Tag: halloween

Frighteningly Good Reads

Kimberly

The Bentley Library staff created an online display that is full of chills and thrills. Including both downloadable audiobooks & ebooks, this selection helps you celebrate all things spooky.

In addition to the above collection, plenty of spooky content is available through our streaming film collections, Kanopy and Swank.  If you are interested in learning about horror as a medium, why not start with the master and stream a Talk from Hitchcock himself available through Films on Demand.

Other horror tales and ghost stories are available on our shelves, including the classics, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula and newer authors, Stephen King, Octavia Butler, or Joe Hill. Don’t have time to commit to a whole novel? Why not check out a collection of short stories such as American Fantastic Tales or Flight or Fright!

Do you have a favorite pick you would like to recommend to fellow Bentley Horror Fans? Just drop us a line through Instagram or Twitter.

Happy Haunting.

Chills & Thrills: Frightfully Good Books and Movies

Kimberly 5 Comments

It is the time to celebrate all things spooky.

The Bentley Library staff has put together a display of DVDs that are full of chills and thrills for your Halloween season. Check the DVD display shelves throughout the month of October. We hope you are bewitched by our picks!

In addition to DVDs, plenty of spooky content is available through our streaming film collections, Kanopy and Swank.  If you are interested in learning about horror as a medium, why not start with the master and stream a Talk from Hitchcock himself available through Films on Demand.

Other horror tales and ghost stories are available on our shelves and through Overdrive, including the classics, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula and newer authors, Stephen King or Joe Hill. Don’t have time to commit to a whole novel? Why not check out a collection of short stories such as American Fantastic Tales or Flight or Fright!

Do you have a favorite pick you would like to recommend? Just post a comment with the title and your name.

Happy Haunting.

No Tricks, Just Treats: Halloween Facts & Figures

Lisa

Here are some fun-sized pieces of Halloween trivia, plucked from a few industry research resources.

Trick-or-Treat…

Who do you expect to see on your doorstep this October 31st?  The U.S. Census reports that there are an estimated 36 million potential trick-or-treaters in the United States, and according to a National Retail Federation survey, many of those kids will be dressed as princesses (4.3 million), Spider Man (1.8 million), and witches (1.7 million).   Children aren’t the only ones getting into the holiday spirit – check out the complete costume survey results to also see the top costume picks for adults and pets (like our favorite French Bulldog, Jasper, pictured to the right).

In fact, Mintel’s Holiday Shopping report indicates that $1.8 billion will be spent on Halloween costumes this year, with the average expenditure being $34.96.  Mintel anticipates that total expenditures for Halloween (including costumes, decorations, candy and greeting cards) will be $4.8 billion.

…Give Me Something Good to Eat!

Every trick-or-treater has a favorite candy.  Last year one little boy stood on my doorstop, peered into my candy bowl, and shouted with delight when he discovered we had Skittles in the mix.  When I was a kid I thought nothing was better than a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and at the end of the night my friends and I would dump out our bags to sort our stash and barter for our favorites.

According to the National Confectioners Association, of those households providing treats, the majority (52%) will be passing out chocolate.  When kids are asked about their faves, they say that they prefer homes that give anything made with chocolate (68%), followed by lollipops (9%), gummy candy (7%) and bubble gum or chewing gum (7%).

In their Seasonal Chocolate report, Mintel notes that from 2008-2010 Halloween chocolate sales decreased 2.9%.  Conversely, in 2009 sales of non-chocolate candy – which is more affordable – were up 2.9%.  The chocolate industry shouldn’t worry too much though, as Mintel predicts that Halloween chocolate sales will rebound as the economy improves, with a forecasted growth of 4.8% from 2010-2015.

Whatever your costume or candy preference may be, we hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!

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Sources:
Mintel Group. (2010, June). Holiday Shopping – US – June 2010. Retrieved from Mintel Oxygen database.
Mintel Group. (2010, August). Seasonal Chocolate – US – August 2010. Retrieved from Mintel Oxygen database.
National Confectioners Association. (2009). Fun Facts About Halloween.  Retrieved from http://www.candyusa.com/FunStuff/halFunFactsDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=992.
National Retail Federation. (2010, September). 2010 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey: Top Costumes. Retrieved from http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=Documents&op=showlivedoc&sp_id=5490.
U.S. Census. (2010, August 31). Facts for Features – Halloween: Oct. 31, 2010.  Retrieved from  http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb10ff19.html.

Halloween Facts & Figures

Lisa

How much money will we spend on Halloween candy this year?  Which state produces the most pumpkins? How many trick-or-treaters are there in the United States?

We can answer these questions using a few key industry research sources, including library databases IBISWorld and Mintel, as well as the U.S. Census.  Check these facts out:

According to industry research firm IBISWorld:1

  • Halloween sales are expected to reach a record-breaking $6 billion in 2009, up 4.2 percent from the $5.77 billion generated last year.
  • The average person is estimated to spend about $22.50 on Halloween treats in 2009.
  • 32 percent of people celebrating the holiday will either host or attend a party. For this reason, IBISWorld expects decorations to reach its highest level yet at $1.64 billion.

Furthermore, market research firm Mintel tells us that:

  • 65% of Americans celebrate Halloween.2
  • the Halloween holiday actually ranks 4th in sales of chocolate, behind Easter (1st), Christmas (2nd), and Valentine’s Day (3rd). 3

Lastly, the U.S. Census provides us with their annual list of Halloween fun facts.  How else would we know that:

  • 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins were produced by major pumpkin-producing states in 2008. (Illinois led the country by producing 496 million pounds).
  • the per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2008 was 23.8 pounds.
  • the estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters in 2008 – children 5 to 13 – across the United States was 36 million. 4

The staff of the Bentley Library wishes everyone a Happy Halloween!

Sources:
1 “Holiday Sales Un-Spooked By Recession According To IBISWorld Data”. IBISWorld Press Release. 13 October 2009. http://www.ibisworld.com/pressrelease/pressrelease.aspx?prid=202.
2 Holiday Shopping – US – June 2009. Mintel Oxygen database.
3 Chocolate Confectionery – US – July 2008.  Mintel Oxygen database.
4 Facts for Features – Halloween: October 31, 2009.  U.S. Census Press Release. 31 August 2009. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/014211.html