Conversation Starter: Make "Flashcards" to Use With All Patrons, In All Situations

Last summer I wrote an article the NoveList database listing "6 Ways Anyone Can RA, Regardless of Job Title." You can do a search in NoveList for "Spratford" and then choose "Lists and Article" to read it.

The point of the piece was to encourage whole library participation in RA Service. One of the 6 suggestions was to "Make Conversation Starter Flashcards."

The most common complaint library workers bring to me in terms of expanding their RA Service is that no one initiates conversations with them about books. But we also don't show them that we want to have these conversations. Often patrons think we are "too busy" for this type of leisure reading conversation. And now, with so much of our work happening online or socially distant it is even harder to get them to engage.

Or at least you all think it is.

The first step is to work together as a team, across the entire library staff, to create a set of notecards or a digital list of Conversation Starters. Leading and provocative questions that can be asked at any service desk, by any staff member, in a print form, or online to to start a conversation about books and reading.

And any conversation you have, at any desk or on any virtual platform, about books and reading is RA Service. Remember, RA is about the conversations we have about our materials that someone would check out for their leisure-- their wants, not their needs. You do not have to  engage in an actual transaction of handing a book to a person that you have worked to match with their preferences for it to count as RA Service. 

These conversation starters can happen anywhere and through any medium, even in our socially distant times. As I mentioned in this post, they are perfect for increasing the interactivity of our curbside service. And of course, they work wonderfully on social media.

Here are some of my favorite conversation starters:

• Tell me about a book you thought you would love and then when you read it you were surprised you didn't like it.
• Patrons are shocked when we ask about what they don't like. This shakes them out of complacency and makes them realize we really do want to talk about books with them.
• What is a book that "surprised" you?
• Keep it vague what you mean by "surprise." Then listen to not only the book, but the "why."
• What book are you most excited about?
• I use this one to start my presentations. I tell people to just type in the first book they thought about. No need to have read it before or even for it to have come out yet.
• What book do you like to gift to others?
• I love this one because it is outside the box and yet most readers have an answer quickly.
• What are your go-to resources for finding book recommendations for yourself (besides the library)?
• This is a great way for us to find new resources, and if you ask enough patrons, you can post a list of "Our Patrons Favorite Reading Sites," or something like that, on your website.

The curbside post referred to above has a few more, and I also have a tag for "Conversation Starters" here on the blog with more. These are resources or posts that could be turned into conversation starters.

I also love this older list from The Millions about what you "Should" read. It makes for some down to earth conversation starters. 

And all of this can happen face-to-face, socially distant, and online-- all at the same time. Also, any staff member can start these conversations, no matter their job title. Just make sure you have the list of conversation starters easily available to everyone who wants to join in on the fun while supporting our Library's mission and increasing patron satisfaction.