How do I put together a good looking display in limited space?

An attractive book display can be put together in any type of space. Whether you have a large table, a book truck, or the corner of a shelf shouldn’t matter. Once you know where the display is going to be, the next thing you have to do is pick a display subject. Find some attractive books on the display subject to see what you have to work with.

Start putting the books in the display area – it’s a good idea to visualize the shape of the display first. A couple of common display shapes are the pyramid and class picture (big books in the middle or at the top, smaller books on the outside corners). Remember, you don’t have to use all of the books at once. It’s nice to have a few extra titles put aside to fill in the gaps as books get checked out. If there are multiple copies of titles feel free to use them – standing up one book on top of the same title can add some height to the display.

Once the books are displayed stand back and look at it. Can you see the titles of all of the books? Is there an eye catching cover that will draw the patron over? Is the display subject clear? You may not get the display right the first time, but that’s part of the fun!

You can find more photos of displays done at both SLRC and other Maryland County libraries on Flickr.

To read some articles about the importance of book displays visit our Delicious page.