September

Week 1

Day 1: Welcome everyone back with a smile (yeah, this is a note to self, stop grumbling about going back to school and let everyone know how excited you are to be working with them this year).

Day 2: If you are not ready to check out books, have lots of free stuff so students don't go away empty-handed. We have magazines, book covers, bookmarks, and some discards from last year, so if a teacher is assigning students to have a book in their hand, they can walk away with one. Put up a Book Crossing Zone.  

Day 3: Update your Monthly Bulletin Board Displays.  Make the display pictured above at:  September Displays

Day 5: Make signs and put announcements in the bulletin, on the website, and on the staff e-mail your GRAND OPENING. In the past I have had a teacher invitation event with cookies and tea when we were introducing new staff or books. If your school issues a printed bulletin, keep one posted on a clipboard daily for students and staff to refer to.

Week 2

Day 6: Take your show on the road! If your library is closed because of testing, full of shipments of textbooks, etc., take a cart of books directly to the classroom to get books in the hands of kids as soon as possible. Some circulation systems such as Alexandria allow for remote log in and circulation. If not, the old paper and pencil will work, just enter the transactions as soon as your system is up and running.

Day 7: Partner with a community organization to offer extended hours. We partner with YMCA's Anaheim Achieves, which offers students a safe place to be, activities, snacks, and tutoring in our facility from the time school lets out until 6:00 PM. LBUSD uses the WRAP after school program, or arrange with teachers who need hours for their Board Certification to offer Tutoring in the library after school.

Day 8: Advertise your databases and passwords to staff and students by creating a flyer, bookmark, or brochure.

Day 9: Join PTSA. Connect with your parent community by sending messages through their e-mail listing or newsletter. Your student information system or library circulation system may also have a database of parent e-mails you can send library news from.

Day 10: Have information available about your local public libraries and promote library card sign up month. Advertise their programs and services. Give candy to anyone who can show you a public library card.

Week 3

Day 11: Host a new teacher orientation. Create a packet for them of the services you offer to help out new teachers. A good book for new teachers is The First Days of School by Harry Wong.

Day 12: Attend as many staff meetings and department meetings as you can to stay in the know. Many Teacher Librarians are considered Department Chairpersons and attend all Department Chair meetings as well. Make yourself a member of your school's English, Reading, and English Language Development departments.

Day 13: Make sure your library website is easily accessible from the school webpage.

Day 14: Hold a bookmark contest. For detailed instructions, templates and free reproduceables see the bookmark contest presentation put together by Library Technician Tommy Kovac and Teacher Librarian Heather Gruenthal. We hold these contests twice yearly for Back to School Night and Open House. The students love seeing the winning artwork. Put your Database information on the winning bookmarks and pass out to students, teachers, and parents.

Day 15: Open the library for back to school night. Give out information such as your database passwords. Create a Library Brochure 

Week 4

Day 16: Celebrate Banned Books Week. This is the last week of September each year. Use this as an opportunity to review your district's challenge of instructional materials policy with staff in a newsletter.

Day 17: Make a display for Banned Books Week. We cover our books with plain paper bags and write or stamp CENSORED on the cover (search "RED SELF-INKING RUBBER STAMP CENSORED" on e-Bay). Then we write on the back a quote from the Banned Books Resource Guide telling why it was challenged or banned. This can also be given as an assignment for TA's or a class project.

Day 18: Create Banned Books Week Bookmarks. Copy down the challenge history from the Banned Books Resource Guide (available from the ALA Store) on to a bookmark. Put the bookmarks in the books. This can be given as an assignment for TA's or a class project.

Day 19:

Put in an announcement to the bulletin regarding Banned Books Week:

What do The Giver, Harry Potter and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer have in common? They have all been “Banned Books.” That means they were removed from a school or public library because someone did not agree with the ideas expressed in them. People who ban books think they have good reasons; usually book banners feel they are protecting children from ideas that are not suitable for their age level. Although Orangeview’s library has many books that have been banned in other places, these library books have been chosen as appropriate for the junior high level. You are free to read any books in the Orangeview library. Only you and your parents can decide what ideas are right for your family. Come by the library today and celebrate your freedom to read during “Banned Books Week.”

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Get Read for Next Month:  October