Managing a library reading program can be challenging! Here is a streamlined approach to keep things organized. Learn how to effectively display and manage the reading program books in your library to ensure students can easily access and enjoy their reading choices.

If you’ve ever run a reading program in your library, you’ll know it can get a bit chaotic sometimes! Lots of questions from students about book availability…over and over again.

In my school board, most schools participate in the Forest of Reading program. It includes multiple “book clubs” full of 10 books by Canadian authors and illustrators.

At our school we participate in Blue Spruce (K-3), Silver Birch Fiction (Grades 4-6), Silver Birch Express (5 fiction & 5 non-fiction titles), and Red Maple (Grades 7-8). Students read as many of the books as they can between January and April. At the end of April they can vote on their favourite book!

I read the Blue Spruce books to our younger students, so I don’t need to display them for sign out. However, the Silver Birch and Red Maple books need to be available and easily accessible for kids. Here’s how I do it!

Step 1: Print Small Images of Book Covers

Download the book cover jpgs of pngs from Google, Amazon or bookstore website. (Note: I do understand copyright and I don’t advocate using book covers for commercial use…these are just for use in my library to engage students.) I paste all of the images in PowerPoint or Google Slides and print them 2/page…but you can use whatever strategy works best for you.

Step 2: Cut and Laminate Book Covers

I like to give each book cover a background to match the reading program so it’s easier for students to distinguish between the programs. In the past I have glued the book cover pictures onto coloured paper, since then I’ve become more efficient and added coloured borders to the photos digitally in PowerPoint. I give Silver Birch Fiction books a green border, Silver Birch Express books a pink border, and Red Maple books a red border. After I print them out, I laminate them to ensure they last for the whole reading program.

Step 3: Attach Book Covers to Book Stands

I know they are very simple, but I like to use the carboard Scholastic stands for my display. I have TONS of them, they are sturdy, and it’s easy to attach the pictures. We have 2 copies of each book, so I set up 2 full rows of stands.

Step 4: Advertise the Books in Your Library!

Above each book display I post a sign with all of the included books. Our students also track their reading using bookmarks (with all of the book covers) and a reading bulletin board. When a student finishes a book, they put a small circle sticker on the book cover on their bookmark AND they put a sticker on the border around the cover on the bulletin board.

It’s interesting for staff and students to see which books are the most popular by looking at the number of stickers. Each grade is assigned a different colour sticker, so it’s also interesting to see which grades are enjoying which books!

Step 5: Watch Students Find Books Easily!

After only a few days, students will know exactly where to go for the books. You’ll be saying “If the stand is empty it means the book isn’t here” less and less each day! If you have two book programs running like me, students will use the colour coding to quickly learn where each set of books is located.