Does your library feel like a curated bookstore — or a daunting warehouse? For many students, a wall of alphabetized spines is more intimidating than inviting. This session explores
how to transform your space into a browse-first destination using high-impact genre feature walls and rotating micro-genre displays, without rearranging your entire collection.Drawing on visual merchandising techniques, you'll learn how to group books in ways that mirror the "shopping" experience students already love: identifying trending sub-genres (think Cozy Fantasy, Fast-Paced Thrillers), designing eye-catching focal points, and using displays to spark independent discovery. Carin will also share a DIY plan for creating B&N-style tables even when you only have one copy of most books. Whether you're working with a big budget or just spare shelf space and a printer, these strategies are practical, scalable, and ready to implement.
Participants will learn how to:
- Apply retail-inspired wayfinding to make collections more navigable and enticing
- Design a genre feature wall that simplifies browsing for reluctant readers
- Curate rotating micro-genre displays responsive to student interests and trends
- Help students independently find their next read (no staff intervention required)
SEATING GUIDANCE: The EdTalk sessions will be immediately followed by the Reference Roundtable session.
Please sit at a table that corresponds to the Reference Roundtable discussion topic you selected at registration. Not sure which topic you selected? Match the colored dot on your nametag to the colored dot on a table sign.
