Children's Book Displays

     As with any organization, there are pros and cons to a library being governed by county or governmental

agencies. One of the downfalls is that there are a number of policies governing book displays and the like. I currently work at a small urban library where juvenile materials account for 30 percent of the circulated items. This, however, includes the numerous stacks of Spongebob DVDs that parents check out for their youngens daily. In order to bolster the number of books children grab from the shelves, I decided to create a display to call attention to "noteworthy" reads (which will be defined at a later point).

     Here are the issues with creating displays when you work for a county agency. We cannot have "signs", meaning flyers with text on them unless they are approved by administration. Essentially, we have to "show, not tell". Additionally, many managers are weary of having displays that look too handmade. We want to maintain the look of the library, but also draw patrons to our printed collection. Also, we are not allowed to tape or pin materials to the wall. Not too many obstacles, but enough to force one to think creatively.

   
  We have, so far, done a display for MLK day, Valentine's Day, and Dr. Seuss's Birthday. I must say the Dr.Seuss board has been, so far, the most successful. It's hard to tell, however, if this is because Seussical tales sell themselves or because people are entranced by the pink pom pom trufulla trees. I'll continue to track the circulation success with the boards---or even record the feedback received about them.

Has anyone done anything similar to bring attention to bits of their collection? Please feel free to share in the comment section!