Merchandising Library Materials to Young Adults

(Hardback)

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Description

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.

Reviews

[w]ill prove to be a valuable resource for librarians who serve this unique group of patrons. Not only does it help librarians make a connection with the "business" concepts of merchandising materials to special populations, but it is full of tips and ideas to help librarians get started in developing and arranging their young adult collections in new ways....This guide is highly recommended for both school and public libraries as well as academic libraries that serve the educational needs of public and school librarians.-Teacher Librarian
A great resource for public YA librarians looking to increase library use, and there are some good ideas here for school librarians, too.-KLIATT
Although there are a lot of very specific, expensive manuals on teen services on the market right now, Merchandising Library Materials to Young Adults is a stand-out, with its straightforward marketing principles and concrete examples of how to showcase teen materials. ...an excellent source for public libraries, at every stage of developing young adult services.-Public Libraries
Discusses basic marketing and merchandising concepts that can be applied to a library setting....Offers display ideas to get started.-Library Journal
Examines publicizing public library programs for teens in marketing terms....Some useful ideas for rethinking how to configure library areas.-Booklist/Professional Reading
This combination of background and experience, as well as her passion for young adults, is the basis of an unusually well-developed and well-founded book. From it, readers will find that it is easy to think outside the box and to catch up on today's trends and topics that teenagers are interested in....This is an essential guide that has a lasting quality, enriched by merchandising principles derived from the latest studies and research on teen reading interests and behavior. Even a marketer outside the library field would benefit from Nichols' book....Purchase it and hold onto it.-Marketing Library Services
This title in the Professional Guides for Young Adult Librarians series examines publicizing public library programs for teens in marketing terms. The first of the book's chapters introduces librarians to marketing's four Ps-product, price, place, and promotion. Subsequent chapters discuss how to truly know teen patrons, which in turn leads to building collections that attract them. Nicholas then focuses on how to merchandise the collection once it is built. She ends with useful bibliographies of current titles that can serve as the core of either general or specific themes for displays. The book includes a list of vendors that provide display supplies and suggestions for customer service phrases that portray a positive image of the library. Some useful ideas for rethinking how to configure library areas.-Booklist
Using a marketing approach, this manual discusses how to create a collection that will interest teens, and how to use display shelving, signage, lighting, props, bulleting boards, reader's advisory and customer service to increase interest in young adult collections.-ARBA Online
"will prove to be a valuable resource for librarians who serve this unique group of patrons. Not only does it help librarians make a connection with the "business" concepts of merchandising materials to special populations, but it is full of tips and ideas to help librarians get started in developing and arranging their young adult collections in new ways....This guide is highly recommended for both school and public libraries as well as academic libraries that serve the educational needs of public and school librarians."-Teacher Librarian
"[w]ill prove to be a valuable resource for librarians who serve this unique group of patrons. Not only does it help librarians make a connection with the "business" concepts of merchandising materials to special populations, but it is full of tips and ideas to help librarians get started in developing and arranging their young adult collections in new ways....This guide is highly recommended for both school and public libraries as well as academic libraries that serve the educational needs of public and school librarians."-Teacher Librarian
"A great resource for public YA librarians looking to increase library use, and there are some good ideas here for school librarians, too."-KLIATT
"Although there are a lot of very specific, expensive manuals on teen services on the market right now, Merchandising Library Materials to Young Adults is a stand-out, with its straightforward marketing principles and concrete examples of how to showcase teen materials. ...an excellent source for public libraries, at every stage of developing young adult services."-Public Libraries
"Discusses basic marketing and merchandising concepts that can be applied to a library setting....Offers display ideas to get started."-Library Journal
"Examines publicizing public library programs for teens in marketing terms....Some useful ideas for rethinking how to configure library areas."-Booklist/Professional Reading
"This combination of background and experience, as well as her passion for young adults, is the basis of an unusually well-developed and well-founded book. From it, readers will find that it is easy to think outside the box and to catch up on today's trends and topics that teenagers are interested in....This is an essential guide that has a lasting quality, enriched by merchandising principles derived from the latest studies and research on teen reading interests and behavior. Even a marketer outside the library field would benefit from Nichols' book....Purchase it and hold onto it."-Marketing Library Services
"Using a marketing approach, this manual discusses how to create a collection that will interest teens, and how to use display shelving, signage, lighting, props, bulleting boards, reader's advisory and customer service to increase interest in young adult collections."-ARBA Online
"This title in the Professional Guides for Young Adult Librarians series examines publicizing public library programs for teens in marketing terms. The first of the book's chapters introduces librarians to marketing's four Ps-product, price, place, and promotion. Subsequent chapters discuss how to truly know teen patrons, which in turn leads to building collections that attract them. Nicholas then focuses on how to merchandise the collection once it is built. She ends with useful bibliographies of current titles that can serve as the core of either general or specific themes for displays. The book includes a list of vendors that provide display supplies and suggestions for customer service phrases that portray a positive image of the library. Some useful ideas for rethinking how to configure library areas."-Booklist

Author Bio

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.