Top Tips from the Experts

Begin Early

• Book Week is held each year in late August - this year it is August 16-23 following the announcement of the Book of the Year Awards. Claim the date in your school calendar NOW.

• Notables for each category are announced in late March/early April and the shortlists follow in mid-May.. It is time to start reading the titles and considering whether they are suitable for your collection. If so, put your orders in early because a nomination makes them very popular, existing stock soon sells out and reprints take time.

• Consider the theme - this year it is Reading is my secret power and consider how this might be celebrated in your school

• If you want a visit by an author, book and plan early. Many are booked up to a year in advance so be prepared to compromise on time or the person you want.

• If you want to run a book fair in conjunction with the celebrations, book this early. Book Week is a popular time. 

• If Book Week clashes with another school event, consider having it at a different time, or think about celebrating International School Libraries Month instead. 

Getting started

• Be prepared to take the leadership role - it's a great opportunity for advocacy and a chance to show the teacher librarian as a school leader.

• Talk to your principal and other stakeholders and get their support. Include the P.& C. - they might be able to support you in many ways, perhaps paying for a visit by an author or illustrator or having a special lunch.

• Plan ahead and give lots of notice to all involved - planning, consultation and communication are critical especially in large schools with competing priorities.

• Identify what you want the students to achieve as a result of the celebration, both through the library program and their regular curriculum so that it is an integral part of the school's program rather than an added extra.

• Acknowledge that other staff have other commitments throughout the year and may not be in a position to give you the amount of assistance you'd like.

• Seek ideas from other teacher librarians about their celebrations, gather ideas and prepare a draft outline that you can take to your committee - you can't edit a blank page. Be open to new ideas from staff and students as well as maintaining any traditions that have already been established for this event.

• Create a draft program for the day/week so that you are clear about what happens when. ensuring your timetable doesn't clash with something else. Be flexible.

• Keep things simple and manageable so you can be organised and be kind to yourself. It is better to have staff and students enjoy and remember something simple rather than be tense and embroiled in an extravaganza.

• Investigate if there is particular paperwork to be completed - some schools require risk assessments for some activities.

Create Committees

• Enhance promotion and collaboration by inviting staff members to help you.

  1. Brainstorm and collate their ideas for embedding the theme, notables and shortlisted titles into the curriculum

  2. Seek suggestions for celebrations so they have ownership and commitment. Identify what has been done in the past and its level of success. Be open to ideas. 

  3. Consider those things that are considered traditions and how these might be continued or revamped. If you are new to the school, ask others who are familiar with what happens to take a leadership role.

  4. Create and allocate a budget. Official merchandise is available but consider what can be produced as part of the curriculum.

  5. Delegate responsibilities, create a timeline and draw up a master plan so all know who is doing what and when it needs to be done. Mark milestones and keep notes so you can plan more effectively next year if necessary. 

  6. Keep all stakeholders in the loop and acknowledge their contributions.

  7. Meet regularly with a focus for each meeting. This ensures the event stays in focus and on track.  Ensure you have a debrief afterwards to ensure planning for the following year is smooth.

  8. Keep other staff informed through email alerts, staff meetings, pathfinders and so forth. Demonstrate how this event is an integral part of teaching and learning.

• Enhance ownership and commitment by inviting students to help you

  1. Identify those things that students can be responsible for such as advertising or organising an author visit. If these sorts of things are part of their community service, enable those students to have first option to complete this.

  2. Ensure their ideas are realistic and achievable and the equipment and supplies they need are available.

  3. Share responsibilities, create a timeline and draw up a master plan so all know who is doing what and when it needs to be done

  4. Include Junior Journalists whose role is to report on and photograph the various events andpublish these in the school newsletter, social media outlets and so on. 

  5. Meet regularly

  6. Recognise their contribution formally.

Publish the Program

1. Ensure that staff know by mid-Term 2 that Book Week is happening and the dates and times of any scheduled events so these can be incorporated into individual and team planning.

2. If there is to be a parade, give parents plenty of notice, preferably before the end of Term 2 so costume making can become part of the child's school holiday activities.

3. Double check author visits, book fairs or any other external activities to confirm they are set in place and understand the school's commitment to them.

4. Consider how the program will be promoted and if there are special events, invite local dignitaries, media, education office officials and so on.  It's all advocacy for the role of the TL and the library.

Being Prepared

1. Be prepared to take over any particular role or activity or have a Plan B to allow for illness and unforeseen circumstances.

2. Ensure everyone has the props and support they need and knows what and when and where they are supposed to be. 

3. Ensure you have your I AM CLAM. I CAN DO THIS  hat on at all times.  You can crash at the end of the celebrations. 

4. Enjoy yourself.

Go Beyond

1. Build on the anticipation and momentum by having activities that extend beyond Book Week itself so that the library has a year-round focus. 

2. Use social media to publicise and share the events with photographs and so forth. Offer suggestions to parents and grandparents that can help them establish and continue a reading culture in the home.

3. Celebrate other literary achievements such as meeting challenges, acknowledgement of special achievements or awards. recognition of student committee members and so forth so it becomes an anticipated event. 

4. Seek feedback and consider it wisely and dispassionately.