Cork County builds working with readers into every induction

I really benefitted from the 'building in range' part of Creating themed collections. Usually when I create a display at work it's a narrow theme. I keep a calendar of promotional days, holidays and author birthdays for displays with a topical social media post in mind. This course and my mentor have taught me to think outside the box and curate a rich collection of books. It doesn't have to be all one author for their birthday, for example, I can look for books about them, or authors inspired by them and authors similar to them.

I have developed confidence to look beyond the usual book display and think about the readers I want to appeal to, and the mood and tone of what is being chosen for the collection. The mentor relationship encouraged me to pause and think more deeply about the tasks and the feedback was valuable - either by confirming I was on the right track or by highlighting something I'd overlooked or not considered. I found the encouragement to mix fiction and non-fiction within themed displays very useful. I had always felt I should keep them separate to avoid confusion but it broadens the scope of what a collection can offer and expands the appeal to help readers discover new genres.

This course was a bit of an eye-opener, and it created conversations with my coworkers and library patrons. It encouraged some research, not blindly choosing easy options for displays. It was knowledgeable and well fitted with my line of work.

An interesting and very well laid out course with activities that really got me thinking. I enjoyed the challenge of the final task as it made me step out of my comfort zone when thinking about displays. I feel that I now have a lot more to consider when putting together book displays and that I am better equipped to make evocative and interesting displays for our customers. I will also consider less mainstream titles when choosing for my displays.

Really great course! I wasn't sure what to expect but Creating powerful promotions has definitely both broadened and deepened my understanding of the thought process behind creating displays and promoting borrower-centric collections. I am more aware of my own personal biases influencing my choices when it comes to book selection & promotion. I previously was of the belief that I need to have both read and enjoyed a book in order to use it in a promotional selection. I will now be more open and borrower-focused when it comes to both promotional displays and recommendations to individual borrowers.

Very helpful. Managing first impressions opened my eyes to book displays and how to cater for different customers that may come in. It has made my customer service better.

I thought Putting readers first was solid. As a result, I have a better idea of what I'm doing, I know the right questions to ask people to get a conversation going and I'm going to lean more into the social media side of things.

Putting readers first was good. The interactive elements were enjoyable and engaging.

I thought Merchandising the bookshelves was good and informative. I plan now to get into a better routine of checking the shelves.