For this prompt, I am choosing Romance.
Our library has had some romance-specific promotion - most notably last summer's Steamy Summer Reads, which was a display and a blog post - but for this promotion, I would like to encourage readers to cross over into romance from other genres. I believe that an effective way to do this would be to bring in popular movies and television shows and connect them with romance novels. While some of the connections could certainly be with traditional romantic comedies - If you liked "27 Dresses," try "Bet Me" by Jennifer Crusie - and some could be straight connections between books and movies or television shows, like the "Outlander" television show and book, I would like many of them to be connections that may not be immediately obvious. Many movies that would count as romances, or at least have romantic elements, are accepted in the mainstream in a way that romance novels are not. This could include a diverse group of well-regarded, popular, and "classic" movies and TV shows, such as "Groundhog Day," "Silver Linings Playbook," "The Princess Bride," "Bridesmaids," "Amelie," "Edward Scissorhands," "Dirty Dancing," "Gone with the Wind," "The American President," "Giant," "Game of Thrones," "Downton Abbey," "Doctor Who," and more. These could chosen from some of the most popular movies and TV shows checked out from the library, as well as including recent award-winners and movies considered to be "classics."
After the movies/TV shows and corresponding books are chosen, there are several methods of promotion:
- A display can be created, with both the DVDs and books displayed together. (There should also be pictures of the DVD covers ready in case the DVDs are checked out.)
- A series of blog entries can be created to promote the display. Each blog entry would show the DVD and talk about the movie, maybe even including a clip of a favorite or particularly popular scene if available, and have a list of books, with a short explanation of why the books were chosen. Blog entries will be promoted across library social media platforms. This blog entries can also be converted to Word documents and put into a binder for future Readers Advisory interactions.
- A short video can be made explaining the promotion and highlighting a few of the matches.
- A press release can be written and sent to the local newspaper; this can be included in the weekly book review column published in the local daily newspapers.
Patrons who check out the books can also provide feedback on the book, and whether they thought it corresponded to the movie, via quarter-sheet feedback slips. This can help staff members tweak the lists created for this project. Patrons who return their feedback slips by a certain date can be put in a drawing for a small prize, such as a library-branded book bag.
I think this is a really neat idea to connect the books with movies and tv shows to help draw patrons to them. Some patrons are more for books and some more for movies, so this is definitely a cool way to help those patrons bridge a gap and enjoy both.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of allowing patrons to express their feedback about what they've checked out. This also helps libraries to determine what future displays should be and keep track of how patrons respond these displays.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you included both TV & Movies. My mind mostly moves toward movies. Also, I think the idea of offering a prize for the feedback is a great idea. Perhaps it will motivate a few more people to be engaged?
ReplyDeleteI always like to offer prizes, or the chance at a prize. I know I'm more likely to do something if I might get something out of it (even though I almost never win). Our library-branded bags were a HUGE hit during our Summer Reading Club last year, with people asking if they could have more, so we've been using them as incentives for all sorts of things. Our other big prize? Coupons for free prints and copies at the library!
DeleteI have always like the movie/television/book tie-ins, especially if they are available nearer the front entrance. Our local library is lucky, we have shelves that branch off nicely from the lobby area. The new age of serial television is so popular, this will only increase a new potential for reading promotion. Some of my close friends who are consistent readers seem to be trading more of their reading time to follow television. The movie idea works, I have read books that I wouldn't have considered, because the movie was so moving.
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