Tag: libraries

Starting the Year with a Library-Themed “Would You Rather” Game

Tech Fun In The Library

One of my favorite ways to kick off the school year in the library is with a good old-fashioned game of “Would You Rather”—library-style! It’s a simple, fun activity that helps me get to know the kids and gets them learning a little bit about each other too. Plus, it gets them moving, which is always a win!

I use a Google Slides version of the game that I project on the whiteboard. Each slide has a fun, library-themed question with two choices (A or B), and students move to the side of the room that matches their answer. Example: “Would you rather read books that make you laugh or books that make you scared?” Boom—movement, laughter, and instant conversation starters.

As a library teacher, I only see students twice a week, so I don’t get the same daily time with them that their classroom teachers do. That’s why I try to be intentional about relationship-building right from the start. This game gives me a peek into their personalities and interests in a low-pressure way. And honestly, it’s just fun to see what they pick!

It’s also great for helping students learn about their classmates. They get to see who shares their love of fantasy books or who’s also into listening to audiobooks instead of reading print. It’s quick, interactive, and gets us all smiling and talking—exactly how I want the year to start.

If you’re looking for a simple way to connect with students and build community in your library space, give it a try. The Google Slides version I use is available in my TPT store if you want to grab it and use it with your own classes. You might just learn who would rather read a book that smells like cookies or read a book that makes noises when you turn the page—and that’s important stuff to know.

Shop here for your Library Themed Would You Rather.

Why Having a Diverse Collection Matters

Tech Fun In The Library

 In an increasingly diverse world, one of the most important responsibilities of libraries is to make sure our collections reflect a wide range of voices, experiences, and perspectives. A diverse collection in a library is not merely a matter of quantity—it’s about ensuring that everyone can see themselves represented in the materials we have in our libraries. The content in libraries should reflect the richness of human experience, addressing issues of race, gender, class, sexuality, ability, and beyond. Here’s why a diverse collection is so important:

Promoting Inclusivity and Representation

Representation matters. When libraries feature diverse materials, they validate the experiences of all groups. This is especially crucial for young readers and members of underrepresented communities who might not see themselves reflected often in books. Diverse collections ensure that every patron, regardless of background, can find books that connect with their identity, experiences, and struggles.

For example, children who see characters from various cultures, backgrounds, and abilities in books are more likely to develop empathy and an understanding of people who are different from themselves.

Encouraging Critical Thinking and Empathy

Our library collections should serve as a mirror to the world. Having library materials that present different viewpoints, backgrounds, and beliefs, will help encourage students to think critically about the world around them. Exposing students to diverse perspectives helps them to develop a deeper understanding of the world and people around them.

Fostering a Sense of Belonging

Libraries should be safe spaces where students can explore new ideas, learn, or even just find comfort in a place they feel safe and seen. When library collections are diverse, they create an environment where everyone feels seen and heard. For members of underrepresented communities, knowing that the library acknowledges their histories, experiences, and identities fosters a sense of belonging and respect.

These are just a few of the reasons we should be making sure that our collections are diverse to meet the needs of all our students. It is never too early to get started on making your collection as diverse as possible. A diverse library collection is not just about offering more books—it’s about building a more inclusive, understanding, and just world for everyone.

Book Shelving…Who Has the Time?

Tech Fun In The Library

Here we are almost half way through the current school year and book returns are on the rise. While this is great it does pose a problem….shelving. One of the big issues I hear from school librarians is that there is very little time to shelve books. What do you do about book returns? How do you get them back on the shelves in a timely manner? As a librarian of a K-12 library with no aide, I understand the difficulties of shelving books while conducting back to back classes. I have made a few adjustments in my library to make it easier to go home with an empty book cart every day.

Baskets for Series Books

When I set up our new library 7 years ago I purchased baskets for all of the elementary series books. There are sooooo many series books and they take up valuable real estate on the shelves. Putting the series books in baskets was a game changer for our library.

Putting them in baskets means that all of the series books are easy for students to find and easy for me to shelve. The bulk of my books, aside from graphic novels, that are checked out by 1st through 4th come from these baskets. Students find a book they like and then they run with it and finish the series. When books are returned I just walk around and drop them in the correct basket. I don’t worry about putting them in order within the basket during the school year. At the end of the year, if I have time, I go through and arrange them in order but to be honest being out of order within the basket does not seem to hinder students in finding their desired read.

What about the cost? I had no budget when I set up our brand new library 7 years ago. I went to Dollar Tree and found these green baskets that matched the color decor fairly well. I wondered how they would hold up but I have not had to replace one basket in 7 years so I would say they were worth the dollar. There are lots of options out there for baskets that would work for your library.

Graphic Novel Section

The busiest section of my library is the graphic novel section. Student’s love these books so making them easy to access was key. I moved them out of the nonfiction section and created a section of shelving just for the graphic novels. When I first set it up I had 5 sparsely filled shelves. Fast forward to today and I have 36 shelves of graphic novels. I just had to move things around this week to free up space so the shelves weren’t packed so tightly. I keep series books together within this section and…total transparency here… the rest are just put on the shelves in any order. They go in and out so quickly I don’t worry about alphabetical order. When shelving I am able to grab the graphic novels and go right to this section to put them away. Again, easy for students to find the graphic novel section and easy for me to shelve.

Finding the Time

I have found that shelving books is much like doing laundry. If you take the clothes out of the dryer and throw them on the sofa or in a spare room to “fold later”. They can pile up and become an overwhelming task. But, if you fold each load right as it comes out of the dryer it only takes a few minutes. For me, it is the same principle with shelving books in the library. When students come in they put their books on the blue book cart I use for library returns. After we read a story and they start their lesson or centers I go and scan the books that were returned. I then call them over 2 at a time to check out. While they are checking out I am walking through the stacks putting books away. With the systems I spoke of above it takes no time at all to put them back on the shelves. I have all the books from each class put away by the end of that class. If something happens, and I get busy I might end up with a few at the end of the day but I can quickly get those put away after my last class before heading home.

Now, that being said my book return cart is empty each day but that by no means is saying I have everything on my library list done. Back in my office I have an overflowing cart and stacks of books waiting to be processed and put on the shelves. But….we will leave that for another blog post. Happy shelving friends!!

What have you done in your library to make shelving easier? Any super tips you would like to share?