are great books that really are poetry.  Why not pair them with poetry?  Three examples that come to my mind are Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, Diamond Willow by Helen Frost, and Love that Dog by Sharon Creech.  There are more, especially if you search the YA area too.  An added bonus for us is that all three of these books have won awards (1 Newbery and 2 Mitten).

Next up, why not check out your nursery rhyme section (398.8).  While many are for the younger set, there are some good books for older kids.  Personally, I like Mother Goose Numbers on the Loose by Leo and Diane Dillon.  Also, there is nothing that says that a display has to be geared towards one age group.  You can use a book or 2 for little kids.  They like poetry too.  I pulled out Lucy Cousins Book of Nursery Rhymes as my display seems to have a lot of blue books.

Have you forgotten to check the biography section?  Even if you don't have a lot of books on poets, chances are good that you have at least one book on Shakespeare.  

Is there a way that you can pull your databases into the display?  We pay good money for them and this is a way to highlight them to your customers.  Two that we use here that would fit are Biography InContext and Literature Resource Center.

A sign helps to pull the entire display together.  You don't always have to be obvious, such as by saying "National Poetry Month".  This month I used a Wordle of poets' names (also to remind me how to refill the display).

Finally, raid your poetry section.  Personally, I would skip the books that everyone already checks out.  This is your chance to highlight other fun titles.  Also, don't forget to check your 821 section (British poetry).

Our final product has many different areas of the library represented, from fiction to nursery rhymes to databases.  I really like how it turned out this month.

How to Make a Good Display

This year I am working on pulling out parts of our nonfiction collection that sometimes get overlooked to promote with the new Common Core standards and school assignments.  At my branch, we get a LOT of biography requests in late March and throughout April and most of the kids want people that they can remember (lots of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln requests).  If you work in a public library, you know that as soon as the first kid or so hits the collection, all of those books are gone.  This month's display is called "Famous People" and I am adding biographies on people that you don't always think of along with past award winners or ALSC Notable Books.

My finished product!

So how did I get here?  Here are a few tips to create your own display:

1.  You will want some sort of theme to hold it all together.  It could be subject, color of the book covers, or just about anything that you can come up with.  It does not always need a sign as long as the theme is obvious (otherwise people will just dump their leftover books on top of your display because they think it is a catch-all.)  We use a sign here because our display space is in between two ranges of shelves.  I really want to push that this is a display space.

2.  Pick out your books.  You will want to keep an eye on size and color of the book covers.  You also want to keep the display interesting.  Looking at a book that has a plain black cover is not interesting.  Illustrations really do make a difference.

3.  Now it is time to arrange your books.  You will want your biggest books in the middle of the display and the smallest books at the outside (think-pyramid).  If you use a pyramid design, it will naturally draw people's eyes into the display.

Now look at color.  Are there any books that have some color in common so they look like they go together?  You will notice that the top shelf has a burgundy/red color that goes through all of the books.  The second shelf has blue on all of the covers.  The books on each side are also mostly black (it would look weird to have two black books in a row, then a light blue one).

4.  Is there anything else that would enhance your display?  I added a sign promoting one of our databases-Biography in Context.

Just remember that a good display can increase your circulation 90% on the books that are included.  This is your chance to promote your collection and to get those books to circulate!



Nonfiction Displays and Common Core

One of my goals this year is to get all of those great nonfiction materials that we order into the hands of teachers.  With the new Common Core standards being implemented, the emphasis is on more quality nonfiction.

Displays are an easy way to collect books on a theme and put them in the hands of our users.  Plus, displays increase circulation.  One study has displays increasing circulation 90% for books that were on the shelf.  Since I am just happy if they go out, a display seemed like a good first step.  Unfortunately, our building has almost no display space.  What we did have, though, was an empty range of shelves.  By shifting the shelves around, I made it look more like a separate entity, rather than books just standing up on the shelves.

This month's theme is "Nonfiction Award Winners".  With the recent announcements of the Sibert Award and ALSC Children's Notables, this is a great time to highlight some of those titles.  I figure that I will shift it around ever month or so to highlight a new nonfiction area or homework topic.

I created this display late Friday and by Monday morning, almost half of the books were gone.  That is pretty gratifying for little effort.  To refill the empty spaces, I am now adding previous award winners too since I didn't specify a year on the sign.

I think that my first step towards my goal is a success!  Now onto project #2-nonfiction teacher newsletters.