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Library Activities for Kids: Library Visit Tips to Get the Most Out of Library Trips!

The best free resource is taking advantage of library activities for kids ! Here are 15 Library visit tips to help you get the most out of library visits!

I admit that in the early years of parenthood I was a little afraid to go to the library. It felt like a place with a lot of germs. I also live in a pretty established city and lots of the books were pretty worn out and limited. 

One day I decided to try a different library in my area, and my eyes were opened wide to what I’d been missing ! There are so many resources and programs for people of all ages. 

The more we attended the library, the more I appreciated and loved our library visits! We’ve found so many library activities for kids and ways to really use this FREE resource. We now visit weekly!

I even learned to love our older library and how to utilize better the resources it did have! I’m a believer no matter where you live, you can make library trips something wonderful! 

I happen to have kids who love to read. They also love audiobooks and listen daily. These are skills regular library visits, regular reading with kids, and training kids to listen to and love audiobooks (here’s a post all about how to get kids hooked on audiobooks). 

If you’d love to help encourage more reading, and also utilize free programs and activities, you’ll want to make your local library 

Library Activities for Kids

Check the events calendar..

This is the biggest FREE resource out there! Libraries hold free storytime for younger kids. But did you know many offer interactive get-your-wiggles out and baby classes too? I spent a lot of money on Gymboree classes and found library classes offer similar resources. Do you have older kids and teens? There are programs for them too! We’re talking robotics, coding, crafts, book clubs, and so much more! Many even have events and social activities. If you need somewhere to go, don’t sleep on the library events calendar! 

But Really, Go to Library Story Time

I think this is the actual best of the best library activities for kids. So much so, it deserves attention outside of just the library events section! These programs are designed for development and fun. Kids come out with a great love of books, and librarians so often pair it with a themed activity or resources for kids. You’ll feel like you got a free day of preschool/kindergarten. If you do one library visit this year, make sure you plan it around a library storytime!

Aim for age-appropriate activities.

My kids are three years apart, and I know my oldest would feel bored at many of the toddler events his younger brother would adore. I’d try to find events for kids of all ages, or make a concentrated effort to let each enjoy events designed around their age group and Interests. 

Go in the morning before it’s too crowded.

My first visit was overwhelming because my toddler was trying to compete for books with so many older kids. We’ve found if we’re there for books, the shelves are better-stocked and more inviting in the morning. Go early and you’ll have a better experience! 

Sign up for the summer reading program.

Did you know most cities and local businesses put a lot of money into summer reading programs? They offer a lot of fun perks (like restaurant coupons and free books). It’s a great way to help kids stay motivated and set reading goals! Also, many libraries do parties and events for summer reading participants.  For our Arizona friends, don’t miss out on the Maricopa Summer Reading Program ! Check out their amazing theme and resources here .

Research a few book lists before you go. Sometimes going can feel overwhelming. Look up book lists by topic and bestsellers to look for before you go.  We have a few favorite book lists if you need some ideas!

20 Books Every New Mom Should Have in Their Library

Best Christmas Picture Books: 15 New Christmas Books We’ve Added to Our Library

Our Favorite Halloween Books For Kids

The Best Star Wars Books for Kids

Our Favorite Books for National Book Lover’s Day

Place a few holds before you go.

This is optional, but I’ve found we can get the new release titles and most popular books with some book holds. It makes the trip feel like a trip to the bookstore without having to spend a penny. 

Go check out the hold pick-up section.

I quickly realized families who work the library services to their advantage usually place holds. You can go browse it and get a few ideas for fun books you’d like to reserve for your next visit. 

Ask a librarian for recommendations.

Librarians usually have a master’s degree in library science and know their stuff! They can help recommend books and resources for any interest and age. Use them, they live to help you find a great book! 

Enjoy the games.

I admit I used to give the computers a side-eye when I came in. Aren’t we here for less screen time? But I quickly realized what an amazing resource it is for kids. It’s fun, it’s educational, and it’s amazing for families who don’t have them at home. It’s a fun experience and a way for kids to learn. 

Think outside of just books.

Most library-savvy families know they can get a ton of entertainment and fun resources at the library. We’re talking DVDs with new releases. Hello, audiobooks. And there are board games most libraries allow to be checked out too. You’ll be surprised at all the added benefits you can find! 

Check out Wonderbooks and Vox books. 

These are our favorite items to look for and check out from the library right now! Essentially, they’re a book that reads itself with a professional sound recording. They allow kids to turn their own pages with a queue while a professional actor reads it. They’re a fun way to mix up read-aloud time!

Reserve a room to go read in 

I love reserving a room to use as an office. But my kids also love having our own room we can read and talk in. It’s a fun (free) upgrade to go enjoy books that you won’t even have to check out to read!

Pair it with lunch or a treat after 

When we enjoy a free activity, a little splurge on a treat or even going out to lunch feels so doable! I love to make a fun thing feel even more fun with a treat or other fun thing. We often pair the library with lunch. When the weather is nice, we pair it with a park visit as well. It helps kids really learn to love library visits even more!

Go regularly so kids learn how to use and utilize the library. 

Knowing how to use the library and utilize resources is a skill! The more you go, the more kids learn these skills and opportunities for free fun.

Like these library activities for kids? Be sure to check out these posts too:

Audiobooks for Kids: How to Get Kids Addicted to Audiobooks

Summer Schedule for Kids with Free Printable

Free Things to Do With Kids This Summer

Audible Books for Kids: 20 Excellent Audiobooks for Kids

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20 Library Activities For Elementary Students: Setup, Execution, And Tips

April 2, 2024 //  by  Christina Swiontek

The days of staying silent in the library have passed! There are so many fun activities that students can do in the school or public library. Some of my favorite childhood memories took place in my school library. I especially enjoyed holiday shopping for family presents and book fairs in the library. In addition to fun events, students can develop a love of reading and literacy. This love of reading is essential to growing and learning and we’ve got the perfect list of activities that’ll help your learners do just that! 

1. Library Scavenger Hunt

Library scavenger hunts are a great way to introduce children to the library. They will be challenged to find several specific items. If they get stuck, they can ask the school librarian for help. However, they are encouraged to complete it on their own or with a small group of friends.

Learn more: Layers

2. Elementary Librarian Interview

Interested in library life? If so, students may be interested in interviewing their elementary school librarian! Students can ask about key library skills, such as how to find the best library books and more. This activity is appropriate for students of all grade levels.

3. Character Dress-Up Day

Have your students go to the library dressed up as their favorite book characters. Library teachers could come up with a standard library theme for students, or they can pick their characters on their own. How fun!

Learn more: GigSalad

4. Book Bites

Story-themed snacks are such a popular way to engage students. You just can’t go wrong by incorporating delicious treats! Library lesson ideas like this are so memorable for everyone involved and your learners will love munching before or after they get stuck into a book. 

