Looking for a new way to engage employees at the office? Try a book swap party. Book swaps get people talking and sharing — and most importantly, it gets them reading, which is valuable for individuals and organizations alike.
Before discussing the benefits of a book swap, let’s get into what it is. At a book swap, all attendees bring a book — or multiple books — that they already own, and over the course of the event, all the books end up with different owners. It's a wonderfully sustainable work activity where employees recycle their books by giving them to their colleagues, and the best part is that everyone walks away with new reading material.
How office book swaps improve team dynamics
Books are fantastic conversation starters. On the day of the book swap, people come together over favorite reads, preferred genres, and a curiosity to learn more about each other. If you make this a recurring event, teammates can continue to have ongoing discussions about the books they’re reading and share what they’d like to read next. This is why book swaps are so great for team bonding — they build camaraderie and community between co-workers while boosting company culture as a whole.
There are potential physical and psychological benefits as well. Bibliotherapy is a real practice — a study cited in Healthline notes that just 30 minutes of reading can be as effective as yoga when it comes to reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, and stabilizing heart rate.
The benefits of reading can potentially translate directly to workplace performance, since employees who are avid readers may feel more focused and energized, as well as less stressed. But it extends beyond that — reading books can potentially enhance concentration, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
How to organize an office book swap
Start the process by sending out an invitation that provides the date, time, and agenda for the event, as well as the specific instructions for the swap.
For example, you'll probably want to set a minimum number of books people should bring — as well as a maximum, if you don't want to have a lot of extras lying around. You might also want to specify that guests should contribute books that they actually enjoyed and want to share, rather than books they just want to get rid of.
You can also establish guidelines for the book swap that promote interaction. Attendees can advertise the books they brought and tell the group what they loved about them, either with a written note or a brief presentation.
Here are a few other ways to hold an office book swap:
When attendees arrive, give them tickets based on the number of books they bring. Each ticket can then be exchanged for a book, so each person can take home as many books as they contribute. To save space and streamline the event, you can also choose to simplify the exchange to a 1-to-1 swap, where each person brings a single book to exchange.
Conduct the book swap as a white elephant gift exchange, wrapping all books as if they were presents. Everyone draws a number at random. Employee #1 gets to select a book, then employee #2 can either take a new book from the pile or steal the book of employee #1. If their book is stolen, that employee would then get the chance to choose a new book. A book can be stolen up to three times.
Another take on the white elephant book swap has participants conceal their book contributions in nondescript wrapping paper before the event kicks off. No one will know what book they’re getting — the only clue is an anonymous note from the contributor, indicating the genre and a few words about the plot or something specific they enjoyed about the book.
Make your office book swap memorable
When it comes time to host your book swap, there are many ways to make it fun, inclusive, and interactive. For example, give everyone literature-themed questions to prompt a discussion ahead of the swap. Questions could be about all-time favorite authors, novels that made readers ugly cry, unforgettable stories that left a lasting impact, or anything book-related.
Or, if your team is partial to a particular genre, consider a themed book swap party. Decorate the office, curate a playlist that pays homage to classic titles — and their film adaptations — and even come to the event dressed up as iconic characters.
One of the best ways to make your office book swap as engaging and enjoyable as possible is by including a team lunch or dinner. Placing a group order for the team, or extending one-time meal vouchers to employees to order lunch to the office, is a great way to begin the event. Not only will employees appreciate the catered meal, but eating together can help strengthen group bonds.
So encourage your employees to get reading and make a book swap party your next office get-together with DoorDash for Business.
