How to Find Hidden Gems in the Library's Staff Picks Display

A staff picks display is more than a collection of popular titles. It is a small, changing map of the library team’s interests, featuring books that may be overlooked by bestseller lists, online rankings and familiar authors.

For Australian readers, the approach works whether you are browsing a neighbourhood library in Melbourne, waiting for a Brisbane bus, or looking for a rainy-day read after visiting a Sydney branch. The aim is to notice the clues around each recommendation and follow your curiosity.

The Crestline Friends of the Library supports reading access, fundraising and library programmes, with particular attention to children and teenagers. You can learn more about its work through the Crestline library community and use the same discovery habits in your local Australian library.

Read The Display Like A Map

Begin by scanning the whole display rather than reaching immediately for the most colourful cover. Notice whether the arrangement follows a theme such as travel, local history, family stories, crime fiction or books chosen for Book Week.

Small handwritten notes can be especially useful. A comment such as “perfect for a long flight” or “quietly devastating” tells you more about the reading experience than a standard publisher blurb. Look for repeated words and moods, then choose a title that matches your current interests.

Follow The Details On The Cover

Hidden gems often have modest covers. A plain design, an unfamiliar imprint or a short title may signal literary fiction, translated writing, essays or a debut author rather than a heavily promoted release.

Check the spine, back cover and first page for extra clues. Australian readers might discover a story set in Adelaide, a nature memoir connected to the Great Barrier Reef, or a novel translated from Japanese or Italian. A book that feels slightly outside your usual market can become the most memorable choice.

Use The Shelf Around It

Staff picks rarely sit in isolation. Once you select a promising title, browse the nearby shelves for related authors, subjects and formats. A recommendation for a historical novel may lead to biographies, historical mysteries or books about the same region.

This method is useful when a display has already been heavily browsed. The surrounding catalogue can reveal another title by the same writer or a similar book that is still available. In a busy library, shelf browsing is a simple way to move beyond the most visible recommendations.

Ask For The Story Behind The Choice

Library staff often choose books because of a particular reader response, unusual structure or overlooked subject. A brief conversation can reveal why a title earned its place, especially when the recommendation card gives only a sentence or two.

Mention what you have enjoyed recently, whether that means Australian crime, cosy fiction, graphic novels or short stories. Staff can usually suggest a less obvious match. Parents and carers may also find strong options for reluctant readers, teenagers seeking independence, or children who prefer facts to fiction.

Use Digital Clues Without Losing Serendipity

If a title catches your eye, search the library catalogue for reviews, format details and related subjects. A quick digital check can show whether the author has written a sequel, whether an audiobook is available, or whether the book belongs to a larger series.

Tools such as reading research tools can help organise notes about authors and themes, but avoid turning every choice into an algorithmic decision. The pleasure of a staff display is its human element: someone encountered the book, valued it and thought another reader might enjoy it.

Make Discovery A Shared Habit

Take a photograph of the display, write down unfamiliar authors or keep a note on your phone. This helps you remember titles when borrowing limits, school holidays or a packed weekend make it impossible to choose immediately.

You can also create a small exchange with friends, a classroom or a community reading group. A recommendation discovered at a Crestline display might prompt a conversation in Perth, Hobart or Canberra about similar local library finds. Supporting book donations and library fundraising also helps keep varied reading material available; practical guidance appears in this book donation guide.

Build A Repeatable Browsing Routine

Visit the display at different times of year, since staff selections often change with seasons, events and community interests. Around summer holidays, look for travel writing and quick reads; before winter, try mysteries, family sagas and comforting fiction.

Use these habits each time:

• Choose one book by its cover or title alone.
• Read at least two staff recommendation notes.
• Browse three nearby shelves before leaving.
• Select one unfamiliar author or genre.
• Check whether an audiobook, ebook or large-print edition exists.
• Record the titles you want to borrow later.

When visiting Crestline or your local Australian branch, give yourself permission to browse without a fixed target. A thoughtful staff pick can lead to a new subject, a fresh voice or a book you would never have found through a bestseller list.

Explore the latest display, borrow one unexpected title and share your discovery with another reader. Supporting library memberships, events and donations helps keep these moments of serendipity available to the whole community.