Blackpool grows staff confidence in book promotion

Playing your part was more practical than other training courses, as I was able to use the real libraries we work within.

I thought this course was comprehensive and beneficial for front-facing library staff, who have at least a couple months service (to get to know their library), and for also for those who have been here for many years. It offers a refreshing take and the material is presented in an engaging way.

I appreciated the lessons on colour theory, advice on mixing fiction and non-fiction and the different ways to interpret a theme. I particularly enjoyed the interactive elements of the course with moving book covers around to create a display. It helped me build a lot on other knowledge I had picked up about how to make effective displays. It has certainly made me think differently about how I approach displays now, both in selecting the books and how I will display them in an effective way.

I really enjoyed the training and think everyone in our service should do it. I think it will improve our issues and customer engagement. We're marketing a product (just not for profit obviously) so we should be using these techniques to assist our customers in finding new and exciting books that they'll enjoy. Marketing should be a much bigger part of our jobs and not just something one person does in each library. It should be an ongoing and constant job that we do together to facilitate our customers’ enjoyment of the space and our collection.

I loved the Merchandising course. Even though I have worked for the service nearly 40 years, and have a wealth of experience, it still gave me a new perspective on the shelving and displays. I found it enlightening.

I enjoyed the course. It opened my eyes to how other people may think and what they are looking for in a library. I will be able to take the lead and now use my own initiative to create displays. I have learnt to think 'outside' the box! And not just about what I like and think is nice. I will take a genuine interest in what library customers borrow and ask for feedback.

It was great!! I've really learnt a lot, and having the open-ended questions helps you reflect rather than just putting in prescribed answers.

It was very interesting and good for learning new things I can use in my library - how to make the entrance look welcoming and less cluttered, how to display our books with contrasting colours and forward-facing techniques.

I learned more about showcases and some of the library displays have been refreshed and are working well. It makes a difference having all staff on the same page so that everyone understands the reasons for any changes.

I thought it was a thought-provoking course and very relevant to my job. I enjoyed the interactive digital tasks and the prompts to step away from the computer and apply elements of the course in the library. I also appreciate the recent addition of accessibility features which has made it much easier for me to engage with the course content.