At Cardinal Rule Press we are dedicated to helping librarians and booksellers think outside of the box when it comes to marketing, community building and sales efforts. If you love this article about how to share your personal love of books with your customers, you might also like Easy Daily Facebook Tips for Your Library or Bookstore.

As a librarian or bookseller, you have the joy and privilege of recommending books to your customers on a daily basis. Often times, they come into your bookshop or library with a specific idea in mind, but sometimes a customer needs a little help to find their next great read.

Studies have shown that people trust the personal recommendations of their friends and family, so why not position yourself as a friend by inviting your readers to get to know you better?

The following ideas would all make fantastic end cap or table top displays and could easily be adapted to showcase your staff’s recommendations.

If you would like to take these concepts up a notch even further, we’ve got an amazing printable questionnaire for you and your staff to fill out and display so your customers can get to know you.

If you are a librarian, grab the Get To Know Your Librarian printable by clicking here.

If you are a bookstore, grab the Get To Know Your Bookseller printable by clicking here.

Books You Loved As A Child

Select a book from your childhood that you adored reading. Why did this book stick with you all these years?

Books You Love Reading To Children

Select books that you love reading to children. Why do you love reading that particular book?

What You’re Currently Reading

This is my favorite information to know about a librarian or bookseller. I want to know what they’re currently reading so I can follow up to see if it something I should put on my radar too. I especially love knowing about the ARCs people are reading because I love knowing what is coming out soon!

On Your Personal To Read List

What books are you your personal to be read list? Sharing this list is also an amazing way to introduce your readers to Goodreads, which is a great place to keep track of everything you want to read.

Your Favorite Book Of All Time

Can you narrow your favorite book of all time down to just one? If not, create a Top 10 list and share a little tidbit about why you loved these books. Type out your list so that your readers can take a copy for future reference.

Your Favorite Authors

Select books from your favorite authors. Why do you love these authors?

Books You Love Recommending To Friends

Do you find yourself recommending the same book to your friends and family? Readers love personal recommendations and this is an easy recommendation to share – you likely can’t stop raving about it!

Which one of these options will you choose for your library or bookstore? Remember, you don’t have to do all of them, instead pick one of the options listed above and incorporate it into your marketing schedule.

Are you looking to enhance your space? Sign up for our newsletter and get a comment card template, easy to use by simply printing out for your patrons!