5. Library Word Search

Library word search games make a great supplemental resource to add to your library curriculum. Library learners will acquire new library terms and gain spelling practice by completing these word activities. Students may work independently or with friends to find all the words.

Learn more: Woo! Jr.

6. Library Treasure Hunt Bingo

This library bingo resource is truly one-of-a-kind! This fun library game is suitable for all elementary-grade students. Library learners will practice exploring the library environment and have fun playing Bingo at the same time.

Learn more: The Many Little Joys

This library mapping activity is a fun library skills game. Students will map out the interior of the library and label all the specific areas. I love this idea for a “back to school” night in which students’ parents can use the map their child made to navigate the library. 

Learn more: Book Shark

8. DIY Bookmark Craft

It is a wonderful idea for children to create their own bookmarks. By doing so, they will be more motivated to read so they can put their newly made bookmark to use. You can have students personalize their bookmarks by including their names or quotes by their favorite authors.

Learn more: Spruce

9. Coloring Contest

There is nothing wrong with a little friendly competition! Children will have a blast coloring in their favorite coloring book for a chance to win a prize. Judges can vote on their favorite picture and pick a winner from every grade level.

Learn more: Crayola

I Spy is a fun library game that students can play as a whole class. The library objective is for students to identify themes of stories and locate specific books. This is a fantastic addition to library centers and can be played when you have a few extra minutes in class.

11. Random Acts of Kindness

There is always a good reason to be kind! I love the idea of hiding positive notes in books for future readers. In addition to reading a great story, they will have a little extra thoughtful surprise to make them smile. 

Learn more: Modern

12. Library Mad Libs Inspired Game

This library mad libs-inspired game is a great center activity or an extra fun game for library time. Students are bound to share a few laughs while completing this silly activity. 

Learn more: Frugal

13. Summer Reading Challenge

There are many ways to participate in the summer reading challenge. It is important for children to read over the Summer months to keep their reading skills sharp. Reading can also be calming for students, especially when they are reading for pleasure outside in the sun.

Learn more: My Three Readers

14. Pick a Place 

Play a travel game by browsing books in the school library travel section. Students can look for a travel-themed book and identify locations that they’d like to visit. To extend this activity, students can create an advertisement for tourists or even their own travel itinerary. 

Learn more: Mama Scout

15. Poetry Find

Challenge students to connect with poetry. They will need to access the poetry section of the library to browse poetry that they feel relates to them. Then, have them copy the poem in their journal and include a thoughtful reflection. I would recommend this activity to upper elementary grades. 

16. Go Fish for Library Books

Sometimes students need a little help selecting a book. I love this fishbowl idea for students to go fishing for book ideas. It would be beneficial to set up a fishbowl for every reading level so that students are guaranteed to select a book that is appropriate for them.

Learn more: The Colorful Apple

17. Book Review Writing

Writing a book review takes serious skill! Students can practice book review writing with this amazing activity. You can have students exchange their book reviews to spark student interest in different books.

Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers

18. I Have…Who Has?

Library skills activities are important for students to learn. By using this resource, students will be able to identify and understand specific library lingo such as “publisher” and “title”. This is an interactive activity that also allows students to collaborate and think critically.

19. Glad Book Sad Book

The goal of this game is for children to learn how to properly care for their library books. Children will roll a cube that includes happy and sad faces. They will give examples of positive and negative treatment of books.

Learn more: Classroom

20. Huey and Louie Meet Dewey

This activity is a fun way for students to learn how to use the Dewey Decimal System. Students will need to use a worksheet to put books in order using the guide. This is a fun activity to add to any library lesson and teaches learners how to locate books in different sections of the library. 

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8 Ideas for Educators to Get Students Excited About the Public Library This School Year

Do you know how many books your students or their families own or even have access to? The start of school is a great time to introduce (or reintroduce) children (and their families) to the public library.

In the home visits  many of us make at the beginning of each school year, they are powerful opportunities to see not only where our students live, but also where they study and keep their books. I learned that many of my students had only a few books in their homes and our classroom libraries would be vital to enabling student discovery of new interests and topics, as well as access to texts at and above their levels.

Families may not be able to afford books or find few books for sale. For example, one study of low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia found one book for sale for every 300 children.

As we set out to create literacy-rich environments in our classrooms this school year, let us remember a powerful ally in the community: public libraries.

September is also  Library Card Sign-Up Month  so many public libraries have programs and resources available to students of all grades. Check with your nearest branch to see field trip availability, possible funding, and to download and distribute the library card application.

Below are just 8 ways to get students thinking about public libraries and how these spaces can help them this school year.

Before You Go

1. Read Aloud Book Recommendations

• Lee & Low Teacher’s Guide for  The Storyteller’s Candle

• Lee & Low Teacher’s Guide for  Richard Wright and the Library Card
• Comparing  The Storyteller’s Candle  and  Richard Wright and the Library Card

• Lee & Low Teacher’s Guide for  Destiny’s Gift

Questions during reading

• Why does this character/historical figure believe in the power of books?
• What obstacles does this person have to overcome to achieve his/her goal?
• How do reading books change the main characters/historical figures?
• How does this person demonstrate respect or show appreciation for books and the library space?
• Why are libraries an important part of a community?
• Should having a library in a community be a right or is it a privilege?

2.  Shared Reading Activity — The following articles, which can be downloaded as a PDF file, contain information at just the right level for readers. Comprehension questions also included:

*note: must sign-up to read, but free for teachers

“ A Helper at the School Library ” by ReadWorks.org

“ A New Kind of Library ” by ReadWorks.org

“ Homework takes over the library for kids without Internet ” by Newsela

“ A Chicago library’s books hit the road on two wheels ” by Newsela

3.  Bring in a library book for students to observe — Compare the library book to a classroom book. Note the spine label on the side, the barcode label on the back, the plastic covering, the library pocket, and so on.

Finally, before your class visits the library, print off library card applications for students to fill out in class or at home with their families. This will streamline the process at the library and students will have the necessary information like their home addresses to obtain the cards. With cards in the hand, students can borrow some books!

If Doing a Visit or Field Trip, Here Are Some Activities at the Library:

4. Interview a librarian— Have students brainstorm a list of questions before they visit to ask, including:

• What motivated him/her to become a librarian?
• What is his/her favorite part of being a librarian?
• What are some of the challenges of a library?
• Why is it important for communities to have libraries?
• How have libraries changed? How has this library changed since it first opened?
• What can someone do at a library in addition to reading books?
• What if someone does not speak English (or very well)? What resources can he/she use to get the most out of the library? How does the library make an inclusive space for multiple languages?

