Library Lady’s K-12 Edition is a mostly weekly newsletter for K-12 school librarians. Today’s topic is — Back to School
Library Lady’s K-12 Edition will only be published every other week during the summer. We will be back to our regular schedule in mid-August.
Links in this post may be affiliate links. Purchases made using these links will not cost you more, but I may earn an affiliate fee.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and related sites. Thank you for using my links.
Is there a topic you’d like me to feature on my blog or in my email? Send me a note and let me know.
I am what libraries and librarians have made me. Heraclitus
Tips from Library Lady
Back-to-School: Helping Students Fall in Love with the Library from Day One
As backpacks are packed, pencils are sharpened, and classrooms fill with excited chatter, a new school year begins—and so does a wonderful opportunity for school libraries.
The first few weeks of school often set the tone for the entire year. Students are forming routines, building relationships, and deciding whether the library feels like a place they belong. A welcoming environment and a few intentional activities can turn first-time visitors into lifelong readers.
Here are a few simple ways to make your library a place students can’t wait to visit:
📚 Create a “Welcome Back” Display
Feature books about starting school, making new friends, trying new things, and discovering adventures through reading. Include a mix of familiar favorites and exciting new arrivals to spark curiosity.
✈️ Invite Students on a Library Adventure
Turn library orientation into a scavenger hunt. Instead of simply explaining where everything is, challenge students to locate different sections of the library, discover interesting facts, or find books that match fun clues.
⭐ Encourage Student Recommendations
Set up a bulletin board titled “Books We’d Recommend to a Friend.” Invite students and teachers to write short recommendations on colorful cards. Peer recommendations are often some of the best motivation for reluctant readers.
🎯 Start a Reading Goal Wall
Provide paper stars, apples, or pencils where students can write one reading goal for the year. Some may want to read more chapter books, discover a new favorite author, or explore nonfiction. Displaying these goals helps create excitement and accountability throughout the year.
😊 Make Every Visit Personal
One of the simplest ways to build a love of reading is to learn about students’ interests. A quick conversation about dinosaurs, sports, mystery, animals, graphic novels, or space can help you recommend just the right book. That personal connection often becomes the reason a student returns to the library again and again.
📖 Celebrate Every Reader
Not every child starts the year at the same reading level—and that’s perfectly okay. Celebrate graphic novels alongside classics, audiobooks alongside chapter books, and beginning readers alongside advanced novels. The goal isn’t to have everyone reading the same books; it’s to help every student discover books they enjoy.
A new school year offers a fresh chapter filled with possibilities. With a welcoming smile, a thoughtfully chosen book, and a library that invites exploration, you can make a lasting difference in a child’s reading journey.
Here’s to another year of helping students discover that every great adventure begins with opening a book!
August Celebrations
Picture Books for Heading Back to School
Picture Books About Inventors and Inventions
10 Creative Bulletin Board Ideas for National Inventors Month
This coming week, look for these posts
The weekday series, August in the Library, will continue throughout August. We’ll also have blog posts for Hiroshima Remembrance Day, National Lighthouse Day, and International Cat Day.
