Every year, dozens of books are adapted for viewing on the big or small screen. Smart librarians keep their eye on which adaptations are gaining buzz and use this knowledge to create displays, library programming, and book events that are sure to be a hit. Read on about our Page to Screen search term and how to make use of this valuable resource.
How to Find Page to Screen Books
NoveList makes it easy for you to keep track of all the movies and TV show adaptations coming out in the current year with our feature list, Page to Screen. You can access this handy list from the Quick Links in the header at the top of the page.
Page to Screen is also a searchable genre. Search GX Page to Screen to find thousands of books that once graced the screen, in one form or another, in any age category. Use the Refine Results column or a search you create to further limit book titles by intended audience, genre, time period, or location.
Now that you have your list of Page to Screen books, what can you do with them?
Displays
One of the easiest ways to spotlight this genre is to create an eye-catching display. Pull the books from your shelves, arrange them on your display table, shelf, or endcap, and make a sign that makes it clear what patrons will find. (PRO TIP: LibraryAware customers can find many sign templates by refining their search to Flyer-Signs).
We’ve got some ideas for sign headlines:
- Watch it Now: Current Page to Screen adaptations
- And the winner is: Movies or TV shows nominated for awards
- Read the book, check out the DVD
- Read it, then watch it!
- Binge-worthy reads
- Read it, stream it (You can even cross-promote with your streaming access service!)
Search Page to Screen in LibraryAware to see all of our ready-to-go templates.
Collection Promotion Beyond Displays
Want to make it easy to brag about all the Page to Screen titles in your collection? Libraries who subscribe to LibraryAware can make use of our new NextReads newsletter, Page to Screen, to highlight the books in your collection most likely to have your patrons buzzing. The newsletter releases every other month, and you can customize it with your library’s branding. Learn more about NextReads here.
Book Discussions
When a movie or TV show is released, it's natural that the book it's based on will draw interest, whether it’s a backlist book or a recent release. A movie release can signal the perfect time to host a book discussion. Think about your community when determining what titles to feature. Try discussions both before and after a movie or show is released. If a movie is highly publicized, the resulting anticipation or response may generate a good crowd!
Movie Screenings
Want to show a Page to Screen movie at your library? Make sure to do your homework. Movies in the public domain do not require a license to show in public spaces like the library. Curious about which movies are in the public domain? Try Public Domain Movies to discover which films you can show without a license. Libraries that want to show movies outside the public domain need to apply for a license. Visit https://www.mplc.org/contact for more information and a quote. A few things to consider:
- Most licenses last for a year.
- Price is determined by the number of users and library size.
- Rules vary about how to advertise these events in publicity.
- If you host a movie screening, try to have copies of the books ready for patrons to check out afterward.
Other Programming
Allow your readers to enter the worlds of the books they love most with Page to Screen release parties or theme parties. Take a series that is getting lots of hype or interest in your community and think about ways you could help your patrons "experience" the events in the book.
Youth librarians have been capitalizing on Page to Screen fandom for years with Harry Potter and Hunger Games parties as notable examples, but why should teens and kids have all the fun? Try theme parties for all ages.
- Host a tea party to celebrate everything Regency, from Jane Austen to Bridgerton.
- The Green Knight or Arthurian films present a great chance to contract a SCA group to visit the library and demo chivalry, heraldry, or Renaissance dancing.
- New Marvel film or show coming out? Host Marvel trivia or invite a comic book creator to talk about graphic storytelling.
- The Rings of Power series will captivate Tolkien readers. Host a cosplay event and ask attendees to dress as their favorite elf, hobbit, dwarf, or human character.
- Capitalize on Stranger Things fandom with a Dungeons and Dragons game campaign or 1980s trivia night. Or use our book recommendations for the characters to make a bad-to-the-bone display.
Using Page to Screen adaptations at your library provides a path to draw readers and non-readers alike into the world of story. By offering displays, book discussions, and other programming around this genre, you offer your patrons tangible, social experiences that they will treasure and remember.
This blogpost was adapted from an article in the NoveList database. To view the whole article in NoveList, search: UI 444991.
Lindsey Dunn is a Content Strategy Coordinator at NoveList. She is currently reading Into the Great Marinara by Nicolas C. Day.