5. Library scavenger hunt— Premade lists for grade bands are available from ALA. Ideas include:

• Get the signature of two librarians.
• What is the name of the Children’s Librarian?
• How much does it cost to make a copy in the library?
• List two magazine titles the library has available to read.
• Find a chapter book with an author whose last name begins with “D.” What is the title of the book?
• What newspaper does the library have for reading?
• How many computer stations does the library have for visitors to use?
• Have students try to find a couple of the read alouds you have already read in class this year, such as The Storyteller’s Candle / La velita de los cuentos or Richard Wright and the Library Card .

Activities After the Visit to the Library

6.  Create a poster to advertise the local library — With words and pictures, explain the benefits of visiting a library and highlight the perks of the space. How is the library rewarding to one’s education? How can a library help with homework? Depending on the class size and the amount of posters, encourage students to donate their poster to each classroom in the school as well as the main office to post on the bulletin board.

7.  Write a thank you letter to the children’s or teen’s librarian or community volunteers . Encourage students to include what book title they would like to borrow first with their new library cards.

8. As a class, brainstorm a list of ideas on how to responsibly treat a borrowed library book. What does being responsible with a library book look like? Record student ideas on a chart. Look up the behavior rules on the library website. Post this list in the classroom library as a reminder for all borrowed books throughout the year.

How to make a trip to the library affordable and achievable:

• Most important: TALK to the librarians! Many public libraries have back-to-school programs available (or preferred times for such visits) and schedules that work with the school calendar. The children’s or teen librarian may also know of funding or grants available specifically for school visits to the library.
• Make it a family affair. While optional, encourage students’ families to join you on a Saturday at the library. This will save you having to pay for bussing or coordinate chaperones as students will attend with their families.
• Absolutely can’t get off campus? Make sure to prioritize a program at your school library or see if the public library has school-visit programs.
• Virtual field trips: (elementary school age) KidVision VPK Library Field Trip and (middle school age) Tour the Library by Harper College Library or Check It Out by Topeka Library

For further reading on educators engaging librarians for student achievement:

• Strategies to Help Educators Explain Lexile and Invest Stakeholders

Dear librarians — What other ideas do you suggest or have you seen work well for encouraging students to discover all that the library has to offer them (and their families) this school year? Share with us!

Jill Eisenberg, our Senior Literacy Specialist, began her career teaching English as a Foreign Language to second through sixth graders in Yilan, Taiwan as a Fulbright Fellow. She went on to become a literacy teacher for third grade in San Jose, CA as a Teach for America corps member. In her column at The Open Book, she offers teaching and literacy tips for educators. 

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27 Fun Library Activities for Kids & Families

Published: May 17, 2023

Contributor: Sonlight

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

As soon as your kids get their own library card, you’re ready to head to the local library on a regular basis to build those early literacy skills. But what can you do each week on your day at the library? Here are 27 library activities for kids that will give you different ways of engaging them at the library.

27 Library Activities for Kids

Check out these 27 library activities for kids that will make your regular trip to public libraries in your area a little more fun, a lot more educational, and even more captivating for your learners – young and old alike. 

1. Library Scavenger Hunt

Young children love fun activities, so why not show them that the local library is a welcoming space by having a library scavenger hunt. Need some scavenger hunt ideas ? Try things like a rainbow color hunt, finding every letter of the alphabet, or a fun photo scavenger hunt around the library.

Most indoor scavenger hunts will work even at the library. If you want to use the scavenger hunt to learn about the library, you can create your own unique hunt that will get them looking at all the different sections of the library.

2. Teach About the Dewey Decimal System

Older children need to learn about the Dewey Decimal System. So the next time you’re at the library with your older kids, ask a librarian to give a quick run-down of this categorization system. 

3. Independent Research

​The library is a great place for your student to complete some independent research about a topic that interests them or is related to their school work. With library services and online resources, your student will find the research task much easier at the library than at home.

Plus, librarians are a wealth of knowledge for tracking down the best resources.

4. Make Book Wish Lists

Help your kids grow into book-loving readers by continually talking about books, finding recommendations, and making book wish lists. Sometimes libraries will have a display section around a certain topic or new books .

Check those out as your child makes his own book wish list.

5. Summer Reading Challenge

Summer reading doesn’t have to be a chore! In fact, to  encourage summer reading , download a free summer reading challenge kit and check out these summer reading book lists for every level. 

6. Join a Book Club

Book clubs are fun ways to meet new friends and practice social skills all while discussing your latest read! Your kids can grow in their literary analysis skills and learn how to give and take in a small group of peers. 

See if your library has an age-appropriate book club for your kids.

7. Read a Newspaper

The local public library is a convenient place to find and read a newspaper. Download a few current events printables and encourage your kids to use a newspaper instead of the internet to learn about the news.

8. Read a Magazine

Did you know that your library is a great place to find dozens of niche and interesting magazines? What are your kids’ hobbies or interests? Maybe instead of subscribing to a magazine yourself, you could just read them at the library.

9. Read Aloud a Story

Find a great book then use these read aloud activities  with your kids to engage them and talk about the story. From book-inspired art, to reading journals, to recipes and “imagine if” discussions, there are lots of fun ideas that you can use to extend the learning of a read aloud.

10. Listen to an Audio Book

Even reluctant readers can be brought into a life of loving books if you let them listen to an audio book. It really isn’t cheating to allow your kids to listen to audiobooks! They can still be engaged in the story, enjoy the character development, and discuss the plot line and main themes, even if they simply listened to the book rather than read a hard copy.

11. Work on Homework

Many libraries offer free homework help, so if your child could use a hand with some of his studies, check your local library to see if they offer this service! Even if they don’t need the help, the library is of course a wonderfully quiet and calm place to find a desk or silent corner and be able to focus on your studies.

12. Library Treasure Hunt

Library treasure hunts are one of those activity ideas that will excite all ages of kids! A library treasure hunt requires kids to hunt down certain resources in the library to be able to answer the questions in the hunt.

Make sure to include questions that will take your kids to all the parts of the library so they discover biographies, fiction, nonfiction books, picture books, and more.

13. Write a Book Review

Encourage your kids to write a book review of their favorite books. Reading others’ book reviews is the best way to find new books to read.

14. Sign Up for Themed Events

Check your local library’s events calendar to see if they have any social activities scheduled with a book-inspired theme. Kids of all ages can get into these themed events at the library to celebrate a favorite author or fun books.

15. Interview a Librarian

The library staff might be tickled if you ask to interview your local librarian. Create a list of questions ahead of time and schedule a short interview. Your child may then decide to use the information from the interview to create a short biography or article about the librarian.

16. Reading Bingo

Younger kids will love playing reading bingo at the library. It’s a great way to incentivize reading! All you need is a simple BINGO printable, and once your kids have completed enough reading challenges to complete five in row, they win.

