August is a time for preparation. It is time to preserve the produce from the bountiful gardens by canning or freezing in order to prepare for winter. Display your cookbooks that are dedicated to food preservation and jelly-making along with mason jars, a strainer, a big kettle, and a long-handled spoon. It is also a time to get ready for school to start. Gather the books in your children’s area that have school, kindergarten, or teacher in the title and set them together on a shelf or a table. Here are 10 more display ideas for August.
Family Fun Month
Now is the time to hold a family board game night, a jigsaw puzzle contest, or a coloring event in your library. Advertise in the newspaper, on the radio and tv, with flyers, and by word-of-mouth.
National Peach Month
- Peaches are a good source of vitamins A, B and C.
- A medium peach contains only 37 calories.
- You can ripen peaches by placing them in a brown paper bag for two to three days.
- Sliced, fresh peaches should be tossed in lemon or lime juice to prevent browning.
- Nectarines are a variety of peach with a smooth skin, not a cross between a peach and a plum.
- A peach pit contains hydrocyanic acid, which is a poisonous substance.
- Like the plum and the apricot, the peach is a member of the rose family (Rosaceae), distinguished by its velvety skin.
Display a poster with these facts. Use your catalog to find books—fiction, nonfiction, children, and adult—that use the word peach in the title. Pick one day and give each customer a peach when they check out. You could advertise it ahead of time and maybe you would have more customers that day.
Gail Gibbons’ Birthday (August 1, 1944)
Gail Gibbons’ books are particularly accurate because she goes right to the source when researching a topic. She has been on the seventeenth floor of a skyscraper in progress, has spoken with truck drivers about the workings of their rigs, has dismantled every clock in her home, and would have donned scuba diving gear to research a sunken ship had the sea waters not been too turbulent. Gail says “I had a lot of ‘whys’ when I was a child. I guess I still do.” Prepare a display of Gail’s non-fiction books for chidren. Go to http://www.gailgibbons.com for FREE downloadable Teacher’s Guides that are filled with activities.
International Cat Day (August 8)
An estimated 500 million cats are thought to be frolicking in neighbors’ gardens across the world. And that’s great, because owning a cat has been shown to improve mental health and to relieve stress, anxiety and depression. Display all your books about cats. Print a coloring page or make a bookmark that features cats. You could even have the local humane society bring some kittens that are ready to be adopted.
Jonathan Kellerman’s Birthday (August 9, 1949)
This mystery writer was born in New York City. Kellerman is a child psychologist as well as a writer. He and his wife, best-selling author Faye Kellerman have four children. His first novel When the Bough Breaks won numerous awards and was made into a television movie. Since then, he has written more than 30 novels. Prepare a bookmark listing his titles and a sign for the stacks near Kellerman’s work.
Kool-Aid Days (August 12-14, 2016)
The 2016 Kool-Aid Days Festival is sure to provide great family fun in Hastings all weekend long—featuring the World’s Largest Kool-Aid Stand and the Miss Kool-Aid Days pageant. Display information about this event along with Kool-Aid packets and pitchers. You could serve Kool-Aid to your customers. They are sure to be delighted. Kool-Aid has played a part in summer for children across the nation…and it started right here in Nebraska!
Danielle Steel’s Birthday (August 14, 1947)
The popular romance writer, Danielle Steel, turns 69 this year. Bring out all her books in hardback, paperback, and audio. Prepare a bookmark listing Steel’s titles to display with the material.
National Honey Bee Day (August 20)
- 80% of the world’s plants are pollinated by bee.
- The average worker bee visits 1,500 flowers a day, and produces 1/12th teaspoon of honey in her entire lifetime.
- One out of every three bites of food we eat is thanks to bees!
This is a rare opportunity to display all your insect books from both the children and adult nonfiction areas. Add a poster with facts about bees and you are set.
Ray Bradbury’s Birthday (August 22, 1920)
Ray Bradbury was one of the preeminent science fiction/fantasy writers of the 20th century. His body of work, which critiqued social mores and depicted the consequences of unfettered technology, is considered timeless and transcends generations. His most famous novel is Fahrenheit 451. He once wrote, “Recreate the world in your own image and make it better for your having been here.” Prepare a poster to include in the display of his titles with information about Ray Bradbury and his work.
Brian Pinkney’s Birthday (August 28, 1961)
Acclaimed artist Brian Pinkney is the illustrator of several highly-praised picture books and he has won numerous awards. Display this illustrator’s works in the children’s area and prepare a take-home sheet with the question “How many of Brian’s books have you read?” Go to http://www.brianpinkney.net to help you make a checklist.
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