The Effect of a booklist on the circulation of fiction books which have not been borrowed from a public library in four years or longer

by Nancy B. Parrish
Masters thesis, University of North Carolina, 1986.

Hypothesis accepted: Booklists will significantly increase circulation of books which had not been borrowed in four years or longer.

Experiment supporting hypothesis

Location: Lexington Library in Davidson County Public Library System

Groups:

• Experimental group: 35 titles (39 copies) that had not checked out in at least 4 years listed on unannotated booklists entitled "Fiction for Winter Reading" on brightly colored paper.
• Control group: 32 titles (40 copies) that had not checked out in at least 4 years

Experiment:

• Pre-test period: no set time, just number of circulations before the test period.
  
• Test period: January 13 to March 10, 1986, 1,000 booklists were distributed: 800 copies were inserted in checked out books, 100 copies were on a stand-up display at the circulation desk, 100 copies were at the reference desk with other brochures.

Results:

Unannotated booklists increase circulation 120% over regularly shelved books.



891 booklists were distributed from three locations.

• 800 through check-out
• 63 from the stand-up display at the circulation desk
• 28 of 100 copies from the reference desk

Even though the reference desk distributed the least number of booklists (28), those booklists accounted for 67% check-outs of books on the list because one individual with a reference desk booklist checked out 10 of the books. Nevertheless, even when this person's checkouts are not counted, check-outs from the reference booklist still equals the check outs from the 800 booklists placed in checked out books. This finding deviates from earlier studies claiming the best method of distributing booklists is placing them in checked out books.

Milwaukee's Experiment With 110 Selected Books

by Helen Terry
Wisconsin Library Bulletin, May 1958, pp. 172-174.

This three-page article describes the creation of a 110 great books list and its use to promote reading in the Milwaukee Public Library.

Meredith Boss and Helen Terry mulled over numerous lists created over the past century. They eventually dropped "ponderous" works to make room for more 20th Century books. Their list contain 52 novels (England 25, American 13, France 7). Three authors were still living.

The library placed a bookshelf containing the 110 books to the left of the elevator. The books were shelved alphabetically by author.

During the first two weeks 252 out of 532 copies (47%) checked out.

Book Lists: What we know, what we need to know

by Sharon L. Baker
RQ Vol. 33, No. 2, Winter 1993, pp. 177-180.

Professor Baker's three-page article begins with practical, almost trivial, advice on what librarians have learned about using book lists.

• Lists focus attention on what is available and, sometimes, bring together titles not linked in library catalogs.
• Borrow lists from other librarians.
• Make sure items on borrowed lists are in your library before distributing lists.
• Place lists where readers will find them, not on out-of-the way counter tops.

We need to learn to write colorful annotations that have...

1. "insight into the author's work"
2. "an organized structure"
3. "language that is powerful and evocative"
   

Baker encourages librarians to take an extra 10 to 20 minutes to learn more about the works we annotate and take more care in writing annotations that excite, entice, and captivate readers. She provides several examples.