You can reward them with anything that you know they’ll love. The challenges can be anything from “draw a picture of what you read” to “read for 20 minutes” to “read a book to your sibling.” 

17. Color Bookmarks

What can make a good story even better? Having a cute bookmark to use while reading it! Download some of these printable bookmarks  and help make reading time at the library even sweeter.

18. Library Word Search

A fun way to learn more about the library is to use a library word search . You can find an online generator to create your own or print one of the dozens you’ll find online for free.

19. Play I Spy with Book Titles

A unique way to get your kids exploring in the library is to play I spy  with book titles. You could keep the game within one section of the library. So, if you’re in the children’s area, look for a book title and then start giving your kids clues. Maybe it’s “I spy a book about dinosaurs with a yellow spine.” See how many clues it takes until your kids can find the book!

20. Play Games

Another fun activity at the library is just to play some simple games. Here are some ideas:

• alphabet hunt
• scavenger hunt

Some libraries have computers for kids where you can also play online educational games.

21. Reserve a Room for Studying

Older kids will appreciate being able to reserve a room for studying. This is especially helpful for high school students who might be preparing for the ACT or SAT and want a quiet place to take a practice test.

22. Teach the Parts of a Book

Kids can learn the parts of a book at the library. Grab a selection of various chapter books, picture books, reference books, and more to teach your kids the different parts.

23. Learn How to Take Care of Books

A library is a great place to learn how to take care of books. Just being at a library where the books are organized, orderly, clean, and respected is a great learning experience for young readers.

When they see how the librarians handle the books, they will begin to learn how to take care of books as well.

24. Shared Reading Discussion

Children of all ages love to share a reading discussion about the great stories they enjoy. Joining a library story time with other kids their age is a fun way to do this. Older kids may enjoy working on a reading journal to work out their thoughts before sharing.

25. Watch Films Based on Books

Family members can enjoy time together when you watch films based on books. Of course, the book is usually better than the movie, so read the book first! You can then have a great discussion with your kids about the differences between the book and the film.

26. Practice ABC Order

One of the key skills learned and practiced in elementary school is being able to put things in ABC or alphabetical order . As you explore the library, you can show your kids how the books are organized alphabetically by author then by title.

27. Library Story Time

One of the most anticipated parts of library visits for very young children is library story time! It’s one of those educational activities with friends and great picture books that never gets old.

Tips for Library Trips

​Want the top tips for taking your kids to the library? Here they are.

Go Early to Avoid Crowds

Make sure you check your locations hours before you trek out. And of course, make a library book day a regular part of your schedule. Get to know the staff and ask about free programs that your library offers.

Make a Booklist

Help all your children get their own library card if you can. This way, you will be able to keep track on the online library dashboard which books are checked out, on hold, or which ones are on the wishlist. Help each child to make and maintain a booklist – ones they have completed and ones they hope to read.

Place Book Holds

You can search for new books during your regular library visit. Or, make it easier on yourself and order books from your list ahead of time. Then, you’ll just have to pick up your book holds during your library trip and can spend the rest of the time there enjoying the story time or doing one of the other activities mentioned in this post.

In Conclusion

You can help grow a love of reading in your kids when you make visiting the library a priority. Kids will learn to value books and reading just by a simple library trip! And these library activities for kids will help them stay engaged and excited.

Sonlight is a complete, literature-based, Christian homeschool curriculum with every subject for students from Preschool through high school. Our curriculum uses a variety of materials to deliver an engaging and complete education that extends beyond textbooks and memorization: literary fiction and nonfiction, biographies, illustrations, and hands-on experiments. These resources come with thorough lesson plans and notes, so that you can enjoy successful homeschooling. Customers who buy from Sonlight enjoy a liberal arts education that produces critical thinkers who are ambassadors for Christ with a heart for the world. Visit us online and request a FREE catalog today!

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16 Inspiring School Libraries That Invite Every Student to Become a Reader

Welcome them in and they’ll never want to leave.

School libraries are becoming a bit rarer these days, which makes them all the more precious. Treasure yours by filling it with motivating words and artwork that draw young readers in to explore. These inspirational school libraries will give you some ideas to fit pretty much any budget. Go ahead, build a literary wonderland!

1. Create Book Smiles

These 3-D books pack a big pop! You could easily replicate this idea using poster board and styrofoam. 

Source: Janice Davis/Coroflot

2. Imagine It All

The closer you look, the more you spot the amazing details in this awesome mural. Be sure to visit the link for close-up shots and in-progress photos.

Source: A Girl and a Glue Gun

3. Find the Magic

Dr. Seuss is a big part of school libraries, so a mural like this will really connect with kids. After all, books really are magic!

Source: Lola Murals

4. Books Open Doors

You may not have the resources to recreate the dimensional details of this incredible library, but you could definitely paint walls (and steps!) to look like book spines.

Source: OUP Libraries/Twitter

5. Inspire Tomorrow’s Leaders

What a great sentiment! There are plenty of creative ways to display this message in school libraries.

Source: Classroom Pinspirations/Instagram

6. Reading is the Ticket

Children’s book characters riding a roller coaster together? Genius! This is one amusement park every kid will want to visit.

7. Books Are Friends

What young reader wouldn’t want to join their favorite characters on this bench? (Save us the seat next to Pooh Bear!)

Source: Settlers Primary School Library Mural/Behance

8. Explore Between the Covers

Open a book, and you open up the world. (5th graders helped create this one… how cool!)

Source: Erica Jones

9. Letters Are the Building Blocks

Letters make up the books that fill school libraries. This alphabet display from found materials is a terrific upcycling project.

Source: Risk to Learn

10. Follow the Wild Things

We love an idea that works shelving right into the design! You can buy this decal at the link below or tap a talented local artist to paint something similar.

Source: Designer Playground

11. Put On a Show

This is the stuff school library dreams are made of! If a full-blown house is out of reach, have students create one from cardboard boxes instead.

Source: American Libraries Magazine

12. Use Your Words

If you’ve got a Cricut or other die-cut machine , you can definitely make this one happen! Have students help you brainstorm the word list for a fun cooperative project.

Source: Lyndsey Kuster

13. Go Into the Woods

Transform a corner of your library into a cool leafy glade. You can find mushroom stools for sale, but it’s also surprisingly easy to whip up your own .

Source: The Guardian

14. Travel to Fictional Worlds

Whole school idea: Each class designs and creates their own directional arrow to add to this fictional wayfinding sign.

Source: Mira Costa High Library/Flickr

15. Reading is Terrific

Every school library has room in a corner for this simple, subtle design. (Love Charlotte’s Web? Get more fun classroom ideas here. )

16. Library Of Dreams

We simply had to include this drool-worthy library design. The incredible details and that fantastic tree have us wishing we could visit it for storytime every single day.

