Reading material for guests

[Jeff219]

I was wondering if many hosts are getting requests for reading materials from their guest.  If so, how are you accomodating them?  Do you provide paperbacks that you happen to have laying around or do you have a focused effort to keep paperbacks and other reading material stocked and available?

Thanks.  I would appreciate your comments.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Jeff219

we have never got such request but we have few books about our town and country plus city guides  and brochures so our guests have a lot to read if they want to 🙂

[Lawrene0]

Hey, @Jeff219, good question! It is not often a request here - only once that I can remember did someone ask whether we had books and games - but I think it is an excellent idea to have some pastimes handy. When I set up the treehouse for guests, I imagined rainy days, so stocked the shelf over the bed with books of short stories, a pocket encyclopedia of maps, a book of quotes, a basic carpentry handbook, the Brewer's Phrase and Fable, an excruciatingly boring book on weather, a camping guide. Also, Conrad's Heart of Darkness, you know, for those who need to dampen any high spirits while in the woods... on a river... 

There are also two decks of cards and a game of Chinese checkers with the under-the-bed supplies. These were all things I already had. One guest left an elaborate colouring book and pencil crayons/sharpener as a sort of pay-it-forward thing, and so that is there too. 

I think making available what you already have lying around is a wonderful way for guests to get to know you a bit. I have had nice conversations with hosts, when I am travelling, about their books. 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Jeff219

I have a single occupancy guest room so I mention to guests that I have a collection of paperback novels and books (in English) if they want something to read. I have a kindle now, so it's been a while since I bought a paperback 🙂 

I also keep a bunch of tourist maps and brochures about Korea and Seoul that I picked up (from the local tourist information office) for guests who are interested.

[Lizzie]

Hello @Jeff219, @Jessica-and-Henry0, @Lawrene0, @Branka-and-Silvia0, 

Have you ever tried a honesty bookshelf in your listing? Where if a guest wants to take a look with them, they replace it with one of theirs so your stock does reduce. Do you think this would work in your listing?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

In our area the average stay is just 2 days... so I don't think it would be worth the effort to clean the dust of the books 🙂

[Huma0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 in one of my rooms I have a glass fronted bookcase. It only cost £30 on Ebay and then I painted it myself. It very rarely needs dusting inside, only on top, which takes seconds. I do clean the glass too, but as I'm already cleaning the mirrors/framed pictures each time I turn over the room, that barely adds any extra time. Here it is, but it looks much nicer now filled with books. Actually, the large open book case full of books in another room doesn't take long to clean at all. I just whip a feather duster over the books and it's done. On the other hand, if your short term guests are never going to look at the books then perhaps it's not worth it. For my spaces, I think the books add to the look of the interior even if they don't get read and the guests are often impressed that they're there.

[Victoria567]

@Huma0

Your home and your taste in interior design is gorgeous.....love, love, love

[Lawrene0]

Not here, @Lizzie. The books we provide (and do not wish taken away) fit the space, physically and otherwise.  I'm never captivated by what I see in those "little libraries" or honesty bookshelves: potboilers, tracts, self-published memoirs, and the 1982 edition of An Introduction to Data Processing. 

[Lizzie]

hehe @Lawrene0. I remember quite a few years ago now, when the book 'One Day' by David Nicholls came out and everywhere I went I saw people reading it and sometime I do think when I see a honesty bookshelf how they are not full of the same books - I imagine the simple answer to this is that this is still pretty unlikely!! 🙂

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

Actually @Lizzie  it sounds like a good idea. Thanks!!!

I have a couple boxes of books, all practically new (mostly novels) that I've packed up that I was planning to donate or give away so if I can convince Henry to get them out (from our storage area) it would be easy to set up. 

Since I have guests staying long-term, it might be better to have a small collection of books in the guest room (like @Huma0) for easier access but because they tend to be students, I think I'll ask them if they want the space for themselves (their own books) or would they like a selection of easy reads 🙂 

[Farah1]

@Jeff219 on the console by the entrance, I have some magazines about Washington and Seattle. Sometimes I have the local paper available as well (not formal news, it is more about what is going on in the area this week/month).

[Huma0]

@Jeff219 I have a lot of books and two of my guest rooms already had bookshelves and there are more books and magazines in the living room, plus load of magazines in a dresser in the dining room, so there is plenty there for them to browse but I don't think they often do.

The books are grouped by category. In one room, I have all my travel guides, books on British history and British classics like Shakespear. Another room has books on art, architecture etc, while the living room has books and magazines on interior design.

I also put tourist leaflets in the guest rooms which I think they look at more often. Unforunately, a recent guest in one of the rooms threw them all out so I have to start collecting again. I don't mind guests taking a few, but throwing them all out? I guess they didn't realise how long it takes to traipse all over London, which is huge, collecting leaflets, and assumed I did it for each guest!

Recently, I've started picking up extra copies of the free magazines that are handed out at the underground stations every week to put in the rooms, but only the ones that are useful to guests, e.g. have listings of stuff to do in London that week. I assume you would have something similar in New York, so maybe you could give that a try. The guests seem to like it.

@Lizzie's suggestion has reminded me that there is a book exchange at my local underground station. I've never thought to mention it to guests, but I might let them know about it now.

[Neva3]

This blog is great.

[Lizzie]

That's a really good idea @Huma0 about the free newspapers. Things like Timeout which give a guide to the city of things to do are great little resources for your guests.