Merchandising Library Materials to Young Adults

As more and more libraries acknowledge their growing teen population, young adult librarians are scrambling for quick and easy ways to make their materials more user-friendly and accessible to this age group. Using basic marketing and merchandising techniques borrowed from book stores and other retail outlets, librarians can attract teens not only to materials they need, but to materials they will like but are often unaware of. Beginning with an introductory discussion of marketing and teen demographics, the author explains the importance of identifying teens' needs and wants, and offers time- and budget- saving suggestions on how to accomplish this. Chapters on merchandising explain what it is and why it is important, and how to use display shelving and alternate ways of categorizing collections to make materials more accessible. Instructions on how to create a display, using signage, lighting, and props, are provided. Booklists, bulletin boards, and library services such as customer service and reader's advisory are also discussed. The final chapter includes 20 easily reproduceable display ideas for busy librarians, with a display title, theme, suggested props, and an annotated booklist.

MARY ANNE NICHOLS is a former school-age and young adult librarian for the Akron-Summit County (Ohio) Public Library and has been active in the Ohio Library Council's Young Adult Services Division, serving as Coordinator and Secretary. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at Kent State University's School of Library and Information Science, teaching graduate workshops on young adult services. Along with her husband, Allen, Mary Anne co-edited Young Adults and Public Libraries: A Handbook of Materials and Services (Greenwood, 1998) and together they edit the Greenwood Professional Guides for Young Adult Librarians series.