The Ultimate School Librarian Survival Kit

While sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to tackle everything on our to-do list, being an elementary or middle school librarian is such a rewarding gig! From cataloging new books to organizing reading programs and helping students find their next favorite read, there’s a lot of variety in this job! If you love what you do, but need some systems to help make it more efficient, I’ve got your back! Let’s talk about my school librarian survival kit and how it will be a total game-changer for you.

What’s Included in This School Librarian Survival Kit

My school librarian survival kit has EVERYTHING you need to rock the new school year. It includes lesson plans, activity ideas, library management tips, and even some fun decorations to brighten up your space. With these resources, you’ll have all the tools to keep your library running smoothly and make a positive impact on your students’ reading journeys. Let’s take a closer look at each of the essential pieces I use to keep the library running smoothly.

School Librarian Planner

This planner is designed specifically for school librarians like you! With over 300 pages, it’s your ultimate tool to stay organized and on top of everything. Inside, you’ll find both PDF pages and customizable PowerPoint pages. This gives you the flexibility to organize your binder however you like. Go for one large binder or break it up into several smaller ones. Whatever works best for you. Plus, you can choose from a variety of themes. There’s also a digital option as well!

Book Care Activities

Teach your students how to take care of their library books with this handy activity pack within the school librarian survival kit! It includes sorting cards with pictures and sentences, making it fun and easy for kids to learn.

There’s also a mini book for students to color and complete, which they’ll love. Plus, I’ve included two editable parent letters to send home so that you can keep parents in the loop. The reminder notes are editable too, perfect for sending home a quick note when a library book is due back. To make things even better, these come in both color and black and white. It’s a complete package to help instill good book care habits in your students!

Teaching students simple practices, such as using clean hands when reading, avoiding bending or tearing pages, and storing books in safe, dry places, helps them understand the importance of looking after their borrowed books. Encouraging these habits not only preserves our library resources but also fosters a sense of responsibility and respect for shared materials. Through these efforts, we can nurture a lifelong love of reading while emphasizing the value of taking care of books.

Library No Prep Printables – Bundle

This school librarian survival kit includes almost 150 pages of printables that you can use all year long! They cover a wide range of library skills, including call numbers, fiction vs. nonfiction, genres, the Dewey Decimal System, reading and comprehension skills, reference materials, and so much more.

This comprehensive kit is designed to make your life as a school librarian easier and more organized. Each printable is thoughtfully crafted to align with educational standards. This ensures that your students are having fun and meeting key learning objectives. The activities are flexible and can be adapted for individual work, group projects, or even library-themed games. This versatility allows you to tailor your lessons to fit the unique needs of your students, keeping them engaged and motivated to learn. Whether you’re introducing young children to the basics of book care or helping older students navigate the complexities of research, this survival kit has you covered.

These worksheets are perfect for students from kindergarten through fifth grade, making them an adaptable tool for any librarian. With this bundle, you’ll have engaging, educational activities at your fingertips to help your students master essential library skills throughout the entire school year!

School Library Curriculum Maps

These EDITABLE school library curriculum map templates will help take the stress out of your lesson planning. Often, librarians are not given a curriculum to follow like classroom teachers have. This can be positive in that it allows us the freedom to teach our students the skills they need to learn and to spend time encouraging a love of reading. However, it also takes more time and effort to plan out our lessons. Our time is limited and there are many duties assigned to us that have little to do with teaching and working with students. Mapping out your curriculum allows you to be intentional with the lessons you teach and saves you time during the school year by having a plan in place you can refer to.

Exit Tickets for the Elementary Library Grades K-5

Exit tickets are a fantastic, quick way to check for understanding and plan future instruction and reteaching of library skills. My school librarian survival kit includes 25 exit tickets for grades K-2 and 35 for grades 3-5. These tickets are perfect for giving you a snapshot of your students’ grasp of the material. This helps you tailor your lessons to meet their needs and ensure they’re mastering those essential library skills.

The exit tickets in this kit are designed to be engaging and informative. They also provide immediate feedback on student comprehension. For younger students in grades K-2, the tickets feature simple, yet effective prompts and visuals that make it easy for them to express their understanding. For older students in grades 3-5, the tickets are slightly more advanced, encouraging critical thinking and reflection. These quick assessments are invaluable tools for guiding your instructional strategies. By regularly incorporating exit tickets, you can identify areas where students excel and where they might need additional support. By doing so, this helps to ensure that every student progresses and achieves proficiency in their library skills.

