Entice a Pokémon Go Player to become a Library User with these 5 Conversation Starters!

Since Pokémon Go's launch on July 6th, many "trainers" have been flocking to the library to capture Pokémon or collect Pokeballs. We've been seeing lots of great ideas of how to encourage these players to become library users (just check out the Facebook page, Library Pokémon Go Support). Today, we thought we'd come up a list of ways you can explain to them how the library works, in terms of Pokémon Go, for potential new library users!

5 Conversation Starters

• You know how the Pokémon Go app is freely available for download to everyone? Our library is open to everyone, too, and we have a free app you can download on your phone as well. [If your library doesn't, one of your vendors might: OverDrive, Freegal, etc...]
• Like collecting different kinds of Pokémon? We also offer lots of different kinds of items for you to check out: DVDs, CDs, Videogames, Newspapers, Magazines and more! Just like there are more Pokémon than Pikachu, we're more than books.
• Did you know libraries are like PokeStops? They are open for anyone to visit them and if the library is on the same network as yours, your library card will work there, too.
• Enjoy meeting new people and competing in Gyms? You can find lots of free events for any age group here at the library.
• Like earning badges? Many libraries have competitive summer reading challenges. Find out the different ways you could win.

We're so excited to hear that many libraries are PokeStops and Gyms. One library posted online that, due to the game, 15 new people visited their library one Saturday and seven of them made a library card while they were there. So, Pokémon Go could really be beneficial to libraries, let's harness that!

If you haven't played the game before, here is a great post to help you learn about it, Everything Librarians Need to Know About Pokemon Go.