Source: CajunKev/Flickr

Want to make the most of your book collection? Check out these 30 Tips for Setting up an Inspired, Organized Classroom Library .

Plus, Little Free Library Ideas for Schools and Playgrounds .

You Might Also Like

16 Creative Ways To Get Kids To Read More

I want to try all of these. Continue Reading

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The Colorful Apple

Engage Your Readers with a Library Field Trip

You’ve worked hard with your students all year – putting books in their hands, reading aloud and talking with them about books. They are engaged and reading more than ever! But, what happens when summer hits? They no longer have constant access to books and a strong reading model. Take your students on a library field trip!

Why a library field trip?

The benefits of going on a field trip to the library can be huge! Many students don’t even know that a local library exists. By taking them to visit, they can learn all that the library has to offer.

Many libraries have summer programs that students of all ages can participate in. They have fun (and often free) events that entice students to come into the library each week.

Why should we go at the end of the year?

Any time of the year is good for a library field trip! And the end of the year is an especially good time to visit. It lets students know that they can still access hundreds of books (for free!) all summer long. By building on the reading culture that you have created all year long, you can show students that they can continue to be avid readers throughout the summer.

What are some of the goals?

• show students how to use the library
• acquaint them with the librarians
• introduce them to the summer program
• have them sign up for a library card
• create a summer reading list for themselves

Taking your students to the library at the end of the school year can make a huge difference in their reading life. And by encouraging your students to read all summer long , they will be more invested in making it a daily habit.

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The Educators' Spin On It

Learning Games and Activities

By Kim Vij 6 Comments

Tips for Using the Library with Kids

The ultimate list of Library Resources for Parents. This guide includes tips for checking out, avoiding late fees, storing books, book activities, and more!

Libraries are a true gift to kids (and parents).

However, sometimes they require a little bit of planning to make sure your trips to the library are successful.

Here are some great tips for using the library with kids from some of our favorite moms and teachers.

It’s National Library Week! {April 14 to 20}. How will you celebrate?

Library Resources for Parents

 I have a confession I LOVE the LIBRARY and have a little trouble just checking out a few books.   Do you have that problem?   Last week we asked our Facebook Page Followers for tips on how they keep track of their library books.  It’s so great to know we have so many creative readers of The Educators’ Spin On It.  

Here’s their Library Book Tips…

Do you have a tip to add?  

Tips for Storing Library Books

• Special Chair
• Hook in the Laundry Room
• Special Table
• Magazine Rack
• Plastic Crate
• Library Back
• Homemade Storage Ideas 

Tips for On Time Returns

• Frequent Visits
• Mark on Calendar Due Dates
• Keep List on the Refrigerator of Checked Out Books
• Get email reminders from Library
• Check out the Same Number Each Time  

Going to the library changes once you have kids. It’s amazing to see how many resources they have to offer from storytime, demo classes, computers to even toys at some libraries. Although sometimes I find it hard to manage small children at the library, it’s so important for them to develop those skills and a love of books! I figured I might not be alone with this challenge so to help you out we’ve collected our favorite tips for Visiting the Library with your child.

Tips for Visiting Library with Kids

Here’s a resource of ideas and tips for using the library with kids from some of our favorite bloggers.

10 Ways To Use Your Public Library by Creative Family Fun

9 Tips for Library Visits from A Mom with a Lesson Plan

The Ultimate Guide for Library Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Teaching Your Kids About the Library from Wikihow

25 Mini Adventures at the Library from Mama Scouts

Caring for a Library Book

Library Book Love from Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Avoiding Late Fees on Library Books

How to Find a Good Book from I Can Teach My Child

Library Tips for Visiting with Children from Obsuessed

50 Great Books for Young Readers from Teach Beside Me

Summer Reading Programs at your Library 

My First Library Card @ My Little Bookcase 

Kids at the Library- Scavenger Hunts, Bags, Cards and More!  @ Imagination Sou p

Ten Reason Why Your Local Library is Fun @ Local Fun For Kids

Little Book Adventures Library Letters @ Coffee Cups and Crayons

Library Tips with Toddlers and Preschoolers:

Tips for Visiting with a Toddler from Growing Book by Book

Tips for Checking Out Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers from Stay at Home Educators

Toddlers and Libraries Do Mix from Allison McDonald @ Scholastic

Creating Your Own Library at Home:

Make a Home Reference Library from Cathy James @ Kids Activities Blog

Little Free Library Visit from Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Create Your Own Little Free Library

Using a Library Cart from Frugal Fun 4 Boys

Ideas for Library Pretend Play:

Let’s Play Librarian from No Time for Flashcards

Librarians:

Acts of Kindness at the Library from Pennies of Time

National Library Worker’s Day April 16

For more Book Activities for Kids, you may enjoy these…

Like this idea? Pin for later or share now with a friend!

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About Kim Vij

Early childhood teacher, author, speaker and mom of 3. Kim shares ways to make learning fun and parenting an adventure by sharing developmentally appropriate activities.

April 15, 2013 at 7:07 am

Thanks so much for hosting!

April 15, 2013 at 8:25 am

Awesome post, heading off to share it everywhere. We LOVE our local library!

April 15, 2013 at 10:37 am

Library has been part of our life since Anna was 6 months old. I don't know how we would have survived without being able to bring home dozens of new books every week! Too bad that now our city libraries are open only 4 times a week due to budget cuts 🙁

April 16, 2014 at 2:37 pm

So many great resources! Thanks so much for including our tips for taking a toddler to the library.

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Taking Your Child to Visit the Library: Ideas for Parents

• Tania Cowling
• Categories : Parenting preschoolers & toddlers
• Tags : Early education information for teachers, parents & caregivers

The most important thing you can do to help your children become good readers is to read or tell stories aloud with them every day. Seating children in front of a video of “Peter Pan” is a very poor substitute for hearing the story from a parent’s lap read with an expressive voice. If you want to grow couch potatoes, use videos. If you really want to grow good readers you have to be a part of the experience. Here are tips to make reading a positive experience in your child’s life.

Get your child his/her own library card and visit the children’s library regularly.

Set a good example. Keep books and publications out and available and let your children see you enjoy reading them.

Ask children to talk about what they read or what you read to them.

Help children act out their own favorite stories with props and accessories as a creative way to build language skills and vocabulary.

Let older children choose the books they want to read in order to further encourage the reading habit. You might want to read the same book your older child is reading and discuss it to build your child’s capacity for thought and insight. Siblings may want to have a special reading time at home together.

Talk with the children about the concept of ‘quiet’ before you visit the library. Remind them how nice and quiet it is when you read to them at home, so it’s important to the people in the library to not be disturbed by noise. Discuss what it means to ‘whisper’.

