I have a great, high energy day of training planned; training that is proven to get every single staff member, no matter where they work in the organization, motivated to help serve patrons better. Seriously, I have directors contact me after my training sessions saying they didn't believe me when I said that I would motivate the janitor to be involved in serving readers....but I totally motivated the janitor to be involved!
[That is my favorite feedback ever.]
Here is what we have planned if you want to follow along:
9:30 -11:15 am: RA for All: Readers Advisory belongs in every library, no matter its budget. The implementation of this vital service is the responsibility of every staff member-- from pages to directors, from those behind the scenes to the ones on the front lines. This program will remove the mystery behind providing great RA service. Using her “Ten Rules of Basic RA Service” as a guide, Becky Spratford will use your own love of your favorite books to show you how to help any patron find their next great read. It's not as hard as you think. But more importantly, you will learn why a staff that can harness the power of sharing a great read will become a stronger team and improve service to all patrons.
- This program follows Becky's 10 Rules of Basic RA Service
11:30am -12:25 pm: Booktalking: Harnessing the Power of Sharing Books with Patrons: Booktalking is at the heart of what we do with patrons each and every day at the public library. Whether we are sharing books informally at the services desk, presenting a prepared list of books, or posting information online, talking about books is something we do each and every day. It is a core service, but it is also hard to teach. Booktalking is more of an art than a skill, but with the right guidance and some practice, it can go a long way toward engaging your patrons and re-energizing your staff. Join experienced Readers’ Advisory Becky Spratford as she shares the secret behind delivering great book talks, giving you tips and tricks you can begin using right away to hone your own skills. Rediscover the power and joy that comes from sharing books with patrons.
12:25 pm - 12:30: Creating Your Own Reader Profile: Becky will help you take what you have learned to craft your own personal reader profile and start you on your first RA journey-- suggesting a good book to a fellow staff member. Becky will also get you started talking to each other about how you can all work together to share the load.
- Handout and explanation
1:30 pm-3:30pm: Demystifying Genre: How To Help Every Type of Reader: Nothing is scarier than trying to help a fan of a genre you yourself don’t enjoy. You want to help that, for example, Romance reader find the perfect book, but you are having trouble knowing where to begin because...eek!... you don’t read Romance. You are afraid they will find out you are a fraud. How can YOU possibly help THEM?!? Never fear, in this program, Readers’ Advisory expert, Becky Spratford, will teach you how to keep your genre knowledge up to date, explain the biggest trends in genre fiction, and share her time tested tricks for working with genre readers. You will leave this webinar with the confidence and skill to help fans of every genre, regardless of whether you have ever read a book in that genre. And that will leave a trail of happy patrons in your wake.
3:40 pm-4:30: RA Rethink- The Displays Edition: Using Next Level Data to Improve Merchandising: If someone told you there’s a practical way to improve circulation and increase the job satisfaction of your staff, would you do it? Librarian Becky Stratford has developed a method you can use to accomplish both goals. She’ll explain how to deepen staff involvement in readers’ advisory in a way that gets everyone from staff to patrons excited. This talk includes a discussion of “on the fly book display tips and tricks.”
Whether you are here with us in Bradley or not, there is plenty of information here to help you improve your service to leisure readers.
No comments:
Post a Comment