Category Archives: Display Ideas

2019 will be here in 12 days. I cannot believe that December is nearly gone and I have not prepared the Display Ideas for next month! That tells you a lot about how my month has gone. Here at the System Office we are preparing for a year with the most workshops…ever! It is exciting, but a bit terrifying as well. But I digress. Here are ten display and program ideas for the quickly approaching month of January.

National Hobby Month
Have patrons share their favorite hobbies this month, giving them a chance to show off their unique skills and share their interests with others. This is a great time for a makerspace program. Display craft and hobby books to give your patrons options to consider.

National Soup Month
The folks at Genius Kitchen have served up 54 Satisfying Soup Recipes for Cold Weather that might be just the comfort you need this month in chilly weather. Print one or two recipes each day and hand them out to all your patrons on that day. By the end of the month, you’ll have them coming back for more! You could also display your cookbooks that feature soup and comfort foods nearly the circulation desk.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Birthday (January 3, 1892)
J.R.R. Tolkien was born on this day in 1892. Set up a display of high fantasy books and films.

Tom Mix’s Birthday (January 6, 1880)
Cowboy film legend Tom Mix was born on this day. Highlight Westerns in print and film. Add a cowboy hat and boots to your display to draw attention to it.

Kid Inventors’ Day (January 17)
Have even more makerspace fun by watching these 11 Kid Inventors Break Down Their Greatest Inventions. Set out LEGOs and K’Nex toys to encourage creativity and see what your patrons invent.

A.A. Milne’s Birthday (January 18, 1882)
Alan Alexander Milne was a British author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. Display all of your Winnie-the-Pooh books and you might be able to find a stuffed character from the stories to dress up your children’s area. Here are 15 Words of Wisdom from Winnie-the-Pooh to help give your day new perspective.

Martin King Luther Jr. Day (January 21, 2019)
The National Education Association (NEA) has curated a list of K-5 classroom resources for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Print out the coloring pages and activities and put them next to a display of books about Martin King Luther Jr.

CIA Established (January 22, 1946)
President Harry S. Truman created the Central Intelligence Group on this date in 1946. Feature your spy novels and films today.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27)
The United Nations designated this day on the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. Distribute a booklist of amazing materials that promote understanding.

Data Privacy Day (January 28)
Raise awareness and promote best practices by scattering tips around the library (near the computers) and post on your website and social media.

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Have you ever wondered how to make a folded magazine Christmas Tree?

“Library Hacks” columnist Katie Darty demonstrates how to fashion a crafty tree from a magazine and glue in this one-minute video.

https://youtu.be/TGlAe3oxA98

This video is on School Library Journal TV at http://tv.slj.com/.

It seems like I just posted the November Display Ideas…Oh, that’s right, I did! I am trying to get back on track with posting during the first week of the month.

December—I think of the holidays, but there are a lot of different displays you can use for this month. You could set up a Mitten Tree. Assemble an artificial tree in your library and challenge patrons to donate mittens to hang on the tree that will later be donated to community shelters, providing much needed resources to those in need. Here are 10 more display and program ideas.

National Tie Month
While “business casual” has made ties less common, this is still the month to celebrate the necktie with an exhibit (just ask your patrons for an assortment of ties) or a hands-on program on necktie knots. This website has a wide assortment of ways to wear a tie.

Ann Patchett’s Birthday (December 2, 1963)
Commemorate novelist Ann Patchett 55th birthday by placing a small poster near her books on the shelf. Go to her official website for book club information and more.

Repeal Day (December 5, 1933)
The 21st Amendment ended Prohibition on this day in 1933. Create a display of yummy cocktail recipe books and liquor-themed novels and films. This website will help you find books for your display.

King Edward VIII Abdicated the Throne (December 10, 1936)
On this day in 1936, King Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication to pass succession to his brother, King George VI. Build a “royal scandals” display featuring fiction and history titles.

National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day (December 16)
Don’t miss the chance to celebrate sweet treats! Offer a fun survey about favorite flavors to see how chocolate lovers stack up to the fruit fanatics. And you’ll have to have something that is chocolate-covered to give out at the circulation desk. (Chocolate-covered cherries are my personal favorite.)

Eve Bunting’s Birthday (December 19, 1928)
Anne Evelyn Bunting, also known as Eve Bunting, is a Northern Ireland-born American writer of more than 250 books. Her work covers a broad array of subjects and includes fiction and non-fiction books. Her novels are primarily aimed at children and young adults, but she has also written the text for picture books. Prepare a display of her titles in your children’s area to celebrate this prolific author.

