Gimme a C (for Collaboration!): How Booktalks Can Lead to More

As a public librarian, I’m always on the lookout to see what I can do with local schools that isn’t just plopping down an informational library table. Booktalks are a fun activity, and provide me with the opportunity to promote our Battle of the Books program, a great way to involve schools in a collaborative literacy project. And as I recently found out, our booktalks led to even more. 

This is our third year doing a Battle of the Books. Every year, I do booktalks and promote the program at a local school. We use our state book award list, the Rebecca Caudills. I used to visit just one class, but this year I was able to booktalk to 38 classes (1,336 students).  I asked the school librarians if they wanted to break up the booklist with me and participate. One took me up on the idea and it was a blast! We were able to learn some booktalk tips from each other, and it was fun getting more involved with the staff. We timed the booktalks to coincide with the school’s book fair, where they had a special table for the state awards. By the end of the day, all the state award books were sold out. This led to the PTO wanting to work with us to do booktalks during the sale regularly. As we help raise their sales, which helps the school financially, the students and parents will get to know us better, and we can set up a table for library card sign-ups. While some of the school librarians did not co-booktalk, they did help in setting up a time for me to see all of the 5th-8th grade students. Some teachers enjoyed listening to the booktalks so much that they requested bookbags of literature circle sets, which in turn helped our public library statistics.

To further promote our Battle of the Books program, we put a flyer in the school’s digital backpack and all the teachers were very helpful in encouraging their kids to join. So at first, I was bummed that only 29 kids signed up. But, after encouraging them to bring last-minute friends, and to not worry about RSVPing, over 100 people showed up to the Battle Orientation! We ran out of tables and chairs, and now have 55 kids and 9 teams. The first year we only had 9 kids and the second year, 28. To top it off, the teachers are forming teams this year too, to compete with the kids!

One benefit of Battle is that it’s helped promote our newer and less known teen section, which is actually in our adult department. Additionally through Battle, younger kids are getting to know our teens and new teen librarian, since he co-sponsors the program with me. This will help ease them into the teen programs when they’re older, without being intimidated. At every Battle practice, we talk about upcoming teen programs so hopefully our teen program stats will go up too. We knew the program was a success when the entire room was full and some of the kids asked where the books were (we were in a meeting room). They had never been to the library before, and now they have! I consider that a win. From booktalks to higher book fair sales to Battle to a boost in circulation and program stats…when you work together, everyone benefits!

Rachel Reinwald is the School Liaison/Youth Services Librarian for Lake Villa District Library in Illinois.  To learn more about hosting a Battle of the Books, contact Rachel at  www.litlaughlearn.com. She is a member of the AASL/ALSC/YALSA Interdivisional Committee on School-Public Library Cooperation and the ALSC Education Committee.