Running Books

I'm not a very sporty person, anyone could tell you that with a quick glance at me. I've always been the musical person; singing, dancing, and acting my way through life. However, that doesn't stop me from picking up some more sporty titles. I will say I usually don't tend to gravitate to them, but if someone recommends it to me, I'll add it to my (ever growing) TBR.

These books all have someone running on the cover or are about running. It's a smaller list, but still a fun one for the runners out there.

HERE is the list of titles for you to share with your patrons! 

-Megan

True Crime Books

Does anyone else listen to a True Crime Podcast? It feels like everyone I know now either actively or once listened to one of the many true crime podcasts. Personally, I listen to My Favorite Murder. I don't know what it is about these horrifying incidents that are so interesting, but they are!

But before there were podcasts, there were true crime books. While Ann Rule rules (sorry I had to) this area of nonfiction, there are PLENTY of great titles out there for patrons and you to enjoy. This display is for all the murderinos out there! 

HERE is a list of some popular true crime novels to use for this display. But feel free to just browse the 364.1523 section!

-Megan

Book's That'll Make You Cry!

Sometimes we all need a good cry. I know that when I need to cry, I usually watch the movies Steel Magnolias or P.S. I Love You. They never fail to make me sob. However, sometimes, I want to turn to a book that does the same thing. This display is for those times!

Enjoy this list of sad books HERE. This is a shorter display, but still a good one. Make sure to put a box of Kleenex near it for the criers!

-Megan 

Baseball Books

Happy Baseball Season! Have you made it to the ballpark yet? I surprisingly haven't gone yet. It's a very popular activity in my city, mostly for the tailgating! That's really the only part I enjoy, but I'm always down for something to do with my friends during the summer. 

So this display is dedicated to my friends who always drag me into the ballpark when I'd rather just stay in the parking lot grilling and having a drink!

Today's list includes nonfiction, fiction, and even some movies! Make sure to check out both tabs on the bottom! HERE it is!

-Megan

Best Books of the 2010s

When the 2010s were done, I created this book display to share all the "top hits" of the decade. However, this would be a great idea for a series of books. Each week (or month) choose a different decade and share the bestsellers on the display. Our circulation staff (who does the media displays) is currently doing this idea all summer for movies. This month, we're highlighting movies from the 70s! The display has been pretty popular so far. Can't wait for next month's 80s hit movies.

However you decide to use this display, it's a great way to get some older books circulated. As much as I enjoy weeding (which I do), it's always sad to see good books leave the shelf because they aren't circulating. 

HERE is the list of titles that I felt were the best of the 2010s. Which ones am I missing?

-Megan 

Hidden Gem Books

I disappeared for a bit. I wasn't in the mood to really blog, but I'm back at it!

For today's post, there won't be a list attached. Why? Because these are hidden gems that are in YOUR library. I've done this display two times, two different ways. You can do it as bottom shelf finds. (You know no-one likes to bend down for a book!) Or you can do it as books that haven't been checked out for a few years. It's a great way to increase the circulation of these maybe not-so-loved books.

And that's all for today! Hope you all had a wonderful June!

-Megan Redding

Currently Reading: Beach Read by Emily Henry

Asian American & Pacific Islander Authors (AAPI) Book Display

Sometimes book displays aren't as popular as others. I try not to let this get to me, but for this one, it did.

At our library, if a book display features fiction titles, they tend to move more quickly. The last display I did before this one was all Irish fiction and the titles moved well. This display? I've barely had to restock it.

After the numerous attacks on AAPI people, I felt that this display was necessary in order to show our support for the community and share their work with our patrons. However, I wonder if there is some inherent racism in our patrons by the amount of times these titles were overlooked while on this display. Why do books with white authors get so much more like and publicity than those authors with non-white sounding names. It makes me so upset.

As someone who strives to read diversely, it hurts that others don't feel this is something that is necessary. However, this "setback" will not keep me from putting BIPOC authors on our displays. If anything, it makes me want to do it even more.

Share your thoughts with me in the comments. Do you notice this happening at your libraries as well?

Ok now onto some posters and a list for you dear reader! (I used the 3rd one for my display.)

And HERE is the list of titles! Those that are highlighted have more than one book (at my library at least). 

Stay positive and Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.

-Megan

Novels in Verse & Poetry Book Display

Happy National Library Week and National Poetry Month!

Since I didn't post at all last week, I thought I would start off with a double post. Two posters and two lists for you all.

Poetry is something that is foreign to many people and may not be very popular in your library. I know when purchasing items if I see that it's "in verse" or a book of poetry, I lean away from purchasing it. However, it's important to have these novels for those who enjoy them. Also, poetry can bring out a more beautiful form interpretation and language.

So first, here is a poster for books in verse.

And here is a poster for National Poetry Month!

HERE is the list for Novels in verse; and HERE is the list of poetry books for the Poetry Month Display. 

Thank you to all the library workers out there doing amazing things. This week is for you!

