Tips & Ideas for a Positive Book Checkout

Book checkout time can feel like a whirlwind if you don’t have the right procedures in place. But don’t worry because I’ve got you covered! By streamlining this process, you can turn what might be a chaotic moment into a smooth, enjoyable experience for your students. Keep reading to discover my top tips for making book checkout time a breeze and ensuring your students have a positive and fun library experience!

Importance of a Positive Book Checkout

Checkout time is more than just a routine. It’s a golden opportunity to build strong, meaningful relationships with your students. During this time, our students often share their thoughts on books, seek recommendations, and ask for help finding the perfect read. They might even open up about important events in their lives. This gives you a unique chance to support them both academically and personally.

Taking the time to engage in these meaningful conversations is key. You are helping them discover new and exciting books. You’re also showing them that the library is a welcoming, safe space where they can be themselves. This positive interaction can ignite a lifelong love for reading and learning.

A well-managed checkout process helps your students develop important life skills like patience, organization, and responsibility. By creating a calm and orderly environment, you’re teaching them the value of following procedures and respecting shared spaces. These are lessons that go beyond the library and into their everyday lives.

How to Have a Smooth Book Checkout in Your School Library

Let’s now dive into some practical tips and ideas that have worked in my school library. These strategies have helped minimize chaos while creating an environment where my students look forward to checking out books.

1. Establish Procedures

The absolute best way that you can ensure a smooth library checkout is to establish checkout procedures in your library and stick with them. Before the school year ever begins, this should be something you are thinking about and planning. Decide what you want checkout to look like and feel like in your library. Here are a few points you will want to consider:

• Where should students go for checkout?
• Do they need an ID card or just their school number?
• Will they do self-checkout or must an adult be present?
• Can they check out if you are teaching a class? If not, what should they do?
• How will staff check out media tools? Supplies? Books?

Once you have thought through every little part of the checkout process (trust me – it’s worth doing) then put that process down into writing. This is a great time to tweak or change anything that you didn’t like from the previous year.

The final step is to share the checkout procedure with everyone. Remember that written procedure? Send it via email to the staff in your building. Make sure they know how to checkout items they need before the year begins. For students, make teaching checkout part of your first few weeks of lessons. Teach it, practice it, and review it!

2. Incorporate Checkout into Your Center Rotations 

Checkout can sometimes feel chaotic when all 25 students find the book they want at the same time. This results in a long line of students waiting to check out. And what is likely to happen when students are standing in line waiting? Behaviors.

One fantastic way to ensure a positive book checkout experience is by incorporating checkout into the center rotations into your library time. This method keeps things organized and gives students a clear structure. You simply make checkout one rotation that students will complete. This allows everyone to find and check out a book during their library time. When they are done they return to the center activities and can begin reading until time to switch to the next center.

I highly recommend using a timer to keep things running smoothly. We can all get lost in the world of books, and our students are no different. They can benefit greatly from knowing they have a set amount of time to complete their checkout. This keeps the process efficient and teaches them valuable time management skills.

For the best results, display a large timer on the screen. There are many different types of free digital timers you can use! This visual aid helps your students stay aware of their time limit. Instead of rushing at the last minute, they can see how much time they have remaining to start moving over to checkout! This makes the whole process more seamless.

3. Options For Students Who Can’t Check Out

Nothing makes library time a real bummer than not being allowed to check out a new book. Finding different ways to keep library time fun and interactive is a great way to keep all students excited about the library.

Magazines & Newspapers

An easy way to enhance the library checkout experience is by providing newspapers and magazines as reading options for your students. Sometimes, your local newspaper might donate copies to your school a couple of times a week. You could also look into purchasing a subscription that delivers copies to your school on certain days or even daily. This can also attract staff members to the library who want to catch up on the news.

Students love browsing through newspapers and magazines because these are items they often don’t have access to at home anymore. I want them to have that experience. Magazine subscriptions for kids are usually inexpensive and incredibly enjoyable for them. A popular one is Scholastic News, which is available for all ages and covers all different topics and subjects.

Students who cannot check out a book can instead have time to read in this section. It is a great way to have something to look forward to in the library when checking out a new book is not an option.

E-Books

Another option for students who can’t check out a book is to make ebooks or online reading available. Websites like Epic provide free versions for schools, while Big Universe offers a paid subscription. You might already have some digital books available as well.

