Tips for Poetry Book Display

• Displays of poetry books create a visible presence for the art. Frequent display changes and quality graphics get people involved in the collection.
• Always reinforce readings and poetry writing workshops with book displays.  This sends the message that programs are a launching pad back into the collection.
• Include poetry in topical displays, both for adults and young adults.  Again, this reinforces the idea that poetry is a way to respond to anything and everything in the wide world.  For example, a display on the Civil War might include Walt Whitman or Herman Melville's Civil War verse; a display on Black History Month might include contemporary volumes of poetry by Black poets, or anthologies like In Search of Color Everywhere. 
• Chase's Calendar indicates special holidays and commemorative days (for example, Emily Dickinson's birthday, Earth Day, etc.) that can be useful in generating display ideas.
• Display poetry posters in tandem with books. ( Poetry in Motion posters are available from The Poetry Society of America.)  Encourage young library visitors to make posters of beloved poems from the collection.
• Electronic message boards can be programmed to broadcast lines of poetry either from the collection or written by library users. The systems cost $350 up to $600 and give library users a sense of excitement about reading and writing poetry.
• Institute a program whereby every library user gets a poem during National Poetry Month in April. Try Poetry Daily to find an archive of poems by living poets, www.poets.org for an archive of poems by famous poets, or copy selections from books in your collection to increase circulation.

For more creative ideas for poetry book displays, order the PITB Sourcebook