Young Adult Steampunk Book Display

Life has been crazy since my last post; I moved to a new city, bought a house, and started working as a library assistant. Phew! It's been hectic but fun. Part of my new job is coming up with creative book displays for the teen section. For my first attempt, I decided on a steampunk display. I was inspired by this display at Goshen Public Library, and I used this steampunk definition from dictionary.com.

I traced gears onto a cereal box, cut them out, and sprayed them with metallic paint. I mounted the Steampunk! sign and the dictionary definition on brown paper bags (adorned by brass brads).

The airship was more of an undertaking than I anticipated. I used wooden discs and wire coat hangers for the frame, a cheap pillowcase and strips of copper-plated metal for the exterior, and more masking tape and hot glue than my father would approve of. I love this aesthetic, though, and look forward to making more steampunk-inspired projects in the future! 

Here's a list of some of the titles we displayed:

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Worldshaker by Richard Harland

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Steampunk Poe by Edgar Allen Poe

Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories edited by Gavin J. Grant and Kelly Link (audiobook)

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1 (graphic novel)by Alan Moore, Ben Dimagmaliw, Kevin O'Neil, and Bill Oakley

How To Draw Steampunk by Joey Marsocci and Allison DeBlasio

The Steampunk Bible by Jeff VanderMeer

Steampunk Emporium: Creating Fantastical Jewelry, Devices, and Oddments From Assorted Cogs, Gears, and Other Curios by Jema Hewitt

The Golden Compass (DVD)

Steamboy (DVD)

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (DVD)

This was a fun project, and has proven to be a popular display. I was especially surprised by how quickly the nonfiction titles went! If you aren't familiar with steampunk, there are a plethora of websites out there that try to define the genre. Books like The Steampunk Bible and The Steampunk Gazette are great starting points, and a Google image search will give you a feel for the aesthetic. I sort of view steampunk as Justice Stewart viewed obscenity--I might not be able to define it, but I know it when I see it. Be creative and enjoy!