One of my favorite methods is to show students how to use the state database and the local library with their student ID numbers. These collections often include a wide array of popular eBooks. This way, they can dive into a treasure trove of reading material right at their fingertips. Offering these options ensures that every student has something engaging to read, making their library visit even more enjoyable!

Free Book Cart

One final solution for students who can’t check out a book is to set up a Free Book Cart. I know, we want our students to be responsible and remember to bring their books back. We also know that all of our kiddos come from different backgrounds and sometimes not returning their book is something out of their control. At the end of the day, we’re aiming to create a positive experience for them and I simply don’t want them to leave the library empty-handed.

When a student can’t check out a book for the week, they can choose a book from the Free Book Cart and take it with them. Think of it like a Little Free Library inside the library. And the best part. . . since all of these books are not part of circulation if they don’t bring it back it is not a big deal.

So, where do these “free books” come from? Often, they’re books that have been discarded from the library. In some districts, librarians can’t accept donated books for their official circulation. Those donated books go straight to the Free Book Cart.

I’ve even had teachers and students bring me books to add to the cart. It’s heartwarming to see them contribute in such a thoughtful way. You don’t need a ton of books to make this work. If this is something you’d like to start, make the request known and you’ll be surprised how quickly the donations roll in. Just keep an eye on the cart to ensure that library books don’t accidentally end up there.

Speaking of the cart, it does not need to be anything fancy! It can be an extra cart from school, or it can be a three-tiered cart. No matter where you get the cart, the Free Book Cart makes a difference in creating a positive checkout experience for your students!

4. After Check Out Options

Earlier I mentioned making check out one of your center rotations. However, not everyone likes to structure their library time in this way, or not every week. Sometimes having checkout at the beginning or end of the period is preferred. In those times, having a plan for students after they check out their book is an important part of a librarian’s classroom management plan. After all, you can’t be working with students and checking them out at the same time. Here are some easy ways to keep students engaged after they have checked out their book if you choose not to do the center rotations mentioned above. You can choose one, or have multiple options available for students to choose from. Whatever you decide, make sure that this is part of your checkout procedures.

Silent Reading Time

Sometimes, our students just need a quiet moment to sit and dive into their new book. After a student has completed check out have them return to their seat and read. This can be a great way for them to wait while their classmates finish the checkout process.

Book Recommendations

Encourage students to create book recommendations. A bulletin board dedicated to these recommendations is a fantastic idea. You can also display them throughout the library or even use them as bookmarks inside the books. This peer review system can inspire others to explore new reads based on their friends’ suggestions.

Makerspace Time

Utilize your makerspace for your students to engage with building toys like Magformers, LEGOs, and blocks. Sometimes, a little time to talk and play can be exactly what they need to unwind and get creative.

Quick Online Activities

Have your students work on something fast and simple, like typing.com or code.org. These activities are educational and fun and make great use of their time.

Interactive Quizzes

Set up a fun pop quiz on Kahoot. These are easy to create and are always a hit with the kids. Another fantastic option is Blooket, which offers engaging and educational games that students can play individually or as a class. Both websites have pre-made quizzes you can assign your students, or you can make your own! It’s a great way to review your lesson.

Additional Websites

For more variety, introduce students to Tynker, a platform that teaches coding through fun, interactive games. Another great site is National Geographic Kids, which offers many educational games, videos, and articles about the natural world. Lastly, ABCmouse provides a comprehensive online curriculum for young learners, with reading, math, science, and art activities.

More Resources for Book Checkouts

Looking for more tips on creating a smooth and enjoyable book checkout experience? Check out Five More Tips for a Smoother Checkout for some fantastic ideas. Also, be sure to join the Staying Cool in the Library Facebook Community where you can collaborate with fellow school librarians and elementary teachers! We love sharing and learning from each other!

Time to Make Your Book Checkout a Positive Experience

I hope these tips and ideas inspire you to create a smooth, positive book checkout experience in your library. By incorporating center rotations, utilizing a Free Book Cart, offering newspapers and magazines, and providing engaging activities for our students who have already checked out, we can make library time enjoyable and enriching for everyone. It’s all about creating a welcoming environment where our students can discover the joy of reading. Let’s continue to share our experiences and learn from each other to make our libraries the best they can be.

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