Hacking School Libraries: 10 Ways to Incorporate Library Media Centers into Your Learning Community (Hack Learning Series)

by Kristina A. Holzweiss

Some companies that have been known to donate products are Home Depot, Duck Brand duct tape, Oriental Trading, Costco, Build-A-Bear, Panera Bread, Joann Fabrics, Staples, Stampin’ Up, CVS, and K’Nex.

Get a ThinkFundraiser Kit that includes ten family games (cost: $90), and earn 40

DonorsChoose.org was

In addition, send photos to the town newspaper and school social media.

It is imperative that teacher-librarians share their library’s stories. No one else will tell these stories for us, and stakeholders may never realize the relevancy of the library program.

Prepare an elevator speech, infographic, or flyer to share the most important library services.

Infographics are another great way to show recent statistics from the school library. Examples include monthly circulation numbers, class reservations, and teacher collaborations. Think of the school library as a multi-service business within the school.

Design business cards, T-shirts, and badges.

Participate in social media and blogging.

Present at PTO and school board meetings to share the highlights of library programs.

Present at local, state, and national conferences.

Create a lending library of things.

Genrefication of the collection is one of the most effective ways to help students find books and other materials within their subjects of interest.

think about categorizing the fiction collection. Select seven or eight categories that students frequently seek during visits. You might even ask students to help name those categories since this will give them ownership in the project.

Advocacy is an art, and “Librarians must be exemplars of getting the word out strategically, and we must influence the type of outreach we do.”

Establish Global Connections

Mystery Skype and Mystery Hangouts

Participate in online global activities like International Dot Day and World Read Aloud Day.

World Read Aloud Day celebrates literacy through reading aloud.

Plan virtual field trips and guest speakers for classes.

Sometimes, teachers are just waiting for someone to reach out to boost their courage.

that it’s important to build global connections with students because this is the world they are growing up in. When building global connections, we build an understanding of other people and cultures, making communication and collaboration across the globe more seamless.

Through global connections, we build bridges, not chasms.

I don’t believe in nonreaders or reluctant readers; they are yet-to-be readers!

Make book circulation exciting. Rather than shelving those new books as soon as you process them, display them on the tops of your bookcases and at the circulation desk.

Create “express” book bundles of similar titles, authors, and genres for students to check out. Insert book bubble bookmarks that “speak” to students and feature messages such as “Choose me” and “Take me home.”

Pique your students’ curiosity by covering a variety of books in plain brown or wrapping paper, then writing hints on the paper about what the book inside might hold.

Create buttons or print stickers for students, faculty, administrators, guidance counselors, paraprofessionals, lunch ladies, and custodians to wear that say, “Ask me what I’m reading” to spark conversations.

“Readers Wanted” board, where students can post their favorite authors, books, and genres, and then find new reading friends with similar interests.

Work with your administrators or PTO to create classroom libraries throughout the school, and in places such as cafeterias, guidance departments, and offices.

Little Free Libraries scattered throughout the building.

visit the cafeteria once a month during your students’ lunch periods to circulate.

WhatImReading.org to create “What I’m Reading” posters to hang on doors, in hallways, and even bathrooms.

Share book talks over the loudspeaker during morning announcements,

Create a reader’s advisory, establish a book-selection committee, or distribute a simple book recommendation form.

Whether you order ten or one hundred of these student-selected books, make sure to advertise them. Create a display of these books, with photos of the students who selected them. Stick a “This book was recommended by ___________” label on the cover.

Purchase those graphic novels that your students love so much, but intersperse them throughout the collection to encourage your students to extend their interests.

Create a punch-card program where students can earn prizes or experiences such as an invitation to a VIP Readers Party

Goodreads, Bookopolis, or Biblionasium to track their reading history and write book recommendations.

Run a contest.

Display pictures of them as children holding books, then ask your students to match the baby pictures with the adult pictures.

Develop a “One Book, One School” program and use a book to help your students participate in conversations about universal themes such as truth, loyalty, or perseverance.

Plan a mock Caldecott or Newbery Awards ceremony based on grade-level popular votes, and share your celebration with the winning authors through social media.

Celebrate an annual “book birthday” for an anticipated title with balloons, snacks, and celebrity readings by members of the community. Celebrate students as writer rock stars. Students can use the Book Creator app to write and record their own books to share around the world thr...

“Millionaire Bash,” an annual tradition for kindergartners at the Britt David Magnet Academy in Columbus, Georgia, which treats students who have read a million words over the school year as celebrities.

Volunteer to read a few pages of a short novel over the school loudspeaker each week so that the entire student body can participate in a collective reading experience. Purchase picture books with few words and big ideas that teachers can read to introduce topics and use as writing prompts.

Organize book swaps in the library where students, teachers, and parents can exchange books to build their classroom and home libraries.

If your school serves children in need between birth and age eighteen, you can register at FirstBook.org. This nonprofit makes brand new, high-quality books and educational resources affordable to its member network.

The free Open eBooks app is also available through this organization and allows for kids to download up to ten ebooks at a time, available for fifty-six days before they must be renewed.

BarbershopBooks.org site, which connects African-American boys ages four to eight to...