Workshop Planning
Resources card, MethodKit for Workshop Planning
Card 33 of 60 · MethodKit for Workshop Planning
  • ThemeMaterials & tools
  • CardCard 33 of 60
  • Questions5 to explore
Materials & tools

Resources

Additional books, resources & references

Bringing relevant resources into the room signals that the workshop is connected to a broader body of knowledge, not just to whatever the facilitator happened to think of.

Resources might be books related to the topic, printed research, reference sheets, relevant articles, or links to tools participants can use after the session. They are not required for every workshop, but in learning-focused or knowledge-heavy sessions they can anchor the discussion in something concrete and give participants a way to go deeper independently.

Be selective. A table full of books that nobody opens is background noise. Two or three carefully chosen references that connect directly to the workshop content are genuinely useful. If you are recommending books or tools, print a simple list so participants take the reference home rather than relying on memory.

Easy to missIf you are recommending resources verbally, write them down on a flipchart sheet or printed list that participants can take with them, since no one will remember the third title you mentioned.

How experienced facilitators handle it

The same building block, handled by people who have run a lot of workshops. Patterns and illustrations to react to, not rules to follow.

Curate, do not dump

Experienced facilitators choose one to three resources that are directly useful for what participants are working on, rather than listing everything they have ever read on the topic.

Physical over digital in the room

They bring physical books or printed references when possible, because a book on the table invites browsing in a way a URL does not.

Reference list as a takeaway

They often prepare a one-page printed list of key resources as part of the participant takeaway, ensuring that recommendations outlast the session.

Questions to plan around

Use these on your own or in a group. There are no right answers, only better conversations.

  1. Are there books, tools, or references that would meaningfully support what participants are working on?

  2. How will you share recommendations so they survive beyond the session?

  3. Are there printed references that could sit on the tables during the workshop?

  4. Is a reading or reference list part of the participant takeaway?

  5. Have you selected these based on what participants actually need, not just what you find interesting?

Watch for

  • Recommending too many resources at once makes none of them memorable: one strong, specific recommendation is more useful than a list of ten.
  • URLs shared verbally during a session are almost never visited afterward: always write them down and hand them out.
  • Resources that are relevant to you as a facilitator but not directly applicable to where participants are right now add bulk without adding value.