As I have mentioned a few times, I am going to be giving my Year in Review webinar where I look back at the year that just completed and help you to put it all into context. This year it is free for anyone out there in the world (live or as a recording for 2 weeks) via NoveList (details here).
That event isn't until Feb 13. Some may ask, why so late into 2024 Becky? The answer is that it takes a while until all of the data, like sales and checkouts, is counted and processed, especially because it is being gathered up to 12/31.
And then once the data is available, we all need time to use it to think about the larger issues and what it all means when looked at in a larger clump.
In fact, 2023 year in review articles and essays are still coming out. Case in point this one I saw on Book Riot, "Making Sense of 2023 Through Books."
This one is definitely worth a look. It takes many of the top news stories of 2023 and suggests a book, with an annotation, to pair with said issue. The books are mostly backlist as well.
This list is a great example of one of my 10 Rules of RA Service-- "Use the Words of Others." Click here to read how to take a list that you find in one of your resources and turn it into a suggestion engine, display, or simply repost, it credit, to your own virtual spaces.
Besides using this list specifically, I also want to advocate for you to use it as inspiration for similar lists. Take any current event, be it serious or more entertainment based, and pair it with books.
You could make this a regular in-library display and social media post. Here's how. Create an ongoing display title that says something like, "Current Events, Current Reads." Obviously, the books don't have to be current, but from the last 2-5 years ideally, but the idea of this title is to connect current events to your collection.
Now, pick a day of the week. For arguments sake, let's say Monday. This can become an every Monday social media post where you offer a topic and a few books. It is best to have titles that they can download immediately but that is not required. You can ask people to suggest titles in the comments as well.
In the building, this can be a permanent small display. On a table top, on the circulation desk, really anywhere high traffic where you can put out 3-6 items at all times. You can have a permanent sign that says something like "Current Events, Current Reads," or whatever you want to call it. Just not anything more than a title. Don't take up room with the sing. Also, don't over explain it. Don't limit yourself. The items you display will make it clear what you are doing.
This display in the building will be there all of the time. Each day, someone needs to make sure there are 3-6 books up and 3-6 in reserve. And this can become an all staff thing. Anyone can bring a book to the display area and get it in the pile to go up next.
I would also highly encourage you to offer this near the front of the library or even at the circulation desk if you have room, and then encourage all staff to participate, from every department, not just the ones with books or movies for all ages, but anyone on staff.
This will become a go-to stop of books that are tied to the real world experiences of your patrons. By showcasing a few of the titles on social media on Mondays, you can remind people that the items and the display are in the building as well.
This is a great example of anticipating the reading needs of your community. You are showing them that you want to connect our items to their real world experiences. You are showing people how relevant and vital you are.
Also, this is a great opportunity for team building. Your staff will have fun with this display. They can participate when something they care about is in the news. And when you allow all staff to have a say, the diversity of the titles you offer will be broader. Obviously a few staff members need to be in charge of overseeing it all to make sure the titles you are highlighting is okay, up to a pre-established standard, and that there are always books in reserve. But otherwise, have fun with this.
Ideas on where to find news stories? First and foremost I suggest you always have books about something serious/newsy AND something lighter in display at the same time. Using Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR news quiz and things like the NYT weekly news quiz both provide a nice mix. Most libraries have NYT access as well. But specifically on the horizon right now, at the time this post first ran, you can have books about elections, music (for the Grammys), football, Oscars, and conflicts around the world. Just yesterday, the news was filled with talk of the social media companies testifying at a Senate hearing. Nonfiction books about social media and fiction that is social media framed would have been great to add to this permanent display this morning.
As you can see, this is an easy display to keep filled, and having it available in a high traffic area is an excellent way to showcase the breadth of your collection. Think about it. We know that we have a book for every topic, but this shows the community what we know and they may not realize.
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