The Enormous RA Boon of Bob Dylan Winning the Nobel Prize in Literature

By now you heard yesterday’s announcement of Bob Dylan as the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Not surprisingly, there have been a wide range of strong opinions throughout the literary and library world about this announcement.

But today I am here to tell you to put aside your personal feelings [be they positive or negative] and welcome this news as an amazing chance to do some whole collection marketing at your library.

Bob Dylan is the absolute best Nobel winner EVER for libraries because promoting this award means we can showcase the full range of what the library has to offer to our patrons. Bob Dylan, that’s a topic tailor made for the American public library.

You can make a display with books [at all age levels, fiction and nonfiction], music, and movies featuring Dylan, yes, but you can also have side displays on topics that intersect with him like, but not limited to:

• songwriting
• protest music and/or poetry
• Dylan's influences
• those influenced by Dylan
• 1960s or 70s- height of his popularity
• outside the box award winners [in all fields, not just literature]

For these topics you can also have displays of books, movies, and/or music too. 

The possibilities are endless which means you can do just about anything. Don’t fool yourself. We probably will never have this popular a Nobel Laureate again. Take advantage now.

And since the public equates the library with literary prizes already, they will be coming to see what we have for them. Juts Dylan winning will drive traffic into the library. There is so much by and about the man that many people will have no idea where to begin, but they willed to the library for help.

So let’s get ready people. And let’s get ready to shine! We got this. Let’s show off the breadth of our collections, the variety of formats we own, and our wonderful staff by embracing this announcement and using it to showcase our awesome selves.

And while people are visiting for the Dylan inspired displays, remind them that you are always there, right in their neighborhood to help them find their next good read. They don’t have to have a reason to come visit.