*This article originally appeared in the March issue of RA News. Subscribe<http://www.ebscohost.com/novelist/novelist-special/subscribe-to-newsletters> to RA News and any of our other newsletters.* When I'm not writing for RA News or working as Marketing Director at Lawrence Public Library<http://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/>, I blog about practical marketing for public libraries at www.658point8.com<http://www.658point8.com/>. Any given week, I'll write about trendy things like social media engagement<http://658point8.com/2012/12/07/social-media-strategy/> or scintillating topics like how to write a better subject line for your email newsletter<http://658point8.com/2012/07/20/on-the-subject-of-subject-lines/>. However, when I review my blog stats, it is not Facebook or Twitter or content marketing that readers are most interested in. Hands down, the most popular post ever on my blog - one that readers find while perusing the archive or by googling for information on the topic - is "Ten Tips for Better Book Displays<http://658point8.com/2012/02/06/ten-tips-for-better-book-displays/>".
As a marketer who reviews statistics and demographics constantly, I find this fascinating. The Google search terms that lead people to the post include "how to make a good book display," "library book display ideas," and "better book displays for libraries." This information leads me to two conclusions - 1) libraries are doing book displays and 2) librarians want to make them better. I write a lot about social media engagement, but it is clear that even in the digital era of e-books and Pinterest, visually appealing physical displays with interesting topics are still a great way to engage readers. Since writing that post, I've corresponded with lots of librarians about this topic and have thought more about what makes a good book display. For this issue of RA News, I've expanded the list from ten to twenty and changed them from tips to rules, as I think they are pretty solid words to live by when it comes to designing displays. Don't be surprised if the next iteration is published as a "Book Display Manifesto." 1. Displays should reflect your patrons' interests, not your personal interests. You might be fascinated by ancient Japanese sword fighting or the history of dominos, but that doesn't mean that books on those topics will make a good display. Read more: http://www.ebscohost.com/novelist/novelist-special/twenty-rules-for-better-book-displays?goback=.gde_1436677_member_220292437 Stephanie (Sara Leah) Gross MSLIS, MATESOL Chair, AJL Mentoring Member, AJL Librarianship and Education Committee Pollack Library Yeshiva University 500 West 185th Street New York NY 10033-3229 212.960.5442 Skype: Stephanie.l.gross http://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanielgross http://yeshiva.academia.edu/StephanieGross "As we look ahead to the next century, leaders will be those who empower others." - Bill Gates.
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