-Megan

Currently Reading: Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

p.s. I decided to move to doing posts on Tuesday and Thursdays with the occasional Free Resource Friday.  

Bad Book Covers Display

It's always so interesting how there are trends in book covers. I saw a great article or video recently about this in romance novels. (While this isn't the one I originally saw, BookRiot has this awesome post about it as well.) It's so interesting how we went from books with Fabio on the cover to the new trend of illustrations of the leads on the cover. I mean we went from this...

to 

So for today's post, let's give a little love to all the books with not so great covers. While Fabio-esque covers may have been popular in the day, not so much anymore. 

HERE is the list of titles for a book display featuring books with just terrible covers. 

Have a wonderful last full week of March!

-Megan

National Geographic Book Display

Happy Monday everyone!

Today I'm doing one of my easier displays for you all. One of the things I like about this display is that it can be used for books, movies, or both. Those yellow spines are so easy to find when you need to fill a spot on the display.

The media collection at my library is often more popular than our fiction section at our library. Does this happen at anyone else's library. What's interesting with that is that we rarely have a display up for our DVDs, but almost always for our fiction. Plus we make sure to allocate a larger budget for media than fiction. Maybe our community is different than most.

 

And of course, HERE is the list.

Have a great week everyone!

-Megan

Currently reading A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

St. Patrick's Day Book Display (Adults & Kids!)

One thing you've probably learned from me if you follow this blog is that I am extremely indecisive. For example, there are 5 different versions of the display sign for this book display in my Canva! And I still don't think any of them are right! 

For this display, I thought I'd have two separate lists, one for kids and one for adults. All the books are either about St. Patrick's Day or take place in Ireland. Irish fiction is something that is loved in many communities so this display is sure to be a hit in your library!

I think the third and fourth ones are my favorites, but what do you think?

Here's the link to the books. They're all on one document, but two different tabs; one for kids and one for adults. Have a lucky day!

-Megan

Still reading A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Novellas & Short Stories Book Display

Oops I lost track of the days!

This is the current display we have up in the library I work in. While I was unsure if people would like it, it has actually been pretty popular! I defined a novella as a book with fewer than 200 pages. Some definitions put this page number a bit lower, I figured any book less than 200 pages could be finished in one sitting which is another great way to define them.

However you define it, this week's list is mostly made up of novellas, but has a few short story collections built in. Personally, I tend to read short stories right before bed because it helps me stay out of the "just one more chapter" black hole. 

For our display, I went with the first poster, but I created 2 other ones during the process. I figured I might as well share them with you all!

Which poster is your favorite? Here's the list of books! Have a great rest of the week.

- Megan

Currently Reading A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Just One Word Book Display

When I make displays, I like to try and do something fun with it that the average patron might not see. One thing I did for the longest time was always try to find a way to sneak a Stephen King book into every display. Have I ever read Stephen King? No. Why did I decide to do this? No idea. I think maybe I coincidentally had him on two displays in a row and decided to make it a theme. Can you guess which book of his is on this list?

I've always loved titles that have only one word. It's cool how so much and so little can come across with just that one little word. So I decided to make a list of them for a display? How did I have fun with this one? Well I went through the alphabet and found 2 titles for each letter! (Ok, not the funnest thing I've ever done, but it was fun to me!)

Anywho, here's today's list and the free poster for you to use in your display. What fun things do you secretly incorporate into your displays?

-Megan

Currently still reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

 

Blue Books Book Display

 I'm blue daba de dabu da.....

I found this cute idea on Pinterest and had to make it for myself. With the weather being absolutely, and horribly wintery, I thought a bright and cheerful display would be helpful. Each of the books for this display have a blue cover which matches the punny display poster. 

Do you really need a list for this one, not really, but you'd be surprised by the amount of books where the spine doesn't match the cover. The amount of times I pulled a blue spine for it to have a white cover was infuriating. So yes, a list is necessary. Luckily our cataloging system has a cover image of most books so it was easy to check. However, user beware! Books have more than one cover so the list might not be perfect for your library.

Here's the list! Hope I didn't get that song stuck in your head!

-Megan

Currently Reading: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

Read Around the World Book Display

As someone who loves to travel, I love reading books that take place outside of my home country. With the inability to travel right now, these books may mean a lot more to people. I think we all may need a little bit of escapism right now. 

One thing I did when I originally made this display was that I put a printed out the flag and name of the country and taped that on each book. Would I do that now? No. It was a lot of extra work that is already on the inside flap or back of the book. Also, based on the training I have received on making a display, we don't need to add extras to make a book display effective. 

So here are some posters and of course the list of titles HERE. If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

-Megan 

Currently Reading: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
 

Fractured Fairy Tales Book Display

Twisted fairy tales, fractured fairy tales, retellings; these books go by a variety of names. Sometimes you just need to read a story that you know the basics to in order to feel a little bit more relaxed. Or maybe you didn't like the ending to the original and now you a book that changes it. Whatever the reason, twisted fairy tales aren't going away any time soon. 

