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This Workshop Is Brought to You by the Infopeople Project
Infopeople is a federally-funded grant project supported by the California State Library. It provides a wide variety of training to California libraries. Infopeople workshops are offered around the state and are open registration on a first-come, first-served basis.
For a complete list of workshops, and for other information about the project, go to the Infopeople website at infopeople.org.
Introductions• Name
• Library
• Position
• Have you done booktalks previously?
Workshop Overview
• Defining “booktalking”
• Booktalking skills
• Practicing booktalking– Fiction– Nonfiction– Nontraditional
• Presentation tools and resources
Defining “Booktalking”• What it is:
– Structured enthusiasm for a book– A mini-mystery with a cliffhanger ending
• What it isn’t:– A review or critique– A memorized excerpt from a book
Types of Booktalks• Formal (written and memorized)
• Impromptu
• Shelftalks (doing it in the stacks)
• Read-alikes
• Fiction
• Nonfiction
Potential Audiences• Students
– in library – in classroom
• Adults• Senior Adults• Multigenerational – from nine to 90• Clubs and organizations
- book discussion groups- service clubs
Why do booktalks?
What experiences–good or bad–
have you had of booktalking?
Share Your Booktalk on “The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night-Time”with a partner
Exercise #1
Booktalking Do’s• Know your audience
• Include a variety of titles
• READ the books!
• Take notes
• Outline your talk
Planning the Talk• Start with a “grabber”
• Include a narrative arc
• End with a cliff-hanger
• Borrow shamelessly from– reviews– dust jackets– colleagues
How long should a
booktalk be?
Finding BooktalkingResources
• Bibliography
• Webliography
Selecting Appropriate Titles• Are you booktalking fiction or
nonfiction?
• Who is your audience?
• Is your program thematic?
• Are there curriculum connections?
Venues and Formats• Where will you booktalk?
– The library– A classroom– In the community
• Formats– Bare bones– Bells & whistles– Interactive
Booktalk Techniques
• Pace yourself– Don’t rush– Pause for dramatic effect (& laughs!)
• Props? If you must . . .
• Use visuals
• Take advantage of technology
• Practice, practice, practice
Using Props and Visuals• Use props sparingly
– And only when appropriate
• Be sure the audience can see visuals– Transparencies– PowerPoint slides
Booktalking Issues to Consider• About the author?
• Writing word for word?
• Reading from the book?
• Audience participation?
• How many books?
• How long, o Lord?
Techniques for Reading Aloud• When to read aloud
• Be prepared
• Don’t rush
• Don’t mumble
• Enjoy yourself– But don’t ham it up!
Booktalk Don’ts
• Booktalk books you haven’t read• Include books you dislike• Read your booktalks• Give away the ending• Mumble• Let them smell your fear• Bore your audience (less is more)
Exercise #2
Revise Your Booktalk Using the Booktalk
Planning Template
At the Booktalk• Bring a handout
• Have the books available
• Prepare a few extras . . .
Nonfiction Trends
• Narrative style
• High visual content
• Graphic novels
• Novels in verse
Exercise #3Use Your Booktalk Template
to Plan a 60-second
Nonfiction Booktalk
Booktalking Nonfiction• High interest subjects
– Biography– Autobiography/memoirs– History– Adventure– Pop culture– The “ew-gross!” factor
Nonfiction Techniques
• Virtually same as fiction
• Make curriculum connections
• Don’t forget the visual– Use pictures as a hook
Take Advantage of Technology• Audiobooks
• Websites– Author sites– Publisher sites– Movie tie-ins
Doing a Podcast• What are podcasts?
• Booktalking vs. talking about books
• The Infopeople experience
How can booktalks be used in
library programming?
Exercise #4Fill in a
Planning for Using Booktalks in
Library Programming
Template
Summary and Review• Final thoughts
In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.
-—Eric Hoffer quoted in Vanguard Management (Quoted by Warren Bennis in “On Becoming a Leader.” Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1989
