A romance for the novels: Library kicks off “Blind Dates with a Book”

Library staff develops new initiative in the hopes of student enjoyment and increased circulation

On Feb. 1, Santa Clara’s library unveiled its first “Blind Dates with a Book” display. The Learning Commons now houses a collection of books ready to be checked out by students – but they’re completely wrapped in brown paper. Any identifying information as to what the title, author or content of the book may be is hidden. The only hints of what is inside are short, quirky profiles on the packaging.

“We’ve selected books from our pop collection – our fiction books,” said Suzie Kim, circulation supervisor of the library and head of the project. “We read not only about the book itself, but also the record and catalog to find some of the words to put on the actual cover.”

With descriptions like “barbeque enthusiast” and “if your type is destructive on a planetary level,” the hints provide baffling insights into the books – just enough to pique the interest of a potential reader.

“We’re trying to make the books very diverse, both in terms of authors and genres,” Kim said. “We also want to make it culturally diverse.”

While she led this massive effort, Kim had help in organizing, decorating and designing the arrangement. The library staff is divided into sections, and Kim herself is on the Growth and Belongingness Committee.

“We reached out to the Marketing Events and Pop Committees,” Kim recalled. “Our group of four decided what books to select for the display, had a wrapping party for the books and put up the entire display.”

The team’s process was an enjoyable one, from wrapping each book with its unique description to designing an inviting backdrop, and Kim hopes students have fun selecting and reading the books. She also believes the Blind Dates display will serve as an important function in the library for the days that it is up.

“The library is here to serve the students, faculty and community,” she said. “We want people to use our services, see what kind of programs we have, but also to increase our circulation – reading is really important.”

The set-up is located on the first floor of the Learning Commons, across from the help desk, and will be running until Feb. 14.