Prompt: For this week's prompt, I would like you to think of
an innovative way to promote romance, gentle reads or horror at your local
library (pick one, just one!). What would be most effective? A catchy display?
Some passive programming? In what ways could you incorporate integrated
advisory?
Message in a Bottle
The library in which I work has a large number of romance
readers – many of whom follow a particular author or type of romance
(Christian, paranormal, etc.) The purpose of this display/passive program will
be two-fold: first, it will serve to introduce readers to new subgenres of
romance in various material formats, and secondly, it will allow readers to
share their reading feedback, first hand.
On February 1 (to coincide with the upcoming Valentine’s Day
season) the library will create a catch display with romance books galore. The
display structure will be decorated with love-themed crafts (hanging hearts,
tissue paper, etc. – if there’s ever a time to be gaudy, this is it!) and staff
will create short love poems that are printed and attached to various parts of
the display structure. Next to the display structure will be a bulletin board
with various wine bottle shapes cut out of paper and mounted on the board, and
a basket below will hold pieces of paper and writing utensils. Signage and
promotion (on the website, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.) will encourage patrons to
check out items on the display, and enjoy their “whirlwind romance.” Once they
have finished with the item, they will be asked to write the title of the item
on a piece of paper, and their favorite quote, and stick it on the board to
leave their “message in a bottle”. Patrons will also be encouraged to leave their
name and contact information on the back of the message, and at the end of the
promotion, staff will pick a name and give them a “date night package” which
will consist of a romantic movie, popcorn and sweet treats.
The “Message in a Bottle” display will feature not only
books, but also AV materials, magazines, and graphic novels. When appropriate,
staff will “bundle” items that are related – i.e. books and movies, movies and
soundtracks, books and audiobooks, etc. This will give patrons the opportunity to
find related items and explore different formats for items they enjoy, and
experience romance in different ways! Incentivizing the program will be of
minimal cost to the library, but will hopefully encourage patrons to
participate in this community discussion about romance, and seek out new and
interesting romance-themed library materials that they may not have otherwise discovered.
Disclaimer: I have been thinking about this idea for a while now, and looked around on Pinterest and the web to see if any other libraries have done it. I haven't found any, but if there are some that you know of would you let me know so I can a) credit them and b) copy th...I mean, not reinvent the wheel? Thanks!
What a fantastic idea! You're soo creative! I would love to implement something like this at my library!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic idea! You're soo creative! I would love to implement something like this at my library!!
ReplyDeleteI love the Message In a Bottle idea!!! I am a fan of any passive program that gives people the opportunity to recommend their own favorite reads. Do you have photos of how this turned out? I would love to see them!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea, too! We do displays but we haven't done a lot that is participatory like that! This could be a lot of fun!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat ideal that can be used with other genres as well. For summer reading this year it could be changed so that readers can read a book about heroes and then leave a note listing one of their real life heroes. Well it is a working progress. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the others, this is a very nice idea! It can be a challenge to get people to participate in things like this, but I think your idea clears that hurdle--the chance at winning the "Date Night" bundle could be just the incentive people need to add their message in a bottle to the display.
ReplyDelete-Laura Janiga
Hi all! Thanks for the feedback. Kate - I haven't done this but I think I might next year. This year I did a "Blind Date with a Book" display - we wrapped novels with paper, put barcodes on the outside, and people checked them out to go on a blind date. We even left papers in the books so people could give us feedback on their "dates" :) I do have a few pictures of that and would be happy to send them to you.
ReplyDeletePatricia, I really like the idea of that for SRP. We are also following the heroes theme and are feeling a little light on ideas for adults. I may borrow that one from you! Thanks :)
I think that is a great idea! I was picturing the board in my head and thinking about making the messages 3-D, actually sticking up out of the bottles and tried cutting out a bottle, then making a slit in the mouth where you could place a rolled up message. It worked! I was going to paste the pic here, but it won't paste, so I posted it on my blog http://whereyoureadiwillfollow.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteTina, what a great idea! Thanks for sharing!! :)
ReplyDelete