Promoting Your Horror Collection

To promote a library's collection of horror, both film and books, I propose an October-long Horror Fest!

This may sound daunting, but with the right moves, it can be a fun and engaging time for the library to bring in new patrons and patrons who last visited the library long ago. Activities the library can do during "Fright Fest" include film screenings, book discussions, passive poster surveys, horror film and book displays, and a Halloween party for families. 

You can find royalty-free horror films from the 1920s-1950s if you're on a tighter budget. Older films might even prove to be scarier than newer ones! Films included in your physical collection, or through the library's streaming platforms, can help promote what your library has to offer. For example, if you have Kanopy as one of your library's subscription services, you can have a film viewing of Black Sabbath (1963), Little Shop of Horrors (1960), or Dead of Night (1945). To make a film viewing more fun, provide flexible seating, popcorn, drinks, or even hold it outside on an inflatable screen! For kid-friendly movie screenings, there are always some fun monster movies made for family fun!

For book discussions, you can try hosting one adult book discussion and one teen discussion around a horror book in their age range. As an added bonus, offer themed snacks and drinks or choose a book that has been adapted to film to tie in with a movie viewing!

The passive poster surveys might prove to be a fun but simple addition. Make up a handful of posters, one for each week, with different horror-themed questions. Display them near the front of the library and have pads of stickers or sticky notes nearby that allow passing patrons to vote for their answers. For example, ask patrons who their favorite horror villain is (or who would win in a fight against them all), with a picture of each villain on the poster board. Replace the poster at the end of the week and reveal the most popular answer on social media! As a bonus, ask questions that tie in with other programs, like the movies you have planned or the books you plan to discuss.

For the book displays, it's pretty straightforward, but give in to your Party City side and decorate those displays with spooky stuff! Bats, Halloween-y colors, and cut-out pictures of different horror characters. For a bonus, make the books staff picks! Stick a cardstock bookmark in the book with the staff member's name written on top. Leave a sign on the display that encourages patrons to ask the staff member what they liked about the book, what they didn't like, if they have any other recommendations, etc. Open the month to nonstop reader's advisory for all staff! This goes for your film displays, too. If you're one for mixing media, pair a book with a movie that has a similar vibe!

For your Halloween party, it's a toss-up of what you're able to do. In a perfect world, you can do whatever you want because budgets don't exist, but that's why God made librarians so gosh darn creative! Have staff pitch in to bring yard games from home to set up around the library and revamp them into horror themes (ex: ladder toss with eyeballs). Hold a costume contest or try out a "scary" storytime with a Halloween-themed book. Have the community participate in the fun by holding a trunk-or-treat in the parking lot, with a prize going to the best decorated car! Set out crafts and coloring pages for some wind-down fun, too. And what party would be complete without some music and ample room to dance? Curate a fun family-friendly Halloween playlist to get down to. 

These are just a few ideas of what you can do to highlight your horror collection! Now I'm off to make this dream a reality.