Prompt:
What do you think are the
best ways to market your library's fiction collection? Name and describe three
ways you do or would like to market your library or your future library's
fiction. These can be tools, programs, services, displays - anything that you
see as getting the word out.
Response:
Marketing a library’s
fiction collection is not always simple and must be planned. A bunch of books
thrown together as a display might not be the most effective way to market the
collection. Marketing must be thought through and planned ahead of time. The
following are a few marketing ideas.
Displays are a good way
to highlight books in the fiction collection. As I mentioned, placing random books
together doesn’t make for a useful display. Taking the time and finding a topic
of interest and books that fit this topic are important. I also think a nice
sign or banner is important because it tells patrons why the books are even
separately displayed, it also draws attention to the display. A booklist in conjunction with a display helps patrons find other books that cover
the topic. Displays during programming also help market the fiction
collection. Patrons who attend a program are probably already interested in the topic,
so a display would be a good way for them to easily find books on the topic without
having to scour the stacks.
Social media is another
great marketing tool. Social media gives the library a chance to interact with
patrons online. Social media also allows libraries an opportunity to not only market
programming and the fiction collection, but also connect patrons with books. “I believe that libraries are
missing the social aspect of social media.
The interesting and addictive part of Facebook and Twitter is the connection.
Tweets have to be more than “we have a program tomorrow” to hold patrons’
interest, and too many of that variety will make people tune out—missing that
one program that might have brought them through the library’s doors,” (Hilyard).
Libraries can post reviews written by the staff and patrons, readers’ advisory booklists, new books lists, and
start conversations about books, which could lead to RA opportunities. Social
media is a good way to highlight certain books in the collection.
The library’s newsletter
and the local newspaper are also good ways to market the fiction collection. A
newsletter would be a good spot to feature patron book reviews. It would also
be a great place to highlight some of the new books purchased for the fiction
collection. Answering readers’ advisory questions would also indirectly market
the collection. The local newspaper might be willing to publish a list of the
new books available in the library. Collaborating with the paper might result
in marketing opportunities for not only the fiction collection, but the library
as a whole.
I think marketing involves
being open to new ideas and listening to what works for others. Marketing ideas
don’t have to be specific to a certain genre. A marketing idea that worked for
Amish romances just might work for supernatural thrillers. Trying something is
better than not marketing at all. If it doesn’t work, there is always something
out there that will work. It’s just a matter of taking the time and thinking
about the community and what they might find intriguing.
Work Cited
Hilyard, Nann Blaine.
"The Expanding Scope of Readers’ Advisory." Public Libraries
49.1 (2010): 10-25. Print.
I agree, combining a booklist with the display helps patrons find related books even further and easier. That way, they can always have a list of books available and maybe even they can check off books from the list that they've read.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of having books about the topic of the program on display. I do this often when I have upcoming programs. I have a great space right at the check out desk that I use to put not only books but something else to grab their attention. During our Pirate program we had sea shells and a pirate ship. I place a flyer for the program to. I always get more people doing it this way. Most people walk right by the flyer that lists all my programs hanging on the door when they walk in, but everyone sees that display. The day of the program, I flood my library with more books and place them everywhere. Check outs get higher.
ReplyDeleteYea. We have to have some newspaper presence; libraries miss out so much by not thinking media, at least on a monthly basis. Always try, it is better than no marketing at all; the community can see any effort, trying often evolves into a more collective & qualitative action, building upon initiatives that are just getting their wings...
ReplyDeleteNicely done...
I love themed displays - especially those that are more obscure! March was national noodles month so we featured books and movies with noodle themes :) One theme, that I have found fun and random, is doing a "Your Neighbors' Favorites!" and featured just returned books (or some we might have been trying to push). While it doesn't do a lot to provide diversity in circulation, it was often something people would run by and grab a few things off it. I think that making an item seem popular and people wanted to get in the know!
ReplyDeleteI love themed displays - especially those that are more obscure! March was national noodles month so we featured books and movies with noodle themes :) One theme, that I have found fun and random, is doing a "Your Neighbors' Favorites!" and featured just returned books (or some we might have been trying to push). While it doesn't do a lot to provide diversity in circulation, it was often something people would run by and grab a few things off it. I think that making an item seem popular and people wanted to get in the know!
ReplyDeleteWe do displays as part of our programs all of the time and they are extremely successful. The first time that I set one up I figured that people would just glance by it but I have continuously found that people engage with them heavily if they are given a little bit of time before, after or during the program for browsing. I particularly like giving people the opportunity to browse a variety of materials such as magazines, books, movies and cd's that work with the program in some way.
ReplyDeleteI have also found great success in marketing via social media! Recently we had a program with only a couple of people registered but after blasting it on social media we had 10 more registrations.