Encourage children to take care of books, so others can enjoy them too. Make sure hands are clean before handling a book and NEVER write or scribble in a book, especially if it is not yours and borrowed from the library.

Use bookmarks to mark your page, never crease or ‘dog-ear’ the page. See activity below to make a bookmark.

Your Library Visit Together

The public library is a wonderful resource for you and your child. Most lend not only books, but also music, videos, and even puppets and toys. Early library visits can lay the foundation for a lifelong love of books. Explore the children’s library together and give your child a little independence on choosing and checking out books. Here are a couple of ideas to make this visit fun.

Go on a letter hunt. Find as many letters as possible on book titles. Help your child find all the letters in his/her name. Then look for an alphabet book for your child to take home and enjoy.

Have your child think of a special kind of book he would like to read. It could be a book with a favorite character or one about a special topic. Think about authors - does your child have a favorite? Let him introduce himself to the librarian and ask her to help him find this special book on the library shelf.

Libraries are divided into two major sections: fiction (pretend stories) and nonfiction (factual books). Fiction books are put on the shelves in alphabetical order, according to the author’s last name. Nonfiction books are grouped by category. Therefore, all the books about animals are together. Then these are subdivided by specific groups; insects, reptiles, birds, etc.

Set a limit on the number of books your child may check out. One idea is to let him check out as many books as his age. Have him count the books, stack them on the table from the largest to smallest and then carry them to the checkout counter. He will feel mature and proud!

Make a Bookmark

At home, bring out the construction paper and craft supplies to make bookmarks for the entire family. This can be an extension project from your library visit. You might want to cover these special works of art with clear contact paper. It will preserve the life of the bookmark and make them sturdier to use.

A Counting Bookmark

Make a bookmark that helps children learn to count.

• Cardboard or poster board (2 inches by 6 inches)
• Crayons or markers
• Invite your child to decorate the cardboard bookmark as she wishes.
• Use crayons, markers, or even stickers to make a colorful picture.
• When finished, punch five holes up and down the bookmark.
• Encourage your child to put her finger on a hole and to count from one to five. Challenge your child to count to ten by punching five holes on the other side.

Make library visits a healthy routine for your household. Check with your local children’s library about preschool events held for the children. Keep these dates handy and plan trips to the library around them.

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Library Theme: Ideas and Activities for PreK & Kindergarten 

Libraries are not just a place to borrow books; they’re also a  treasure trove  full of resources and house a hub of activities for young children.  

This article shares some of the fun activities that have engaged and educated my own preschooler.  

Read more to see how you can support your own young child’s early literacy skills using your public library.

A Great Place for Early Learning

PreK and Kindergarten students can benefit greatly from the various activities offered at public libraries. 

Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.   Learn more.

Library time can encompass different ways to foster a love for reading, enhance literacy skills, and encourage exploration and discovery. 

Co-Regulation Tip

Reading a book together: Set aside time to read a book together. This can involve taking turns reading aloud, discussing the story, or even acting out scenes.

Reading together promotes literacy, imagination, and can be a calming and intimate activity.

From story time sessions to library games and printable activities, libraries provide a wealth of opportunities for young children to learn and grow. 

Public Library Story Time at Your Local Branch

One of the most popular activities for young children at the library is story time. 

My family takes full advantage of  story time  sessions at our local library branch where trained librarians read aloud different picture books.  

Their expressive storytelling techniques bring different books to life!

Library Activities During Story Time

It’s been in my experience that these sessions not only introduce children to the joy of reading but also help develop their listening skills and imagination. 

Each library lesson has included engaging activities such as songs or nursery rhymes, fingerplays, and puppets or some other kind of prop.

It’s a great way to get little hands engaged!

My county offers our community a printed book full of various activities for all ages.  

I’d highly suggest to stop by and ask for their printable resources so that you can pick and choose what works best for your family.

They also should have this information available online.  Simply find a fun activity, check for availability, sign up (if required), and put it on your calendar.  

I plug in all the different activities we’ve signed up for so my mom brain doesn’t forget!

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Library games such as a library scavenger hunt.

To make your library visit even more interactive, give a list of items or books to find within the library, encourage them to explore different sections and shelves. 

This activity not only familiarizes children with the layout of the library but can be a whole lot of fun!

Other library games could include matching games or working on puzzles in your library environment.  

Library Theme: Printable Activities for PreK & Kindergarten Students

Printable activities  allow younger students to continue their learning journey at home or in the classroom, reinforcing the concepts and skills they have acquired during their library visit. 

List of Things

The different sections of the library themed learning we worked on included:

• tracing the letters L (library) and B (books) then seek and find
• identifying what the parts of a book are such a front cover and title
• What are the different elements of nonfiction books?
• What are the different elements of fiction books?
• counting “how many” activity sheet 
• sorting characters into categories of nonfiction or fiction
• DIY bookmark coloring pages

Invaluable Resource: Ask a Staff Member

There’s good reason library staff professionals are always ready to assist you and your young learners.  

They can make book recommendations ideal for each grade level, steer you in the right direction based on your child’s interests, and answer any questions you may have about an upcoming event.

If you’re homeschooling pre-k students or Kindergarteners, your local librarian can be a wealth of information to support your own early literacy program!

A Plethora of Ideas

Children can benefit immensely from the resources and opportunities provided by public libraries. 

By incorporating library theme activities, young children can develop essential literacy skills, expand their knowledge, and cultivate a lifelong love for books and learning.  

It’s a fun free engaging way to promote early literacy!

Speaking of early literacy, have you heard of Tonies? If you haven’t check them out!

A lot of families are loving these audio players that read stories aloud to children using a wide variety of characters.

Reading to your children, attending story times at your local library, and using an audio player like the Tonies offers a multisensory approach!

Other Articles to Support a Love of Reading

Letter Sounds for Toddlers: CVC Words in a Fun Way

Camping Theme Worksheets for Preschool and Kindergarten Kids

Train Coloring Pages and Train Garden Activities for Kids

Literacy Activities that Increase Language for Preschoolers

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• Our Mission

Setting Up Libraries to Be the Best Space in School

We took a peek inside school libraries across America to see how librarians are reframing the space to support students’ social, emotional, and creative growth—while still prioritizing excellent reads.

On any given day, more than 500 students visit the library at Campbell High School in Smyrna, Georgia—often before the school day even begins or during their lunch period. 

In other words, students are choosing to spend “what little unstructured time they have,” inside the library, says Andy Spinks, one of the school’s two library media specialists.