Library Substitute Binder & Lesson Plans

Make planning for a substitute a breeze with this comprehensive library substitute binder. It includes over 100 pages of editable binder pages, cover pages, lesson plans, worksheets, and activities.

This library substitute binder is more than just a collection of worksheets. It’s a complete toolkit designed to keep your library functioning seamlessly in your absence. It even includes complete lesson plans for different grade levels in case you don’t have time to create sub plans. Each lesson plan is detailed and easy to follow. Substitutes can step in with confidence and provide meaningful instruction. The activities are engaging and grade-appropriate, maintaining a high level of student interest and participation.

Additionally, the editable pages allow you to customize the content to fit the specific needs of your students and library curriculum. By having this binder ready to go, you can rest assured that your students’ learning experience remains consistent and productive, even when unexpected absences occur. This binder is a resource that guarantees a smooth and efficient transition, allowing you to focus on your recovery or other commitments without any added stress.

Consider this binder your secret to stress-free substitute days. It tackles everything from Kindergarten to 5th grade with ease, allowing you to focus on what matters most—taking care of yourself! So when life throws those unexpected absences your way, rest assured this binder has your back.

Other resources in the set include:

• Children’s Literature Book Lists
• Google Forms for School Librarians
• School Library Newsletters

A Library Decor Set

Add some flair to your library with some library specific decor! There are multiple themes to choose from so you can match your library decor to your school theme, what your students love, or your personal taste.

The decor set includes library posters, the Dewey Decimal System, and a library word wall completge with word cards. These posters come in both landscape and portrait orientations so you can find just the right fit in your space. Plus, I’ve included editable PowerPoint files so you can customize the text to fit your needs.

This decor set is not just decorative. It serves as valuable educational tools that enhance your library’s learning environment. Whether you’re highlighting key library rules, showcasing book recommendations, or celebrating reading milestones, these posters provide a versatile and stylish way to communicate important information.

The included word wall cards further enrich the learning atmosphere by reinforcing essential library vocabulary, helping students build their literary language skills. With easy-to-follow instructions for printing, laminating, and displaying, setting up these resources is a breeze, making your library both functional and fun. Additionally, this set includes a comprehensive word wall with 122 library word wall cards. Just print, laminate, cut in half, and display. Each page contains two words, all focused on essential library vocabulary that I cover with my students each year. There are also header cards (A-Z) to organize your word wall. This bundle is a perfect way to make your library space both educational and visually appealing!

And. . . we can’t forget about the Dewey Decimal Cards. They are perfect for labeling your shelves or using in your lessons. With these themed cards and posters, your students will know just where to go and can easily navigate the library shelves.

Grab Your School Librarian Survival Kit

You can find all of these resources, bundled together into one Librarian Survival Kit. Whether you are a new librarian or just looking to reorganize and freshen things up, this bundle has everything you need.

In my TPT store you can find 3 bundles to choose from. Two include preselcted options and the third allows you to customize the survival kit by choosing your planner and decor themes. You can see them all below.

If you are interested in choosing your own planner and decor themes, here are your choices. Planner themse include chevron, watercolor, Black & Red, Superhero, Cactus or the Digital Planner. For the decor set, you can choose from Soft Brights, Emoji (white background), Rainbow Emoji, Chalkboard & Neon, Superhero, Forest, Ocean, Bee, Pineapple and Around the World.

Once you’ve made your selections and completed your purchase, you’ll receive a document with a link to a Google form. In this form, provide your email address and specify your chosen planner and decor pack. Once you submit the form, I’ll send you a special Dropbox link within 24 hours. You can download all your files straight to your computer. You do not need to have Dropbox installed, and you can access them as many times as you like.

Build Your Confidence with the School Librarian Survival Kit

This ultimate survival kit for school librarians is your ticket to success by providing everything you need to conquer the challenges of being a school librarian. This kit offers many resources, from planners to decor sets, to ensure that setting up and implementing systems comes stress free. With these tools at your fingertips, you can focus your energy on engaging your students in the wonders of reading and learning. No longer will you have to worry about scrambling to find materials or feeling overwhelmed by disorganization. Instead, you can step into your library with confidence, knowing that you have a solid foundation in place to support both you and your students on their educational journey.

Additional Resources

If you’re looking for additional resources to become organized as a school librarian, make sure to take a look at the list below!

• Back to School Checklist for School Librarians
• 10 Ideas for a Successful Open House in the School Library

Save for Later

Remember to save this post to your favorite teacher Pinterest board to access these helpful resources for your school librarian survival kit!