Week Six Prompt: Promoting the Horror Genre

Horror is one genre that is often under-appreciated in the library setting, but there are many ways we can change that. One way would be to have at least one display in the library promoting a combination of horror books and movies during the month of October. The display could be set up in a couple of different ways.

One idea is to create display titled something like "History of Horror" or "Horror Through the Decades" and make a horror-themed timeline with at least two materials (books/movies/audiobooks) from each decade, possibly starting in the 1930s and ending in the current decade. I think this is a great way to attract both horror and non-horror readers/viewers because it’s likely that most patrons will not be horror experts and most people will be able to discover something new in this display.

Another display idea could use the formula "If you liked this, try this." The materials for this display could be curated through an examination of popular horror tropes or themes such as haunted houses, summer camps, murders, serial killers, ghosts, vampires, clowns, demons, zombies, etc. However, the display would not have to explicitly state which of these themes are in the materials. I think this is a great way to recommend horror read-alikes without giving too much of the plot away.

Some examples for this display are:

If you liked The Shining by Stephen King, try The Lodge (2019) or Doctor Sleep (2019).

If you liked House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, try You Should Have Left (2020) or The Grip of It by Jac Jemc.

If you liked The Conjuring (2013), try The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty or The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson.

For both of these display ideas, including a lot of eye-catching props such as fake spiderwebs, skeletons, ghosts, bats, handprints in fake blood, etc. is very important to attract patrons. I think the library could also print some horror bookmarks that patrons can take home with lists of book and movie recommendations focused on specific themes such as haunted houses, vampires, and serial killers.


References

Talcott Library. (2017, October). Come check out our Halloween display! https://www.talcottfreelibrary.com/come-check-out-our-halloween-display/

tem_2704. Halloween display at Lakemba Libraryhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/21359466@N06/3628169841/


Comments

  1. I LOVE your idea about "horror through the decades"! It seems like a great way to promote the horror genre in a way that might intrigue non-horror readers (i.e. people more interested in non-fiction or historical fiction). I'm not a huge horror fan myself, but I would definitely check out a display like that.

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    1. Thanks, Briana! The "horror through the decades" idea is one that I've had for a while. I'm a big horror movie fan, but I haven't seen many horror films from the 1930s or 40s. It's been a goal of mine to watch more classic horror. I had originally planned to do a series of posts on this topic on my horror-themed Instagram account, but I never got around to it. Maybe in the future!

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    2. Also, now that you've mentioned it, it would be a great idea to include any nonfiction books about the horror genre, horror literature, or horror films to attract patrons who may be interested, but not ready to jump into a horror novel or movie just yet. Thanks!

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  2. Both of these display ideas are awesome! The first one "Horror through the Decades," is an interesting way to introduce patrons to some materials they may not have known about. It may also help to circulate some older materials that haven't been getting checked-out as often anymore. I also love the "If You Liked This, Try This," display idea. There are so many combinations that you could put together and you could have a lot of fun with decorating.

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    1. Thanks, Melissa! You bring up a great point about circulating older materials. That hadn't crossed my mind.

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  3. I like the idea of separating horror through the decades. I know I'm particularly drawn to horror movies from my childhood (the 80's!) but would be interested in older movies as well. Cinematography is similar by decade so that is a good way to divide and suggest titles!

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  4. Horror through the decades is an excellent idea! I love the idea of a genre timeline! You could use it over and over with different genres. I may have to borrow that one in the future ;) Full points

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