Your gift with purchase

Bookmarks are a great way to feature booklists and bibliographies and can be a promotional give away item, much like a "free gift with purchase." They are something that your customers can use with their purchase and it costs very little to produce. By providing your patrons with suggested reading lists, you are guarenteeing return visits. When using bookmarks, feature them prominently, not laying flat on a table and use them with CPS and your displays.

For CPS, create some read alike lists for popular authors, such as “If you like Stephen King, then try…” Pick a couple of popular authors you want to feature and put the bookmarks in the books on the shelves. This will serve two purposes. First they grab your customer’s attention when they are browsing the fiction, just like the blinking coupon dispensers in the grocery store. Second, they give your customer a reason to come back by providing them with other authors they might like.

With displays, create a bibliography of your themed titles and put them inside the books. Bookmarks can also promote your library services and upcoming community events. Try a bookmark about ADA services in your large print titles or computer classes in your computer manuals. There are many reader's advisory sources that can provide you with suggested reading lists such as NoveList, Fiction and Non-Fiction Connection, and the Genreflecting series.