End of the Year Library Tips
Simple ideas to help make your library end of the year routines easier, organized, and more efficient! Tips for overdue books, paperwork and plans for the upcoming year.
So you’re ready to make your life easier at the end of the year?! Yay! You deserve it!
Please Note: Every library is different, and each school and school board have different expectations of timelines and tasks at the end of the year. The ideas you’re about to read work for me in my library in Ontario, Canada. Although you might have some differences or limitations, I hope these simple points will work for you in some way!
Tip 1: Make an Overdue Book Timeline
This part of the end-of-the-year can be extremely stressful! I try and make a timeline for myself with regards to overdue notices, collection and deadlines. You’ll first need to identify your hard deadlines for collection books and reconciling your library software prescribed by your school or school board. After you have that, you can work backwards to create your timeline.
We always finish school in the last couple days of June, so my timeline spans the whole month of June. Each year is a bit different, but this is usually what I do…
First week of June - book exchange is over. Communicate this with staff and students through announcements, emails and posters around the school.
Second week of June - collection, collection, collection! Send class lists to each teacher with outstanding books. I get LOTS back this week!
Third week of June - personalized notes. I use these Editable Overdue Notices and send one to all students (and teachers!) with outstanding books. I usually try and talk to most of these students in person as well.
Last week of June - send second notices. I’m always hopeful my outstanding list is very small by this time! I hand deliver these notices to these students. During this week I collect any fines, and delete (or mark lost) the books that have not been returned.
For more specific ideas on overdue books, be sure to check out this post! 4 Ideas for Collecting Overdue Library Books
Tip 2: File Paperwork and Books
You might already do this as an end of the year habit, but I am a procrastinator when it comes to organizing paperwork…so I’m guessing I’m not the only one. 😜
First go through your stacks of books (in your office, on counters, in cupboards) and decide where they need to go. Some of them might go back on the shelf, in the drawer to be fixed, or maybe even in the pile to be weeded at a later time. Books take up a lot of space, so these empty areas will be useful when you come back to school!
After the books are done, grab those stacks of papers from your counter or in your desk drawers. (I can’t be the only one with these piles!) Quickly go through the stacks, recycle what you don’t need, and file the rest into whatever file management system you use. I often take photos of some papers and insert them right into a spreadsheet or OneNote binder because I don’t actually need the physical copy.
Organizing and cleaning off your counters and drawers from books and paperwork will allow you start the new school year with a fresh slate! You’ll free great coming back to a clean counter and empty drawers. (If you’re like me…at least these spaces will be ready to collect random papers again the next year 😜)
Tip 3: Make a List of Notes for the New School Year
This tip seems pretty obvious, but I have only started this habit in the last few years. I don’t know about you, but I always think “I’ll definitely remember this idea for next year” only to competely forget about it until December the following school year. After this happening way too many times, I’ve started writing a simple list of ideas and things to remember for when I come back after summer break.
Ideas on my list might include:
start coding lessons earlier in the year
organize login challenge bootcamp a week earlier
order some new robots for Grade 2s and 3s
add some new titles to the junior fiction collection
staff collaboration sign up sheet worked well - use again!
make a folder of collaboration meeting templates in my Google Drive
I also include random notes about things like where the laptop cart keys are to save me wasting time looking later.
I hope these tips gave you some ideas for your end of the year routines! The main thing is…don’t stress if you can’t get everything done! Do your best to get as much completed as you can, but most things can wait if they have to!
Best of luck with the end of the year!
Jenn
Be sure to check out this post for ideas another busy time of the year 5 Tips for Back-to-School in the Library and this FREE Back-To-School Library and Technology Idea & Resource Guide
Be sure to join my FREE Resource Library for ideas and activities for next year!