The recently renovated library—now known as the Learning Commons—is a bright, spacious multipurpose hub within the school. There are bistro tables where kids can work together; comfortable and flexible seating; a makerspace where students can explore activities like sewing and jewelry making; an audio recording and production studio ; and a video production studio where kids can create TikToks or YouTube videos using their phones or school-issued laptops. It’s a far cry from the space it used to be—an attendance sheet from 2008 tracked just 21 students signing into the library one day. 

“It’s a place where students come together, interact, and build community,” Spinks says. “I often hear adults complain about teenagers ‘always looking at their phones’ and not being able to interact with people face-to-face, but that’s not what I see. I see them talking, working on group projects, playing chess and Uno, and exercising their creativity in collaborative ways. Even their screen time—playing video games, making videos, and recording music—is collaborative.” 

Spinks and other like-minded librarians across America are transforming school libraries from staid, silent repositories of knowledge into vibrant spaces that welcome kids and encourage “exploration, creation, and collaboration,” writes researcher and former teacher Beth Holland . Through careful planning and with the help of student input, the Campbell High School library, and others like it, offer a critical escape from the hurly-burly of the day, serving as a nucleus of support for all manner of social, emotional, and creative needs—while still providing access to good books.

To get a sense of how schools are rethinking libraries, we spoke to librarians and library media specialists around the country about the creative ways they’re making libraries among the best places to be in school.

Putting Kids at the Center

At A. P. Giannini Middle School in San Francisco, almost half of the books brought into the school’s collection come from student requests, says teacher librarian Shannon Engelbrecht. “If a kid comes up and says, ‘Do you have this book?’ and I say, ‘I don’t have it; fill out the request sheet,’ we’ll have it in a week through the quick order system.” The same is true of the makerspace, mostly stocked with items kids ask for, purchased from a budget provided by the PTA. 

“I’ll go to the Dollar Tree and see if they have pom-pom makers so that what we have in the maker center is what students have requested,” Engelbrecht says. “Then they are much more likely to want to read a book or to recommend it to their friends and say, ‘Hey, I chose this book for the library. You should give this a try.’ Or ‘Have you ever tried a pom-pom maker?’”

After completing a student needs assessment, Washington, D.C.-based librarian Christopher Stewart started making small changes to the school library, displaying fabrics and art connected to students’ various cultures, for example. “I want them to be a part of it,” Stewart says. “Ordering African American fabric [to display on dress forms], ordering art from Mexico that represents the students. It’s not just enough to have the book collection that is representative. I wanted to make sure that students see themselves not only in the pages of the books but also in the furniture, the art.”

Stewart also hires students to act as “library brand ambassadors,” functioning as a sort of market research panel with input on the library’s book collection, types of programming they’d like to see, and selections for book club, among other things. “It’s beautiful because they are the ears for their peers,” he says. “It’s showing intentionality on the library’s part. Because I don’t want to give you what I think you should have; I want to give you what you want and need.” 

Reframing for Creativity and Even Some Noise

Libraries in the Herricks Union Free School District on Long Island, New York, aren’t always quiet—and that’s intentional, says Michael Imondi, the K–12 director of ELA, Reading, and Library Services. The days of whispering between the stacks are long gone, and when the district decided to refresh its libraries, the design priorities focused on four Cs—communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. “This is not a quiet space,” he says. “This is a working space, a collaborative space.” 

There are large tables to encourage student collaboration, as well as silent study rooms where kids can work independently. In the middle school library, some tabletops are whiteboards you can write directly onto when planning group projects or mapping out thinking. A small tweak to the framing—from library to Library Learning Suite—helped emphasize the new focus. “Words matter,” Imondi says. “Having that word ‘learning’ in there, it’s important because that’s what’s happening now. Whether you’re coming to read a novel off the shelf or you’re using our 3D printer to build something for your science class, it’s a learning space.”

At Campbell High School’s library, Spinks says one of the big shifts in recent years concerns the fundamental role of libraries as spaces “primarily concerned with the information that students receive.” Now they’re “shifting more focus toward making things, producing information and media.” One of those areas is the creative arts: Spinks was surprised at the well of talent that students exhibited in the library’s audio and production studios. 

“These kids are so talented, they’re so creative,” Spinks says. Originally he thought the studio might not get much use during the school day because students would need an hour or two to get anything done. But they keep surprising him with what they’re able to accomplish in short snippets of time: “They come in, and during a 25-minute lunch block, they can load up the beat, freestyle over it, and have something to share with their friends.” 

Libraries Where Kids Let Their Guard Down

After noticing that students needed a “space that was their own” where they could safely process their emotions, Stewart created a peace, love, and meditation room inside the library. “It is the hub,” he says. “A place to not feel judged, to feel so much love, and to feel warm.” A welcome and necessary respite from the stress of the outside world with calming music and a water feature, it also doubles as a venue for restorative justice sessions as well as an open room that counselors and therapists utilize to care for the needs of the school community.

Carving out a judgment-free zone inside the library is also a priority for Engelbrecht. Need to use one of the desktop computers to finish your homework before class? That’s not a problem. Having trouble keeping your eyes open? Engelbrecht doesn’t mind if students occasionally doze off on the big U-shaped couch in the center of the room—it holds around seven kids sitting, and she won’t tell you to keep your feet on the ground. “You never get to do that at school because you’re not supposed to put your feet on the furniture,” she says. “But we have three pieces of furniture specifically for putting your feet up.”

Still, judgment-free doesn’t mean lawless, she says. Engelbrecht sees every English class once a month and teaches different lessons on media, technology, and digital literacy and citizenship. Her motto is “Assume best intent, equity of space, kind heart.” The conversations she has with students about everything from cyberbullying to how to respond when someone makes you uncomfortable are crucial to creating trusting relationships and establishing the library as a safe haven. 

Meanwhile, in states where book bans are in effect, we spoke with librarians who are finding ways to keep their spaces welcoming and inclusive—via, for example, book displays that highlight different cultures, values, and identities. 

“Every child deserves to come into the library and find a book that has somebody who looks like them, or acts like them, or has some similarity to them,” says Jamie Gregory, a librarian in a private school in South Carolina. “I think it’s important that our library collection reflects our community, but it should still be diverse, so students can learn that there aren’t people to be afraid of or who are out to get them. Every type of community deserves fair representation.” 

Books Are Still the Bomb

No matter how much libraries evolve, reading is still the foundation, says K. C. Boyd, the 2022 School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year. Rearranging her bookshelves to be more dynamic makes the library a place where kids are continuously intrigued and drawn in by new books. The effort also drives circulation in her library. 

“Literature is the priority. The print and e-book collection is the priority,” Boyd says. “The second priority is access to technology, so that kids are on an even playing field with other students from across the district and across the country. I want to make sure that the kids have clear access to materials so they can learn and discover independence, not just through a classroom assignment.”