Crossword Puzzle Day (December 21)
The first crossword puzzle was published on this day in 1913. Set out a stack of free puzzles as a passive program, or host a meetup for enthusiasts.

Cut Out Snowflakes Day (December 27)
You’re never too old for a good snowflake session, and it’s the perfect day for a make-and-take craft table, made simple with copy paper, scissors and trash cans (and the vacuum, later). This website has twelve free printable snowflake templates.

National Card Playing Day (December 28)
Got a deck of cards? Print out the instructions for one of these 15 Simple Card Games for Kids. Display books about cards games and set out decks of cards to get the action started.

Tiger Woods’ Birthday (December 30, 1975)
Tiger Woods was born on this day in 1975. Feature your golf resources — don’t forget the fiction titles and feature films. This website has a list of the best golf movies and other interesting things about golf and golfers.

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Today is a beautiful fall day and harvest is in full-swing. It is time to think about the holidays that are fast-approaching and the displays you want to prepare in advance of that busy time. November and Thanksgiving are all about being thankful for what we have been given. In the spirit of sharing gratitude, put out Post-its and pens near a fall-themed bulletin board asking “What’s your favorite thing about our community?” Here are 10 more display and program ideas plus one bonus bit of library trivia.

Child Safety and Protection Month
It is everyone’s job to help keep children safe. Teachers and parents can request free McGruff Safe Kids ID Kits using this website: https://www.mcgruffsafekit.com/united-states.

National Family Literacy Month
The National Center for Families Learning has prepared a guide to 30 Days of Families Learning Together. This guide provides a month’s worth of family literacy activities and practices designed to inspire family memories rooted in imagining, playing, and learning together. See this guide at http://30days.familieslearning.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NCFL30Days.pdf. (Also available in Spanish)

Discovery of King Tutankhamen’s Tomb (November 4, 1922)
King Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered on this day in 1922. Build a display of archeology resources, Egyptian travel guides and Middle Eastern history.

Veterans Day (November 11)
Prepare a display of books about military history. It will honor those who have served and those who have lost their lives in service to our country.

National Pickle Day (November 14)
On National Pickle Day, host a brined-food tasting program with sweet, sour, spicy and strange flavors of pickled vegetables. Offer tasting scorecards to encourage discussion, and judge favorites. Display your books about pickling and preservation.

James Bond’s Birthday (November 16)
This is one of the dates celebrated as James Bond’s birthday (the other is November 11). Celebrate Ian Fleming’s most enduring character with a display of super spy flicks and books.

World Hello Day (November 21)
Learn how to say “Hello” in 100 languages with pronunciation guides and map locators. https://bilingua.io/how-to-say-hello-in-100-languages.

Black Friday (November 23)
Create a display of “Black Friday Deals” featuring book bundles, new books and tried-and-true favorites for patrons to check out on this special deal day!

Red Planet Day (November 28)
The planet Mars is referred to as the “Red Planet” because it appears red in color. Red Planet Day honors our celestial neighbor, the fourth planet in the solar system. On Red Planet Day, take a few minutes to look upwards into the sky, and gaze at our neighbor. Hopefully, you will have a cloudless night sky for viewing. You can also recognize this day by reading up about Mars, and viewing pictures of it. Red Planet Day commemorates the launch of the Spacecraft Mariner 4 on November 28,1964. The 228-day mission of Mariner 4 brought the spacecraft within 6,118 miles of Mars on July 14, 1965.

Rita Mae Brown’s Birthday (November 28, 1944)
Author Rita Mae Brown was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She is best known for her first novel Rubyfruit Jungle. Brown is also a mystery writer and screenwriter. Draw attention to her murder-mysteries by placing a small poster on the shelf near them.

Library Trivia – The first Library of Congress building opened to the public on November 1, 1897.

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Start the year off right with a bulletin board that will last until you are ready for Halloween. The title could say “Fall in Love with Reading.” This idea came from the Accucut website. Click on this link for more easy-to-do bulletin boards. Reserve one of the Traveling Die Cutting Sets and/or Alphabets by calling or emailing the System Office.

Summer will end before we know it. September 22 is the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. Celebrate with a table of fall-themed coloring pages for grown-ups. Here are 10 more display and program ideas for September.

Library Card Sign-Up Month
This September Disney Pixar’s superhero family, the Incredibles, will team up with the ALA to promote the value of a library card. As honorary chairs, the Incredibles will remind families, students and people of all ages that signing up for a library card is a great step toward a truly super lifestyle: libraries offer fun and informative resources to help you pursue your passions and succeed in school.

