Week 15 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.


I am a big fan of bookmarks and paper displays that highlight books and that can be hung on end caps or hung up around the library. I do not always have the titles at my branch to put on display nor have the room in order to display as many titles as I want patrons see. So having flyers or papers displayed with the titles is a great way to get the information to patrons. I make some of them with series that have flashy covers or with books that have a current popular subject.

Another thing I do to highlight fiction is to have display near the door. Its the first thing that patrons see when they enter. Because I have a small branch, I do not get a large selection of new titles, so when I go into bookstores and see books that I think my patrons may like I take a picture of them. I later come back and place holds from my main branch to put on the display. It usually says, "Did you read this title?", but sometimes I change it to if you like...."Patterson or Steel try these".  

We also place a flyer with the coming soon fiction titles right at the checkout desk. As the patrons are waiting for me to check them out, almost all of them find an author they like with an upcoming title and ask to place something on hold. 

I have always considered this a form of readers advisory and not advertisement. But after reading the lesson this week, I can see how the two of them are sort of the same thing.