Many of the YA books on this list are ones that I have either read or are sitting on my (extensively long) TBR list. Some favorites include Cinder by Marissa Meyer and A Court of Roses and Thorns by Sarah J. Maas. I'm excited for her newest book in a few weeks!

As always, HERE is the list of books to use for this display. Leave a comment with your favorite book on the list!

- Princess Megan 

Happy Friday!

I wanted to share this super awesome book display resource with all of you. While some of it seems a little crazy and annoying, once you learn it, it gets stuck in your head. 

For those who don't want to watch, it's basically about how important it is to have face-out books and how to line up books on a display. I'll be honest, I'm not going to rewatch it for a better description than that. I watched it about a year ago and I still follow a lot of what it teaches you. Highly recommend taking the time to watch it. I'm posting the video here, but in case it doesn't work, the link is HERE.

As always, feel free to reach out via commenting, social media, or emailing me. I'd love to hear from you!

- Megan

 

Bridgerton Book Display (Regency Romances!)

Did anyone else get completely sucked into Bridgerton this month? I know most of my friends and coworkers couldn't stop talking about it. While I'm not in a relationship, it made me feel things I haven't felt in a long time. The actors did a phenomenal job and the music they chose was perfection.

The show inspired me to make a book display full of cheesy regency romances. What's a regency romance? Regency romances are traditionally romance books that take place during the early 1900s. Many of these books tend to be paperback books and can sometimes be called "bodice rippers". (Which is such a silly term that I love so much!) While I tend not to put these small paperbacks on a display, I made an exception for this one. The display was pretty popular and now I get to show off the cool display table we have at my library! I also included some similar style DVDs in this display such as Sandition and Anna Karina.

Anywho. As per before, here's the poster I used for the display (thanks Netflix for such great promo pictures!) I also have my list of materials HERE for you all to use as you choose. It's view only, so make a copy for yourself! 

I hope everyone is having a super amazing week. I have a really great book display related learning resource for you all on Friday so make sure to check that out as well.

Yours most sincerely, 

Lady Wistledown

Cozy Winter Reads (Hygge)

Last year, the library I was working at did a really fun and creative Hygge program. What's Hygge? According to Oxford Languages, Hygge (pronounced HOO-gah) is "a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)". For this program, we had puzzles, crafts, a storytime, and a very special visit from Arendale's Anna and Elsa! It was such a fun program that people of all ages really seemed to enjoy.

For this, I created a book display on books that are about Hygge or help create a Hygge feeling. I like doing displays that combine both fiction and nonfiction titles. This display allowed me to do just that. 

So here are some resources for YOU! Click HERE for a Google Sheet of titles that I used for this display. There is a tab with nonfiction titles and a tab for Fiction and YA titles. It is view only, so create a copy so you can edit it with call numbers and delete/add titles so it only contains books that your library owns! I'm also including two different signs you can use for your display!

If you have any problems with these or would like a pdf version of the signs, please contact me on one of my social medias below or email me at thesharinglibrarian @ gmail.com

Right now, my plan is to post displays on Mondays and Wednesdays with a special something else on Fridays. This could be a book review, something I learned, programming ideas, etc. Hope you follow to see what's in store!

I hope all of you in wintery climates are staying warm and safe right now! 

Lots of Love,

Megan 

Currently Reading: Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone

Welcome!

Hello Fellow Librarians and Book Lovers!

My name is Megan (she/her) and I've been wanting to start this blog for quite a while. As we were taught in Kindergarten, sharing is caring. So with that in mind, this blog will contain resources, usually book lists for displays, to help you do awesome things for your community a little easier.

Before getting started though, a little about me!

As I said, my name is Megan, I'm 28, and I am currently a part-time reference librarian at a public library outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I graduated with my MLIS (Masters of Library and Information Science) at UW-Milwaukee in May 2020. While in school, I was an adult/teen services intern at a different library outside of Milwaukee. Before becoming a librarian, I was a teacher. I have taught most grades in some capacity, but enjoyed teaching English the most (obviously). I have a beautiful and fluffy cat named Harper (she/her) and enjoy spending time cuddling with her while reading or streaming something. Outside of the pandemic, I love to travel and have been to 13 different countries around the world! I'm a huge Disney fan and hope to someday go to every Disney park around the world (only Hong Kong and Shanghai left to go!) I love learning and go to as many conferences as I can. 

What can you expect from this blog?

Well, hopefully resources to help you in your professional career. I plan on doing at least once weekly book displays ready for you to use. This will include a list of title based on a theme and a sign to post with it. I don't plan on putting a watermark on anything as long as you all do the right thing and use it, not sell it. I may also share my thoughts on current library events or things I have learned through my experiences and at conferences. Book reviews may also become a norm. Mainly, I want this to be useful to YOU! So please tell me what you want to see or what I can do to make this blog more beneficial to you.

I hope this becomes a helpful resource to you and can make your job a little easier. Thank you for all that you do and thanks for joining me on this little adventure!