National Suicide Prevention Month
Does your local school district do anything in the way of a campaign? Find out how you can support their efforts, or check out resources and printables for your own.

National Grandparents Day (September 9)
Honor these special family members with a display in the children’s area of books about grandparents. Set up a card-making station to remind your young patrons about this event.

National Video Games Day (September 12)
Host a video game tournament by borrowing one of the two Wii gaming systems from CPLS. Display coding books and encourage video game making using a website like Sploder. Teens can test-play their peers’ games.

International Dot Day (September 15)
Put out a call for artwork created by youth for an art show at the library. International Dot Day is a holiday in which people of all ages are encouraged to harness their own creativity and embrace their own confidence as they make their mark on the world. On this day, people are encouraged to embrace their talents – regardless of whether it’s writing, painting, drawing or some other creative medium and share their Dot Day inspiration with others.

Agatha Christie’s Birthday (September 15, 1890)
Prolific mystery writer Agatha Christie was born on this day in Torquay, Devon, South West England into a comfortably well-off middle class family. Feature a display of her books and the films they inspired.

National Play-Doh Day (September 16)
Encourage some throwback play with a walk-up Play-Doh station. Display some of the fun Play-Doh facts from this website.

National Miniature Golf Day (September 21)
Turn your library into a mini golf course for the day.

Stephen King’s Birthday (September 21, 1947)
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction and fantasy. His books have sold more than 350 million copies, many of which have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television series, and comic books. Place a sign in the stacks with King’s books to commemorate this occasion.

Banned Books Week (September 23-29)
Kick off Banned Books Week with a display of commonly challenged and banned books. Engage your patrons with a Banned Book Club or discussion this week. Read a commonly banned or challenged book and discuss it. Here is a link to ALA’s list of frequently challenged books: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/YAbooks.

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Summer is here! It already feels like July. Use the spines of evenly-sized books to make this “flag” display. Here are ten more display and program ideas.

National Ice Cream Month
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. He recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by over 90 percent of the nation’s population. Prepare a display in the Children’s Area with books that have pictures of ice cream cones on the cover.

Independence Day (July 4)
Celebrate the birth of our nation by preparing a display of books with the American flag on the covers.

National Graham Cracker Day (July 5)
Make summer-themed gingerbread houses out of graham crackers, frosting, and other yummy ingredients. Go to this website for ideas. Or you could just serve graham crackers and frosting at your summer events this week.

Raffi’s Birthday (July 8, 1948)
There are so many wonderful Raffi songs to choose from! Display all the CDs and DVDs in your collection in celebration of the beloved children’s singer/songwriter.

International Puzzle Day (July 13)
I always think about jigsaw puzzles as a winter time activity, but puzzles make for a great passive program any time of the year. Start a summer-themed puzzle and see how long it takes your patrons to finish it.

International Chess Day (July 20)
Set up a chess board and challenge your patrons to play a game. If you have any books or DVDs that teach how to play chess, display those with the game board.

Beatrix Potter’s Birthday (July 28, 1866)
Visit the official online home of Peter Rabbit to learn more about his creator, other books by Potter, and to access a number of fun games and activities. Gather and display books by Potter with rabbit puppets and other plush toys.

Paperback Book Day (July 30)
Raid your paperback section for a variety of genres to feature in a “paperback only” display.

J.K. Rowling’s Birthday (July 31, 1965)
Happy Birthday to J.K. Rowling and her most famous character, Harry Potter! Display her books and movies in the Young Adult area.

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We knew it was going to happen! Tomorrow is the first of May and the temperature is over 80 degrees. We went right from late winter to early summer. I hope sometime we get to enjoy a nice long spring. Put up a brightly-colored bulletin board with caterpillars, bees, butterflies, ants and flowers. The slogan says Don’t Bug Me…I’m Reading! Here are ten more spring/summer display and program ideas for the month of June.

Great Outdoors Month
Go on a virtual adventure to explore our national parks at https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service/parks. Display your travel books to states that include the national parks mentioned on this website…Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, Utah, and Florida.

National Safety Month
For anyone prone to bumps, cuts, and bruises, share 18 Fun Facts about the History of BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages: https://www.jnj.com/our-heritage/18-facts-about-the-history-of-band-aid-brand-adhesive-bandages. Band-Aids have come a long way! Be sure to include first aid books, CPR books and DVDs, crutches, and braces in your display.

