Laura Griffith

Laura worked on the Understanding Book Appeal course during the first lockdown and so faced a considerable challenge, but she made a strong commitment to working digitally and achieved outstanding results. 

Laura’s work on the course demonstrated her perceptive and detailed approach to thinking about widening readers’ choices and using library resources to greater effect. 

Laura developed her thinking about how people were engaging with reading during lockdown and made practical and creative plans to put her ideas into practice once libraries re-open.

Laura looked at a wide range of the library collection to see how to re-brand tired areas and open up new choices for readers. She looked at how to mix fiction and non-fiction in tempting ways and how to re-brand children’s non-fiction away from Dewey categories to attract more attention from both the children and those choosing for them.

Laura did very useful work in closely analysing the appeal of the library collection of audio and e-audio books and identified clear gaps and some titles that would fill them.  She planned to feed this information into the selection process in the future.  Going forward, Laura was considering different ways to offer e-audio in the physical library.

Laura says:

“This course makes you think outside your own preconceptions of particular books and genres and would help to build confidence in talking to readers about books you haven't personally read.”

To contact Laura about her experience of the course email her at griffithl@stirling.gov.uk