What do you say when someone asks you for a good read? A practical course to get you more comfortable with starting book conversations and more confident in making reading suggestions. You don’t have to be a big reader yourself, or have lots of book knowledge; it’s all about learning to listen and using your patrons as a creative resource.
Even though I have always talked with readers and encouraged them to tell me about their reading journey, I now have an arsenal of new questions to ask that I hadn’t thought of myself. Also I look at the way we display books differently now.
Ruth Adams Ballarat Libraries Australia
Talking with readers made easy worked well for me. Being able to log on when time allowed was very useful. I am keen to revise the course once our restructure has taken place and share ideas from it with the team. I look forward to signing up for future Opening the Book courses.
Alison Norris-Baber Carterton Library New Zealand
After taking this course, I am now equipped with more conversational tools so that I don’t feel like I have to know about all the books in the library.
Gillian Ross East Renfrewshire Culture & Leisure UK
| What you will be doing | |
| Your role in the library | |
| The value of the library service | |
| What do readers want? | |
| Approaching patrons | |
| Conversation openers | |
| Practice with a colleague | |
| Practical work |
| Making suggestions | |
| Likes and dislikes | |
| Reading grooves | |
| I’m looking for a good read | |
| Knowing what’s available | |
| Judging the cover | |
| Reading cover clues | |
| Handselling | |
| Moving into non-fiction | |
| Hunting the experience |
| Being comfortable, feeling safe | |
| Finding places to talk in the library | |
| Listening well | |
| Writing it down | |
| Building a routine | |
| Finding opportunities at events | |
| Visiting a book group |
| Spreading the words | |
| Starting a buzz in the library | |
| Be a reading activist | |
| Measuring the impact you have | |
| The quiz | |
| Self-assessment | |
| Thank you | |
| More Opening the Book courses | |
| Credits |
Prices displayed in CAD
