It can be difficult to make great library displays, and I admit I’m not the best at it. I’m not smart or organized enough to make sure my displays are rotated on time. Sitting and thinking about a display is really difficult in my opinion as every time I try to do one I think that I fail at it and don’t do it as well as other people.
This is where social media comes in. By using Twitter and Instagram, I think you can come up with some pretty amazing library display ideas that won’t take up too much time or break your budget.
Using hashtags like #LibraryDisplays can just be one way to come up with some great ideas to keep the library displays going in your school or public library. I’ve included a series below of some general discussions about this.
Viewing video games or memes can be tricky. Going too hard in front of teenagers and middle graders is a death sentence. I was concerned when I was doing one called Books to Read if You Love Fortnite, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one too. I also feel like this one works because it’s a little more subtle and really makes the books pop out. This display is very popular with students. I have it right on the door when they walk in and it kept them open many times.
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Using sticky notes is a great way to create colorful displays. I haven’t done this in a while, but in my opinion two things speak in favor of it. It’s nice and bright and has student voices in it. I love that students contribute to a library exhibition, it helps everyone remember that the library is their space and their voice is important.
This one takes time, but is something you can add and change over time, making it a more permanent display. I made a version called Books to Read Before You Leave Glenthorne, and to be honest, I’ve shot a few here and there and added more. It hangs on the wall next to the computer area and gets a lot of attention too. Many students have approached it, felt it in the air with their fingers, and tried to see if a cover would jump on them. I love to see that.
Photo credit: Emma Suffield
This is another great use of Sticky Notes. This time it’s not about promoting books, it’s just to allow students to say nice things about their teachers. Teachers are busy, students are busy, often long, low number of interactions only happen when something negative is going on, this is a great way to counteract that. Helping students share some love is a simple idea.
This one attracted a lot of attention, not only because I included a cartoon of Er that is not mentioned. I made this little ad around the time I was doing my library class on misinformation and responsible research. I used it to highlight our new nonfiction books and it was very popular.
In my opinion, it’s okay for library displays to have a message. I wanted this one to stand out and it did. Read Woke is an brainchild of Cicely Lewis, an amazing librarian who started some amazing initiatives. I wanted to do an exhibition to highlight the amazing variety of stories from different authors in our library and bring important social issues to light.
Library displays have the ability to scream very loudly in a library without actually saying anything. They jump at you, demand your attention, and make you think about things outside of your own headphones.
