It went over fairly well. It was eye-catching to teens and adults, and even the littlest patrons liked the bats I had hanging from the ceiling (you can only see two, but there were seven or eight over the whole section). I feel a display was the best idea, so patrons could look over the options and find a book that fit their mood, without feeling like I or any other librarian was pressuring them to read outside their comfort zone. Horror's a tough one to recommend, since it can very easily be too much for an individual, so an alluring display is a good bet.
It might be fun this year to create such a display, but for adults. Even non-horror readers might get into the spirit of Halloween if they saw titles by well-known authors like Stephen King and Dean Koontz available. (I've noticed that the Odd Thomas books are popular among some of our patrons who normally never touch anything near horror.) I'd also like to make it an integrated display. Our horror movies go out like crazy, so why not try to lure the movie-watchers into becoming horror readers as well? I could either set adaptions next to each other, or create a "if you like this <movie>, you'll love this <book>!" or vice versa. We have audio books for King and Koontz as well that I could add. (Our library's policy is currently no graphic novels above a teen rating, but as they prove popular still with younger adults anyway, I could probably still find some to add.)
Cute display Janelle! I normally don't read horror because it's too, you know, horrifying, but I have been interested in the Odd Thomas books for a while now. Your comment about that makes me think I could branch out and try one!
ReplyDeleteCute display Janelle! I normally don't read horror because it's too, you know, horrifying, but I have been interested in the Odd Thomas books for a while now. Your comment about that makes me think I could branch out and try one!
ReplyDeleteI love your display! Our current YA librarian LOVES Halloween and should totally do something like this!
ReplyDeleteI love your display! Our current YA librarian LOVES Halloween and should totally do something like this!
ReplyDeleteAs a librarian in youth services, I really like your display. Not only do you grab their attention, but I like that you have a wide variety of books displayed. Some may not think that they would enjoy horror, because, as Paula has so aptly stated, it's horrifying!.
ReplyDeleteBy including some other genres, such as mystery and romance, I think you've done a great job of attracting readers to the horror genre without scaring them off! As you have stated, "horror is a tough one to recommend". Your display attracts them to it and eases them into it as well.
Your display looks great,good job! I really like this idea, it's simple and gets the point across. I think one way that you could improve it/ try to lure in readers that are new to the genre is label your crossover books. For example, you said you have books that were mystery and horror or romance and horror, if you label the shelves that hold these books, I know that as someone new to the genre I would be more willing to check out the display if I knew that there were crossover books, and one that are in a genre I'm already familiar with.
ReplyDeleteVery cool display! This would definitely work for an adult display as well! I think it would be interesting to do some sort of display with horror books specifically for people who don't like horror. For instance, I don't really like horror, but I will read the occasional dark thriller that almost borders on horror. It would be interesting to do something around Halloween for people who may not like traditional horror.
ReplyDeleteGreat display! How neat that you actually did one last year and it fits in so well with out prompt. Full points!
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