Week Six Prompt

Dear Greta Southard,

            I wanted to address the director of the Allen County Public Library in order to convey my plans for an innovative way to promote the horror genre across all branches of the Allen County Public Library (Allen County Public Library, 2018, n.p.). First of all, it is important to “consider how the patron wants to interact with the media and respond accordingly” in relation to an experience of media (Dunneback and Towner, 2010a, p. 186). Items from different types of media should all address the goal of the horror genre to evoke fear through psychology or gory details and to appeal to individuals through a connection to a deep emotional level (Saricks, 2009, p. 112). So, I will propose several plans to the library for the promotion of the horror genre.

            I strongly feel that advertising through multiple posts on the Allen County Public Library’s Facebook page is the best method for reaching a younger audience, since it is common knowledge that the teen and young adult demographics will be more likely to remain in touch with social media than adult patrons. Also, I will assume that advertising for a single event at the library will take place over a span of at least three months. Because of this, the library should post advertisements and notifications for the promotion of the horror genre on Facebook for at least three months in advance. The advertisements should be spaced out with an acceptable period of time between the notifying posts.

However, there are other methods of less effective advertising that the library could utilize, and I would highly suggest that the library advertise by using more than one method in order to connect with a wider audience of individuals. So, it would be suitable for the Allen County Public Library to create organized and physical displays of novels, films, and video games associated with the horror genre during the month of October at several library branches in order promote the genre to an effective degree.

            In addition, passive programming is largely unnecessary for effectively promoting the horror genre, but it can still attract attention. The library could set up creative signs during the month of October that inform patrons about alternative resources to books within the horror genre. For instance, the library could establish passive programming in the form of a sign titled, “Vampire Romance Cinema”, at the main library. The sign could advertise promoted events, such screenings for film adaptations of vampire romance novels at the main library’s theater; the screenings could include film adaptations, such as, Twilight and Interview with the Vampire.

            Also, the library could provide posters for a long list of films set in the horror genre at its library branches. The films listed could include adaptations of classic horror novels from Universal’s horror films from the time period of 1920 to 1960 (tharrx, 2015, n.p.). These adaptations could include films, such as, Dracula and Frankenstein (tharrx, 2015, n.p.). Other adaptations from more unknown horror films, such as some of the Hammer films, could be placed on the list (HAMMER FILMS LTD, n.d., n.p.).

            Due to the constructed nature of the passive programming, fans of cinema, who are not immediately fond of the horror genre but still appreciate film in general, will appreciate the talent and acting skill of veteran film actors, such as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in the Hammer films (IMDb.com, Inc., 2018a, n.p.; IMDb.com, Inc., 2018b, n.p.). These actors have also appeared in popular film series, such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings (IMDb.com, Inc., 2018a, n.p.; IMDb.com, Inc., 2018b, n.p.). Because of this possible attraction to the charisma of these actors, the fans of cinema will likely develop a higher appreciation or a familiarity of horror films.    

           Also, integrated advisory could be utilized through connections of associated media to a specific and popular subject. The Allen County Public Library could advertise for film and television adaptations of books set in the horror genre. For example, the library branches of the Allen County Public Library could display DVD sets for multiple seasons of the True Blood television series, which was based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels (Flood, 2013, n.p.). The library branches should also construct a display that contains the actual Sookie Stackhouse novels in close proximity to the True Blood display. Patrons curious about the television adaptation could inquire librarians about subtle differences between the television adaptation and the novels. Or, library users only familiar with the True Blood television series can ask about the significance of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. In this manner, the library users can “to turn to a librarian and ask for assistance in the same way readers ask for help” (Dunneback and Towner, 2010b, p. xii). Also, patrons that exhibit a great knowledge of the horror genre in relation to novels but not in relation to other types of media can effectively find answers to their questions through the presence of adjacent and multiple displays about associated content (Dunneback and Towner, 2010b, p. xii). In addition, the displays of novels, film adaptations, and television adaptations assert to library users that “there is the same value, in terms of leisure and entertainment, in watching a good movie as listening to a good book or reading a graphic novel” (Dunneback and Towner, 2010b, pp. xii-xiii).    

Sincerely,

Megan Kammeyer

References:

Allen County Public Library. (2018). About ACPL. Retrieved from

http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/home/about

Dunneback, K. & Towner, M. W. (2010a). Everything romance [PDF file]. In Integrated

Advisory Service. Denver: Libraries Unlimited, pp. 183-225. Retrieved from https://iu.instructure.com/courses/1702577/files/folder/Week%206?preview=75529747

Dunneback, K. & Towner, M. W. (2010b). Introduction: Integrated Advisory [PDF file]. In

Integrated Advisory Service. Denver: Libraries Unlimited, pp. xi-xvi. Retrieved from

https://iu.instructure.com/courses/1702577/files/folder/Week%206?preview=75529746

Flood, Alison. (2013, May 10). Charlaine Harris threatened by fans over final Sookie Stackhouse

novel. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/may/10/charlaine-harris-sookie-stackhouse-true-blood

HAMMER FILMS LTD. (n.d.). About Hammer. Retrieved from

http://www.hammerfilms.com/about-hammer/

IMDb.com, Inc.. (2018a). Christopher Lee. Retrieved from

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000489/

IMDb.com, Inc.. (2018b). Peter Cushing. Retrieved from

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001088/

Saricks, J. G. (2009). The readers’ advisory guide to genre fiction (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL:

            American Library Association.

tharrx. (2015, Nov. 14). Complete Universal Horror Films 1920-1960. Retrieved from

http://www.imdb.com/list/ls000493268/