Blind Date with a Book campaigns have become popular at all sorts of libraries. The concept is simple: library members choose and check out a “mystery book,” read (or abandon) the book, and then provide feedback about whether they connected with or liked the book. The purpose of campaigns like this one is to encourage readers to explore materials they may not otherwise pick up. Regardless of how many times our parents have told us not to, we do often judge books by their cover. Which means that otherwise wonderful books sometimes languish on library shelves, looking more stuffy/staid/nerdy/corny than they really are.

The way in which different librarians approach the Blind Date with a Book concept is fascinating to me. Some librarians wrap the books all in brown paper, leaving you with a truly random choice. Some make it clear that the book is of a certain genre, or at a certain reading level. The librarians at my new library presented the books wrapped in personal ads–and had a wide range of genre and interests represented. They even included YA stickers on the choices from the Young Adult section, which I thought was quite clever. Hack Outreach has created a Pinterest Board dedicated to Blind Date with a Book displays where you can see a number of creative and visually appealing examples of Blind Date book displays, advertising, and occasions.

Now, about my own Blind Date with a Book. It started well. I read the personal ads very closely and debated for probably longer than was necessary whether I should go for “epic with a dash of honor, deceit, and violence” or whether I should go for “mystery with a dash of sassiness, intrigue, and shock.”

I went for epic. My decision was partly based on physical characteristics–though I couldn’t see the book covers, I could see clearly that the mystery was just too short for me. When I unwrapped my choice, I found that my Blind Date was with a book I’d never seen before, with an author I hadn’t read.

Jackpot!

The date started well. I was enchanted. The book was interesting, well written, and the story was off to a solid start. I felt like we were getting to know each other and it was going well. Then, the story changed, and I wasn’t quite as enchanted. This epic tale covers a number of generations in the same region of England and, though the writing was just short of amazing, I did not connect with the characters or their plight after the first story. By tale three, I was checking my watch and wondering if I should feign a headache. I excused myself for a few centuries, and came back to my date when it looked like we were approaching a historical event that might prove interesting. Sadly, that didn’t pan out.

While I found my Blind Date excruciatingly long, I wouldn’t call it a total loss. In fact, I may pick up another book by this author–I enjoyed his writing, and the story line I did connect with, I connected with in a big way. In the end, this is not a book/author I’d want to date again, but I wouldn’t mind linking up for a casual and brief coffee and a chat.