True Crime Programming Ideas
Spotlight programming around true crime at your library with easy, cost-effective, and engaging ideas that pair perfectly with movies.
True Crime Book-to-Movie Club
Gather the true crime-lovers in your community monthly for a true crime book-to-movie club. Pick a book each month that was made into a film, then screen the film at your monthly meeting. Host a post-screening discussion to compare and contrast.
Host a Discussion
The popularity of true crime in recent years has also brought forth questions regarding the ethicality of entertainment based on stories of tragedy. Tap into this relevant discussion by hosting a panel discussion at your library. Invite experts like pop culture journalists, psychologists, victims of crimes, and more to explore the ethical dilemma behind true crime media and cover topics like: why true crime is so popular, differences between documentaries and fictional retellings, what makes true crime exploitative vs. necessary or helpful, and more.
The Library Investigates
Invite a current or former FBI agent from your community to come share some of the ins and outs of solving crimes. See if they’d be open to creating a staged crime scene and walking participants through the various techniques law enforcement use to process a crime scene and collect evidence.
- Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros)
- Catch Me If You Can (Paramount)
- American Hustle (Sony)
Murder Mystery Party
See if patrons can figure out whodunnit? Murder mysteries are a great way to not only have fun, but also highlight the breadth of your library’s resources. Even better, use excerpts from popular true crime books as your clues. After conducting an original mystery, screen one of these murder mystery-themed movies for your attendees.
- Knives Out (Lionsgate)
- Where the Crawdad’s Sing (Sony)
- Clue (Paramount)
- A Simple Favor (Lionsgate)
- Gone Girl (Fox)
- Game Night (Warner Bros)
- The Woman in the Window (MGM)
- Mississippi Burning (MGM)