The horror genre seems to get pushed aside until October
because it is the easiest time to create a scary display. I think it would draw
more interest to create a horror display when patrons aren’t necessarily
expecting it.
For the display, a large banner will exclaim: Horror: It’s
not just for Halloween. I think the horror genre is perfect for incorporating
integrated advisory because horror appears in many formats at the library. It’s
important to include multiple formats within displays because it makes sense to highlight all
the materials and resources the library provides. The display will feature
horror books (fiction and nonfiction), graphic novels, movies/TV shows, and
audio books. I will also include several readers’ advisory lists: horror
author lists, horror read-a-likes, horror author read-a-likes, horror book
adaptations, and if you like this movie/TV show you might like this book. I am
a big trivia fan, so I think horror trivia featured in the display would add a
bit of interactivity and make patrons take a closer look at the display. I will
also include some passive readers’ advisory by creating horror read-a-like
bookmarks and placing them in horror books. The bookmarks will feature condensed
versions of the lists. Facebook posts featuring pictures of the display and reviews of horror books and
movies will take the display online.
This is great--I think most libraries (mine included) tend to only make displays for horror materials during Halloween (or Valentine's Day in the Young Adult area! haha). There's nothing inherently seasonal about horror books, so it's a neat idea to display them this way. I really like the read-alike bookmark idea! I've seen a library do read-alike suggestions on some of the shelves (they put pieces of poster board in-between books and had it jutting out from the shelf so people would immediately notice them), but I think I like the bookmark idea even better. It's a nice surprise for readers, and it's a really inventive way to help patrons find their next read.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really good idea. We are always coming up on anniversaries and birthdays of famous works and authors. Maybe doing this around something surround Poe, King, Stoker, or Shelley will give the library director enough reason to do a horror display in a month other than October. Convincing some directors to think outside the box is akin to teeth pulling.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, young adults and adults really enjoy the interaction that takes place in the library: at the reference desk, the circulation desk, with displays, and with programming.
Birthdays of authors and anniversaries of famous works is a great idea!!
DeleteI guess I'm lucky - our director is up for almost anything we pitch as far as displays go! She's a pretty innovative thinker, though.
Great thinking! Horror definitely get's utilized more during October than in any other month. I love the idea of encouraging people to engage with it all year long. I think it would be awesome to include horror books, graphic novels, and movies in this display!
ReplyDelete