One of the things I love about my job as a library consultant is the different types of groups I get to work with. Sometimes it is a single library system staff, others it is a gathering of the entire staff of a few small libraries all at once, and then I go to conferences where you get a whole mixed up group of library people. But some of the most satisfying work I do is targeted staff training as I will be doing today at a regional all day RA conference in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Why is it so satisfying? Because at these events I can teach as a "train the trainer." I am reaching more libraries at once because their RA staff are being sent by their library to this regional event. This means that the administration already has buy-in to do more RA or they wouldn't pay for the staff member to be with me. And, I am able to include more working together exercises so that these people, from all over the same region, but most of whom do not know each other well, will continue to reach out and work together after I leave.
It is the combination of energizing library workers from so many libraries and encouraging them to both bring the information back to their home turf and to continue working together that makes me so professionally happy. I have seen my participation in these types of event help large swaths of libraries, many of whom are not officially connected in anyway other than geographic proximity, improve their service to all readers. And honestly, improving service to leisure readers is why I do this in the first place.
That being said, while the schedule of events appears to be the same as the program I did earlier this month in WI, as I was going through my approach to these presentations for today, I realized what I will say and emphasize, is actually quite different. As it should be. First the audience is double the size today. Second, the previous presentation was for a single staff serving one population, while these library workers come from a wide range of service populations. And third, I have made some updates and additions to my standard presentations even from earlier this month.
Let's get to it. Remember, while these links are specifically for today's PA attendees, there is a lot here for all of my readers, including the very first exercise we are going to be doing during check-in time! Seriously, if any of you are going to a regional meeting or running a training anytime soon, feel free to borrow this exercise.
Here is today's schedule of events:
9-9:30: Check in and Breakfast Exercise: As people enter, they will find two sheets of paper on their tables. Each paper will have a conversation starter question. Attendees will be encouraged to discuss both questions and record some of the answers on the paper. The sheets will be collected and the answers and ideas explored at each table will be compiled by the organizers so that all of the attendees can see what was discussed at every table. The questions I have chosen for this exercise today are:
- Why is it important to read diversely?
- What book fo you wish you could read again for the first time?
The other point about this exercise is that it gives people a conversation starter to connect with others during the breaks too. I will be facilitating this exercise and encouraging participants share with each other all day both formally and informally.
9:30-10:45: 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, especially the hardest to reach ones.
- Follows my 10 Rules of Basic RA Service [updated this week!]
15 min break
11:00- 12: Booktalking Your Way to the Friendliest Library in Town: 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.
Lunch 12-1 with Booktalking Exercise
1-2: Demystifying Genre: 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 the basic appeals of the major genres, give you the inside track on what a fan of that genre is most drawn to, and provide you with talking points to get your genres readers to tell you what they want. This program focuses on providing you with a diverse and inclusive list of up to date authors with at least 40% of the example titles representing own voices. You will leave this session with the confidence and skill to help fans of every genre, regardless of whether or not you have ever read a book in that genre yourself. And that will leave a trail of happy patrons in your wake.
15 min break
2:15-3: RA Rethink: Merchandising and Upselling Edition: If someone told you there’s a practical and easy way to increase circulation, patron visits, program attendance and the job satisfaction of your staff, would you do it? Of course you would. Librarian Becky Spratford has developed a method you can use to accomplish all of this and it plays off of the skills, talents, and interests you already possess. She’ll explain how to deepen staff involvement in readers’ advisory in a way that gets everyone from staff to patrons excited. You are spending a lot of effort and money on cultivating good collections, but are you giving those collections a fair chance to shine? Are you linking your work with patrons as you find them items to your programming and other services? Do your patrons even know the full breadth of what you offer them? And how are you measuring results? With just a few simple tweaks to how you already market your collections, services, programs and even staff, Becky will help you leave a trail of happier and more engaged patrons in your wake.
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