National Zoo and Aquarium Month
Display your children’s picture books about zoo animals and aquarium creatures. Make the display inviting by including plush and puppet versions of animals that could be found in the zoo. Schedule a Virtual Field Trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo. See this webpage for more information: http://www.omahazoo.com/zoo2you.

Helen Oxenbury’s Birthday (June 2, 1938)
Helen Gillian Oxenbury is an English illustrator and writer of children’s picture books. She lives in North London with her husband John Burningham, another children’s book illustrator and writer. Display books that feature her beloved illustrations such as The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, We’re Going On a Bear Hunt, and The Great Big Enormous Turnip. Watch a video interview with this artist at http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/oxenbury.

Flag Day (June 14)
Today commemorates the adoption of the United States flag in 1777. Do you know any vexillologists? A vexillologist is someone who studies flags. If you have any books about flags, ours in particular, display them with a small poster which includes this new vocabulary word.

Father’s Day (June 17, 2018)
The nation’s first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in the state of Washington. However, it was not until 1972–58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day official–that the day honoring fathers became a nationwide holiday in the United States. Display DVDs, audiobooks and books from every area in your library that have the words Father or Daddy in the title.

First Day of Summer (June 21)
Summer is finally (officially) here! Make a bulletin board where everyone can share via post-it note their favorite things to do in summer. Include a display of books about summer at the base of the bulletin board.

Great American Campout (June 23, 2018)
“Camp Out” at your library today! Set up a tent, serve indoor s’mores and read aloud a book about camping. Have wet wipes ready for sticky hands and more books about camping ready to be checked out by your eager patrons.

Eric Carle’s Birthday (June 25, 1929)
Born in Syracuse, New York, Eric Carle moved with his parents to Germany when he was six years old; he was educated there and graduated from a prestigious art school in Stuttgart. But his dream was always to return to America, the land of his happiest childhood memories. So, in 1952, with a fine portfolio in hand and forty dollars in his pocket, he arrived in New York. Display Eric Carle’s books in the children’s area with a small poster about his birthday. Be ready to refill this display, because the books will definitely get checked out. For more information about Eric Carle and his work, go to his official webpage at: http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html.

“Happy Birthday to You” Day (June 27, 1924)
First published in 1924, this song has made its rounds endlessly ever since. Throw a birthday party, complete with mini cupcakes, for anyone who has a June birthday today. Also make books about birthdays available at the circulation desk for easy checkout.

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I know we are supposed to be well into spring by now, but the snow we had today makes me question the calendar. Put the words “Spring Into a Good Book” on a bulletin board and surround it with yellow spring flowers (daffodils) and then put books with bright yellow covers in front of it. Here are 10 more program and display ideas for May.

Get Caught Reading Month
Use this month to encourage kids to always have a book on hand. Hand out small prizes throughout the month for catching students making the choice to read for fun throughout the school day.

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
Check out Action for Healthy Kids for ideas on how to partner with schools to celebrate health and fitness in your community.

National Smile Month
Brought to you by the Oral Health Foundation, this celebration can be a much about dental hygiene as it is about enjoying sharing a smile with a friend. Post pictures of children sharing their silliest faces, and best smiles, on a bulletin board.

Star Wars Day (May 4th)
May the Fourth be with you! (Get it?) There are lots of great resources available on the official Star Wars website http://www.starwars.com/may-the-4th for celebrating but be wary because tomorrow is Revenge of the Fifth (Sith)!

Limerick Day (May 12)
Try your hand at penning a limerick or use thee resources from KidZone Poetry http://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/limerick.htm to help your young patrons get the form just right.

Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee (May 17-20, 2018)
Remember the jumping frog contest from Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”? Did you know Calaveras County is a real place? And has a real frog jumping contest every May? For the full schedule of events, go to https://www.frogtown.org/.

Endangered Species Day (May 18)
Visit the World Wildlife Fund’s website https://www.worldwildlife.org/ to read about currently endangered species. Prepare a display of your children’s non-fiction books that are about those species.

National Lucky Penny Day (May 23)
Leave pennies throughout your library throughout the day for patrons to find. As a person finds one, wish them a day of good luck.

National Paper Airplane Day (May 26)
Check out the amazing database of paper airplanes from Fold N Fly www.foldnfly.com/ and challenge your patrons to a flying competition with awards for longest distance, best trick flying, and best airplane design.

Andrew Clements’ Birthday (May 29, 1949)
Andrew Clements is an American writer of many children’s books. His debut novel, Frindle, won annual book awards determined by the vote of U.S. schoolchildren in about twenty different U.S. states. Display all of Andrew Clements books with a sign commemorating his birthday.

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