Unshelve Your Collection Using Celebrity Picks via Passively Recommending Books (Lila Denning)

Over on Lila Denning's blog she had a great post about Using Celebrity Picks to help you "unshelve" your Collection-- get the books out of the stacks and into the hands of readers.

I have the full text of the post below, but I want to add a few more tips to her great suggestions.

First, this idea of using Celebrity Picks for displays online and in your buildings is great, but I want to challenge you to not make the display specific. Rather, I am encouraging you to find a space for an ongoing display in your buildings that is always for all Celebrity Picks, from as wide a range of celebrities as you can image, lumped all together.

Think about it. This is a display you can have up at all times and it is super easy to fill. And, the more inclusive you are of the "celebrity," the more inclusive your choices will be, the more readers who will be drawn to your display.

Now I know library workers and many of you are not happy with this. You think you HAVE to do smaller displays or online lists separated by celebrity who is recommending.

Well you are wrong.

And in fact, it is that kind of attitude which hurts all of us trying to be more inclusive and do less gate keeping. You want the books to be unshelved, to leave the library, to not linger on the shelf. ALL OF THEM. And if you don't want a book to be checked out, weed it. 

If you only do books mentioned by a specific celebrity on a display or list, you only appeal to their fans, but when that celebrity's books are mixed together with lots of others, when all you tell your patrons is that someone "celebrity" pick these books, you invite MORE people to check out the display. And I promise you, someone who came for that Taylor Swift book is going to leave with a book recommended by someone else without know it. 

You can also add a QR code to the in person display (or a link on your online displays and lists) that leads to the list of resources you used to build it the display. I suggest having that list in a Google Doc or similar, something where when you update it, the list updates. This way you have a long list of celebrity picks lists and resources always available to you (to add to the display) and for your patrons who want something specific or need even more choices. 

And level this all up by turning it into a "conversation starter to display" moment as well. Ask your patrons what celebrities they would like read recs from and/or what lists do they want to share. Help them help you to keep this display going. Click here for my conversation starter to display instructions.

This is one you might never need to take down if you do it correctly (aka my way).

Here's Lila's post to get you started.

Unshelve Your Collection - Using Celebrity Picks

One constant is that readers enjoy celebrity reading picks. We can see this every time someone like Taylor Swift is seen with a book under her arm. I have had great success with celebrity reading focused book displays. Bill Gates and President Obama are two people who come out with annual lists. When Gates recommended a book on the history of shipping containers I put it on a displays and it was checked out the first day.

You can find lists by searching for [celebrity name] reading list , favorite books, or reading recommendations. For a different take on this idea, you can create a display inspired by a particular album, artist, movie, or song. Use the title "Reading with [celebrity name] and put up those books along with titles you have that feature that actor, musician, or author. 

Billy Porter Shares His 6 Favorite Reads — Including This Viral Self-Help Book (People)

Radical Reads: Celebrity Book Recommendations

Celeb Book Recs (Instagram)

celebrities with great reading lists? (Reddit)

20 Great Celebrity Book Recommendations (Book Riot)

Amazon Book Review - Celebrity Picks

Listopia > books taylor swift has mentioned (Goodreads)

What books do we know Taylor has read and liked? (Reddit)

Bad Bunny Reading List (from a library)

 Listopia > Beyoncé Cowboy Carter Reading List (Goodreads)

Pedro Pascal's Favorite Books Just Proves This Man Has Impeccable Taste (Esquire)

12 Celebrity Book Recommendations (from a library)

Celebrities Who Read Diversely and The Books They Recommend

The Shameless Book Club: Jacob Elordi 

Pop Star Picks: Books, TV & Films Recommended By Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Zendaya & More

Book Recommendations from Celebrities (Instagram)

Click here for more from Lila Denning's Blog, Passively Recommending Books.