Make Borrowing Boom!
These are ideas shared by PLCC community members on our Facebook page. Add yours!
Rachel P: I do a book auction at the start of each lesson where I have a pile of books I think people in that class/stage might like. This has really helped. Also, books on display always get borrowed. I’ve had book taster sessions, which are a bit of fun and in the past I’ve handed out a trophy/certificate each week to the class with the most borrowers K-2 and 3-6. Not sure if this helped or was just recognition keeping it in mind. What really helped this year was sending out a reminder to pack their library bags today on SeeSaw to parents and students with a meme. You can schedule them to go in the morning before school or whenever.
Christy R: The biggest thing that I do, besides being passionate about books and linking my lessons to things going on in the world, is support the stage 3 teachers to ensure all students have a book for ‘silent reading time’ in class. For stage 1 and 2, I have series book challenges, where I’ve created series bookmarks and they tick the books they’ve read, then give me the bookmark for an assembly award. Their names then go on to a leaderboard on the library under that series challenge. My school have a fantastic reading for pleasure culture. If teachers didn’t let them read their chosen book in class, I’d have much less borrowing and I can always tell which teachers are dropping the ball…those classes always borrow less overall.
Kerry B: The Book Auction ( I call it Book Sale) works a treat. I will often browse for books/series that I haven’t read - or new purchases - and demonstrate how to browse. Read the blurb, look at the cover and maybe read a few paragraphs. Mostly all are gone by the end of borrowing! Students who borrow also get a ticket in a fortnightly draw. I draw 4 names and the winners get to choose a book from our treasure chest to keep ( often donations, extras from Book Club etc. ) They love it!
Katrina V: I am religious with dojo points. 1 for returning and 1 for borrowing. Every 5 points student get a blue school award. This works great with K-4. I’m yet to motivate 5-6.
Rachel M: I do class parties throughout the year for the classes who borrow the most books. The classes race to borrow the most.
Gina K: Talk up books - I loved this one; this one made me cry; the main character in this one reminded me of someone in this class - can you work out who (you'll have to read the book!) - any positive talk around the book generally seems to encourage borrowing. My T2 program for S1 was just reading books from series and these have been consistently borrowed since then. Exposure, I guess, it the word!!
Gillian C: After the lesson but before borrowing began I would show a number of books and do a quick ‘sell’, this was amazing, this reminded me of this book etc. I then had kids lining up to borrow those books and those that missed out, ‘oh don’t worry you can have it next week but why not try this instead’ worked with S3 as well though I tried to concentrate on NF and suitable picture books and graphic novels.
Elise E: I have been creating AI-generated images relating to the characters and thematic elements of books. Using the Thinglink program, I have developed interactive images featuring multimedia tags linking to videos, songs, maps, websites, images, and supplementary textual information. This has been bringing the books to life, so to speak and led to lots of interest in these books and reservations! If anyone is interested, I have shared and will be sharing more of these on my 'Reading Opens Doors with Elise Ellerman' Facebook page. I will include a photos here of one I created for Runt.
Ann M: Book Promotions via Library Newsletters, books displays, library staff picks displayed with brief book review etc and when the TL I was working with promoted books before the library lessons this was fantastic!
Book borrowing resource set_Reading Schools.pdfNicole S: My favourite for Stage 3 engagement with books is reading the first chapter ONLY of a new book each week at the beginning of the lesson. These have often come from the CBCA notables list. The groans I get from the kids when I stop are the best! I tell them to find out more they just have to borrow it! Usually leads to a war as to who can get their hands on it first.
Vicki F: Primary I read one chapter of a different book each week before the lesson. Infants a picture book. I also remind them I expect them to use the library. They need to know how to find information. If there is nothing they like I remind them I have a Google form for them to request books to add to the collection and from next year when their books come in they borrow it first.
Ian S: We’ve launched a new library and are seeking to create a fun atmosphere. With little ones we have 5 hidden mice in the library. When found they are a keepsake for the lesson - then the ‘finder’ re hides the mouse for next class. Yes it can cause a bit of chaos until the idea is bedded in. The enthusiasm created is worth it !
Library Club two lunchtimes per week. Reading , Lego club - very popular. Amazing how many kids have ‘found a new tribe’.
Golden Ticket . A golden ticket is positioned in selected books . On finding the ticket - big fuss - highlight the book - small prize Eg stickers/ rubbers/ pencils. This has been successful for all stages. Teacher/librarian simply pops ticket in on ‘check out’ - subtlety required.
Amy B: I have Book Raffles. I'll read a sample of a book then everyone who wants to borrow it (which will usually be most!) gets their name in the raffle (or sometimes I use an online name spinner tool) then I draw a name out (to much applause and excitement). The book is then a "hot read" 1 week loan and everyone else goes in the reserve list/wait list.
I also regularly have new book pics on display with wait list underneath that kids write their names on and then use reserve system to cycle through (book covers in this display are regularly changed) Every Friday afternoon my library monitors deliver any "reserve books" to classrooms (as sometimes books come back after their borrowing day).
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Ideas_for_promoting_the_library.pdf