Matt Prosser

It was evident throughout Matt's work on the Understanding Book Appeal course that he was committed to getting the most out of the material and the practical work. His work was imaginative and thorough - careful to apply the course material to his own collection and his own library. Matt has a creative approach to display and used the course to widen the impact he has made.

His conversations with readers quickly allowed him to understand the appeal of parts of the collection he didn't know well, so that he was able to speak positively about them to readers who wanted a recommendation.

01 Decoding book covers

Matt demonstrated particular skill at decoding and analyzing book covers to gauge the appeal of books for readers across the library collection. He showed how to use quick and creative ways to learn more about books, and crucially to use his insights to get the right book into the hands of the right reader. Matt plans to take his work further in selecting a range of reads to open up choices in the Crime genre - to create a reading promotion in his library.

02 Face-forward non-fiction

Matt is experimenting with using face-forward display in non-fiction to introduce variety and surprise into different subject areas. This has the potential to introduce surprise, but also to help readers find something relevant - mixing a travel title into world cookery books, for example.

He is also looking at different ways to promote narrative non-fiction with a wider appeal for the curious reader - away from reads designed for experts and students.

03 A graphic fiction audit

Matt audited the library collection of Graphic Fiction and Fantasy very comprehensively. His work on the course will make a valuable contribution to the work of all his colleagues who are following this course - and he'll be able to share his experiences to contribute to the wider conversation right across the service.