| Need to raise funds for your library? Here are some posts on my blog that describe my fundraising camps. |
August Birthdays
| Date | Person | Occupation | Library Connection |
| August 1 | Herman Melville | Author | Wrote Moby-Dick, an American literature classic. |
| August 1 | Francis Scott Key | Lawyer & Poet | Wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner.” |
| August 4 | Louis Armstrong | Musician | Jazz legend; great connection to music appreciation. |
| August 7 | Mata Hari | Historical Figure | Interesting biography and history discussions. |
| August 8 | Sara Teasdale | Poet | Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet. |
| August 10 | Suzanne Collins | Author | Wrote The Hunger Games series. |
| August 10 | Herbert Hoover | U.S. President | Biography and American history. |
| August 11 | Enid Blyton | Children’s Author | One of the world’s best-selling children’s authors. |
| August 12 | Walter Dean Myers | Children’s & YA Author | Award-winning author of more than 100 books. |
| August 12 | Cecil B. DeMille | Film Director | Literature-to-film discussions. |
| August 13 | Alfred Hitchcock | Film Director | Mystery and suspense connections. |
| August 14 | Ernest Thayer | Poet | Wrote “Casey at the Bat.” |
| August 15 | Sir Walter Scott | Author | Historical novels including Ivanhoe. |
| August 15 | Julia Child | Chef & Author | Cookbooks and food literacy. |
| August 17 | Gene Stratton-Porter | Author & Naturalist | Nature writing and classic children’s literature. |
| August 18 | Virginia Dare | Historical Figure | First English child born in America. |
| August 19 | Orville Wright | Inventor | Aviation, STEM, and invention themes. |
| August 21 | Christopher Robin Milne | Author | Inspiration behind the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. |
| August 22 | Ray Bradbury | Author | Fahrenheit 451 and science fiction classics. |
| August 22 | Dorothy Parker | Writer & Poet | Humor, poetry, and short stories. |
| August 25 | Leonard Bernstein | Composer | Music and performing arts. |
| August 26 | Mother Teresa | Humanitarian | Biography, compassion, and service themes. |
| August 27 | Lyndon B. Johnson | U.S. President | American history. |
| August 28 | Louis Pasteur | Scientist | STEM, microbiology, and scientific discovery. |
| August 30 | Mary Shelley | Author | Wrote Frankenstein. |
| August 31 | Maria Montessori | Educator | Early childhood education and learning. |
Other Recent Blog Posts
The last couple of weeks have been quite busy here at Library Lady as I worked to help you get ready for the start of school. Here are some posts you may want to check out.
What I’d Tell a First-Year School Librarian
Passive Library Programs for Busy Back-to-School Weeks
August in the Library: 21 Quick Wins – Day 1
August in the Library: 21 Quick Wins – Day 2
The Ultimate Back-to-School School Library Guide
August in the Library: 21 Quick Wins – Day 3
When “Busy” Becomes Too Busy: Helping Children Find Balance
Recent Adult Book Reviews
Adult Review – Mail-Order Viscountess
Recent YA Book Reviews
YA Review – For This Very Purpose – young adult Biblical Fiction
Recent MS Book Reviews
MS Spotlight – Thalia in Exile – mid-grade fantasy
Recent Kid Book Reviews
Kid Review – The Unwinding Path – picture book
Items in my Shop
Cute animals with books – stickers, shirts and more in my Redbubble Shop
What I’m Checking Out
20 Back to School Library Bulletin Board Ideas
Back to School Library Displays
Some things that might interest you
📚 Tools for School Librarians 📚
As librarians, we’re always looking for creative ways to engage students and enhance programming. These tools are easy to use. Explore them today and see how they might fit into your toolkit.
If you have a little time this summer to learn a new skill and are interested in GPTs, I recommend this “How to Build Your Own GPT” workshop.
Or, if you’d like a GPT to help you create worksheets for your students, I suggest this custom GPT – Imagination Station: New GPTs Create Kids Activity Sheets
Authors and librarians, would you like to have a post on this blog?
I’d like to add a couple of features to my blog in the coming months and would appreciate your help. I am looking for school librarians interested in being interviewed on the blog. I am also looking for librarians and children’s or young adult authors to do guest posts on the blog. Click on the links below to fill out a survey.
Is there a way I can help you? Drop a note in the comments or shoot me an email. I’d love to help.
See you next week.
Jane (Library Lady)
Miss an Edition of K-12 Edition – find them here.
If you’d like to receive the K-12 Edition in your inbox, sign up here. You will also receive my book evaluation checklist as a gift.
Do you enjoy these posts? Hit the like button and help others find it.
Check out my lists on Benable
Want to help support this blog? You can leave a tip here. Or make any purchase on Amazon with my link or my Amazon storefront.
