RA FOR ALL...THE ROAD SHOW!

I can come to your library, book club meeting, or conference to talk about how to help your readers find their next good read. Click here for more information including RA for All's EDI Statement.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Share Your 3 Books at ILA or On Display At Your Library

Tuesday through Thursday I will be attending the ILA Annual Conference. Thursday, I am presenting 2x on panels and sponsoring the coffee.

But today to kick off the week I wanted to use this space to promote a drop in event for those of you who will be in Tinley Park, IL this week AND explain how even those of you everywhere else in library land can use this event to create a display at your libraries. 

The team who run the Three Books podcast are going to be at ILA and want you to drop in a record with them.  Here is the link and the details from the Sign-Up Genius:
We want you to be a part of the Three Books Podcast! Sign up for a 15 minute time slot and be prepared to tell us your three favorite books (no perimeters - favorites of all time, from childhood, from the last year - it's up to you!) and a super brief synopsis of each title. You are welcome to bring one friend/colleague with you to record but we cannot accommodate more than two people at a time.  
Look at the times below and sign up as available. We will be in the Executive Board Room. Thank you!Questions? Ask Becca 
- bboland[at]eapl[dot].org
In case you don't know about this amazing podcast, click here to read a post about why I love and support them. That post also explains how Three Books is part of the reason the Popular Materials team from Ela Area [IL] Public Library will be receiving the ARRT award for RA Service at the ILA Awards Luncheon on Tuesday. I will be there at the ARRT table celebrating with them.

Okay, but I also promised how those of you not in IL could participate.  Don't worry, I did not forget about you. Here we go....

First, if you are not attending the ILA Annual Conference, you can still subscribe to Three Books and hear what everyone had to say after the fact. I am really excited to see the wide variety of titles they get by having these mini-recording sessions at this statewide event. Also, one of the reasons I love the podcast as much as I do is because of their commitment to bridging the physical virtual divide by buying a copy of every single book that is mentioned on air to put on display. This means they have created a display of books that has no boundaries; if a guest mentions it, the books are together in one display. And their guests talk about everything and anything. Click here to see a picture of that physical display. Patrons love it. Now they will have so many more and varied titles to display

Second, why not use their whole "three books" concept as a display prompt at your library?  Have staff all give you their "Three Books." Put the titles out together [even wrap a ribbon or string to connect the three physically] with the staff members name or picture on a display. Encourage patrons to take a bundle home. Your staff will love doing this. They will check to see if their books get checked out. They will book talk their choices to patrons to get them to check them out. It will really engage staff with your mission no matter where they work in the building. Also, if their "Three Books" get checked out, have them do three more. Bonus points here because each check out of one bundle counts as three checkouts! [Your administrators and boards will love the stats.]

Third, ask your patrons to share and submit their "Three Books." You can have them write down three titles on a piece of paper and place it in a box or use a white board or post-its to place on a board. Then you can collect their three and make a bundle for the display of patron picks. Ask patrons if they want their first name or not. You can label them all "Patron Picks" and include a first name if they are okay with that or not. Just make sure you are clear that some are form patrons; it is not only staff. This interactive display idea will engage patrons in your collections and RA Service as well as advertise to all patrons that you care about their opinions.

See, no matter where you are right now, the Three Books Podcast can inspire you.

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