Tag: Tips from Library Lady

Passive Library Programs for Busy Back-to-School Weeks

July 31, 2026

Easy Activities That Keep Students Engaged While You Juggle Everything Else The first few weeks of school are among the busiest times of the year for school librarians. You’re welcoming new students. Teaching orientation lessons. Helping teachers. Answering technology questions. Processing new books. Updating displays. Learning names. And somewhere in the middle of all that,… More Passive Library Programs for Busy Back-to-School Weeks

What I’d Tell a First-Year School Librarian

July 30, 2026

Advice from Experience for Your First Year in the Library Your first year as a school librarian will probably feel exciting, exhausting, meaningful, confusing, and wonderful—sometimes all before lunch. You may begin the year with carefully organized plans, only to discover that the printer is not working, three teachers need help at once, a student… More What I’d Tell a First-Year School Librarian

Library Lady’s K-12 Edition – Welcome Back (Almost!)

July 29, 2026

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… More Library Lady’s K-12 Edition – Welcome Back (Almost!)

Helping Kindergarten (and New Students) Fall in Love with the Library

July 29, 2026

Creating First Library Experiences They’ll Never Forget For many kindergarten students, the school library feels like stepping into a magical place. Rows and rows of books. Bright displays. Comfortable reading spaces. A friendly librarian waiting to welcome them. It’s exciting—but it can also feel a little overwhelming. Everything is new. The room is bigger than… More Helping Kindergarten (and New Students) Fall in Love with the Library

First Week Library Lessons That Build Excitement

July 27, 2026

Activities That Teach Library Expectations Without Feeling Like a List of Rules Every school librarian faces the same challenge at the beginning of the year. Students need to learn: Those procedures matter. But if the first library visit is nothing more than twenty minutes of rules, students may leave remembering only one thing: “Libraries have… More First Week Library Lessons That Build Excitement

Library Orientation Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

July 25, 2026

Creative Ways to Introduce Students to the Library Through Play and Discovery The beginning of the school year brings an important task for every school librarian: Library orientation. Students need to know where things are. They need to learn procedures. They need to understand how to find books, check out materials, and use the library… More Library Orientation Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

Book Displays That Practically Check Out the Books for You

July 23, 2026

Book Display Ideas That Really Increase Library Circulation Every school librarian has experienced it. A shelf full of wonderful books sits quietly for months. Then you place a few of those same books on a display near the entrance… …and suddenly they’re all checked out by the end of the week. The books didn’t change.… More Book Displays That Practically Check Out the Books for You

Creating a Warm, Welcoming Library That Students Want to Visit

July 22, 2026

How to Make Every Student Feel Like They Belong Long before students check out their first book, they’re deciding something important: “Do I feel comfortable here?” Within moments of walking through the library doors, students begin forming impressions. Is this a place where I’m welcome? Can I explore without worrying about making a mistake? Will… More Creating a Warm, Welcoming Library That Students Want to Visit

25 Things to Do Before the First Day of School

July 21, 2026

A Practical Checklist for School Librarians There’s something exciting about walking into a quiet library before students return. The shelves are straight, the bulletin boards are waiting, and the possibilities for a new school year stretch out in front of you. It’s also a season that can feel overwhelming. Between unpacking boxes, attending meetings, helping… More 25 Things to Do Before the First Day of School