We all know the frustration of seeing parts of our collections flourish, while others seem destined for weeding from day one. While certain materials may never catch on with your patrons, some items just need a little extra push to give them more visibility and get them into circulation. With our digital resources growing in popularity and our hours reduced following a budget cut, it was getting more and more difficult to get patrons in the library and in touch with the materials they wanted. Circulation staff at Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library had to change course and chart new trails through our collection to guide patrons to some of our under-circulated materials. This presentation will discuss the ways in which we worked to re-emphasize our physical collection to our community and get people excited about visiting the library again. Attendees will learn how we improved our readers’ advisory practices through pathfinders and how we used the limitations of our collection to create displays that guided patrons to materials they didn’t even know they wanted. I will also share some of the things we learned through setting up a permanent Staff Picks display and tips for encouraging staff participation. Finally, I will discuss how we worked with our public relations department to put a personal touch on book recommendations and bring a renewed focus to our physical materials.
Circulation Manager, Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library
I have been with the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library since 2017 and am currently manager of the circulation department. I am usually thinking about having another cup of coffee.
