I think that the best marketing strategies for attracting patrons to a library's fiction collection should ideally involve a mix of input from librarians and the patrons themselves. Throughout this semester I've learned about many different methods libraries have used to drive circulation rates, so here are just a few of the ways I think could be very effective in showing off fiction:
1. Book displays are easy ways to showcase various fiction titles. Endless possibilities abound for display themes, and as I write this I keep picturing different ways of creating some great attention-grabbers. I really liked the "Good Books You May Have Missed" cart idea from the Saricks reading for this week, which can offer options beyond new releases and blockbuster titles that can overshadow amazing but forgotten books. I also liked the idea of short weeklong displays, which lifts the burden of continually restocking after patrons have checked out display copies.
2. Book clubs are a great opportunity to raise fiction circulation and awareness of new or previously unknown titles. Library-sponsored book clubs are a way for librarians to suggest new reads based on the interests of club attendees. Librarians could also encourage patrons to form their own book clubs or reading groups and offer resources on selecting books and questions for book discussions.
3. Rather than creating book annotations and staff pick lists - which are great methods themselves - I like the idea of compiling "Your Favorite Reads" lists. Patrons could submit their own reviews on books they have read and enjoyed, and they would be displayed in the library for other library users to see. I think it has the potential of being a little more meaningful when the reading suggestions come from the community and people you know rather than from bestseller lists and outside recommendations.
Thinking about "your favorite reads" make me think about an occasional patron question we get. We occasionally have patrons that ask the title of a book they read in the past and returned. Our system has been instructed to forget such things for patron privacy reasons. However, the Overdrive Kindle books go through an Amazon account, and Amazon remembers. To an increasing degree, I think our patrons will expect us to use that information like Amazon does to predict what their preferences will be.
ReplyDeleteKeith,
DeleteThis is so frustrating, and I can completely relate! You either have the patrons who won't even share an e-mail address with you so you can helpfully send them a due-date reminder e-mail and monthly newsletter (because they're convinced you're selling their information), or you have the patron who is really angry that you don't have the past 5 years' history of all of their checkouts! I guess we can't make everyone happy - but it would be nice if we could at least keep these records for eBook checkouts for patrons in their OverDrive accounts!
I like the idea of having patron book reviews displayed in the library, but I think the patrons at our library will need a little motivation. During our summmer reading programs adult patrons can earn chances for prizes by reading books, liking us on Facebook, attending programs, etc. I think that this summer another way to have them get entered into our prize drawing will be to fill out a short book recommendation form. Then we can combine these reviews into a "Our Patrons Recommend List" or something like.
ReplyDelete