It's Hot Outside, So Put Up Some "Chilling Reads" Displays

It is very hot outside in a lot of places. 

Thanks, Becky, for stating the obvious.

Look, I know it is obvious but are you scrapping whatever planned displays you have up right now (big or small) to help your patrons deal with it? We do this when an author dies, so don't tell me you don't react to current events with your displays.

When you put up displays that show your patrons that you are flexible and reacting to what is happening, they pay more attention. They see that you understand them and are ready to help them. You are showing them you are thinking of their needs over all else.

So we need to put up some "Chilling Reads for Hot Days" displays ASAP. BUT (and it is in all caps for a reason, this is a bog BUT), do not just put out books set in the old and/or snow. 

No, we need to think broadly about what makes something a "chilling" read:

• Cold and winter setting books
• Genres that thrill and chill-- thriller, suspense, psychological suspense, and horror
• If you can include nonfiction-- paranormal investigations, adventure in cold places, true crime

You can find all of these titles using your own catalog by searching for keywords and/or genre tags. I promise you, you will not run out of title options. 

Think broadly, mix up genres, and do not include those big name authors (your patrons know those books and our displays should promote the books people cannot find without our help). This is also an easy display to make diverse because the barrier for entry to be included on this display is so low.

Now, if you do not have one big display space, make a bunch of small signs that say. "Chilling Reads for Hot Days" or just "Chilling Reads." And spread the titles out wherever you have space. Just make sure you have mixed up the options. 

The key here is to stop thinking so literally with your displays. "Chilling" is not just cold. Lots of things give people chills and you are serving lots of people. The more definitions of "chilling" you have, the broader your display options are. The broader your titles on that display, the more readers who will look at it and find something for them. The more people who find something for them on one of your displays, the  more people who feel the library "gets" them. They will return. They will tell their friends.

You can take it one step further and make the display interactive by using my Conversation Starter to Display post/handout.

Add a question at your display, at every service desk (because this is an all ages questions, even the AV area can participate), in your online spaces, and put a bookmark with it in every books on the hold shelf (again details on how to do this is here).

Ask people, "What is your favorite 'chilling' read?" The key to all successful conversation starter to display questions is to make them as broad as possible so as to encourage a wide range of results that represent the wide range of readers who use your buildings (not just those who use it the most often). And if your examples are broad, then their answers will be too.

So please take a deep breath. I know I just told you, on a Monday, to scrap your plans and change out the display, BUT, I promise you, it will be worth it. Everyone coming in will be hot, and to see this display in the library will ring very true with their current experience. They will feel a connection to you even if they do not stop to check one of the the titles out.

Please make sure you have this display in every service area, so the whole family can enjoy their favorite chilling reads for hot days.