Keeping a keen eye on the books so they’re relevant, interesting, and popular remains a top priority for all the librarians we spoke with. Even though she frequently thins out the collection, no books go to waste in Stacy Nockowitz’s middle school library in Columbus, Ohio. Everything that’s weeded out is offered to students as part of a book giveaway. This year’s giveaway was supposed to last a week—but supplies only lasted two days because kids “just went crazy for the books,” she says. “There was a lot of talk a number of years ago about ‘Are libraries going to go bookless? Are they going to go all digital?’ That kind of thing. We made a very conscious decision not to do that. It was not something that we ever even considered because our kids love having physical books in their hands.”

School Visits Classroom Read Alouds Pop-Up Events

School visits.

What's the best way to inform children and their parents about the public library? Meet them where they're at! For children that means in the classroom and, believe it or not, getting into your local schools may be easier than you think. If you are not already visiting your schools regularly, just give one of their main offices a call to see if you need permission from the principal to schedule visits or if you can contact the teachers directly. 

Be sure to ask if any flyers you hope to distribute need to be signed off on by the principal or superintendent. 

Below is a standard script for visiting classrooms to promote summer reading, but it can easily be adapted for any season or theme:

" Hello! My name is Marta and I am a youth librarian at  __________. Raise your hand if you have been to the __________ Library. What did you visit the Library to do? Raise your hand if you're willing to share with us!...

You can do all those things and more at the Library! I'm here to tell you what's going on at the Library this summer. This summer's theme is "On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!," so we're exploring sports, being active, and exercising your mind. Do you have a favorite sport you like to watch or play?

I've brought along one of my favorite books about...[Read Aloud for Grades K-3]

I've brought along some sports trivia to test your knowledge. I'm going to split the room into 2 teams and we'll see which one knows the most...[Grades 4-8]

The best part of summer is our Summer Reading Club, and here’s how it works. Stop by the library or go to our website to create a reading log.  Record the number of minutes you read and you'll automagically get your named entered into the grand prize drawings for every 30 minutes. So the more you read the better your chances of winning! This year's grand prizes include gift cards to some great places. I’m going to hold up a picture of each store's logo, guess which store it is...Everyone who participates will get a free book each month and a coupon for things like ice cream sundaes or laser tag/roller rink.

The best part is that you can read anything you want!  What books have you enjoyed reading or do you want to read this summer?...If you need some ideas here are some great options...[4 or 5 Book Talks]

In addition to winning prizes just for reading, there are fun events and activities at the Library every week. Programs just for you include... I am giving your teacher flyers to send home with you that look like this [show flyer]. It lists all the programs I just mentioned plus information about how to sign up for Summer Reading Club. It also includes the Library's contact information. Share this flyer with your parents so they know what's going on!  Everything is FREE to attend, including getting a library card to borrow materials.

We start the summer with a kick-off party on... Ok, now you know all about what's going on at the Library this summer.  Do you have any questions about the Library or the Summer Reading Club? "

In addition to distributing flyers, we make up bookmarks that list the book talk titles. You would be surprised how many kids from even the most unenthusiastic classes show up at the Library looking for those books! 

In the fall, we visit each first grade classroom to encourage kids to get their very own library cards. We call this outreach "First Grade Library Stars" and give each child a letter to take home to caregivers informing them that if they return that letter to the library and get their child a library card (or show an existing card), they will earn a prize (a library logo lanyard for their shiny new card!). Plus, a free book is awarded to the teacher who has the most students visit the library. 

Classroom Read Alouds

Here are some tried and true read alouds guaranteed to capture the attention of any classroom. 

Pop-Up Events

Where else do people in your community congregate or where could they?  Bring the library to them by popping up in unexpected places. Great places include sporting events, shopping centers, parks, and nature areas. Bring along a table, materials for checkout, crafts, coloring sheets, movement activities, and promotional materials. Contact the people in charge of the location for permission, pick a block of time, and show up! We never know how many people we'll see or when they'll stop by, so I tend to plan a variety of passive activities that can easily be done on the fly for however many people happen to be there. 

Movement activities you can use at any location include:

The Giant Dice Game - Nothing seems to catch a child's attention like seeing a giant die tossed around. You can buy large dice at 5 Below or make your own giant die by wrapping a box in paper, drawing or adding paper dots, then "laminating" the sides with clear acrylic tape. Create a list of things that the kids must do if they land on a certain number.

For example, if you roll a number:

Sing a song or nursery rhyme

Tell us the title of your favorite book

Listen to a short story or silly poem

Dance like a robot

Do 5 Jumping Jacks

Sing " The More We Get Together " using Sign Language (which means you have to teach it to them!)​

Beach Ball Toss  - Very similar to the Giant Dice Game. Ask the kids to do an exercise or activity based on whichever color lands up or use a sharpie to write actions in each colored panel, such as 5 Jumping Jacks, Touch Your Toes, Clap Your Age, Roar Like a Lion, etc. 

Sporting Events

Are sports popular in your area? If so, check with your local recreation department or sporting associations to find out when games are taking place and if you can operate a space onsite. Whether it's youth soccer, little league, or football, there are bound to be little ones mulling around while their older or younger siblings play. Make life a bit easier for the parents by setting up a library booth (within eyesight of the fields, but far enough to not be a distraction) for kids to enjoy between or during games. 

In addition to the movement activities listed above, offer coloring sheets and a fun craft, such as:

Pennants - Set out markers/crayons and stickers to decorate cardstock triangles. Duct tape a chopstick, kebob or paint stick on the back and you're ready to show team spirit. It's a dream come true when you see kids waving them on the sidelines while cheering on their family and friends. 

Parks or Nature Areas

Activity ideas include:

Nature Scavenger Hunts  - Pass them out at parks or trail heads and offer incentives, such as a free book, library logoed item, stickers, etc., if they return the completed sheet to the library.  You could even leave a few tacked to trail head sign posts...if so, be sure the sheets include your library logo and contact information.

Butterfly Finger Puppet Craft - Cardstock butterflies with two horizontal slits cut through the middle for your finger. Offer markers, stickers, and/or nature items, such as flower petals and leaves, to decorate your butterflies. . 

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Learning Genealogy Made Easy

How to Plan a Successful Library Trip

Visiting the library is fun, but it’s more enjoyable when you feel like you’re making some progress with your research. Here are some tips to help you have a better library visit.

Generations Cafe Podcast, Episode 26

You can listen to this episode by clicking the play button below. (You can also listen on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Stitcher , and most other podcast apps.) Length: 16 minutes.

1. Make a Plan

It’s easy to say, “I’m going to the library and research,” but what are you actually going to work on when you’re there? What do you want to find? Having a list of specific things you want to find will help keep you on track.

2. Make a Backup Plan

Having one plan is good; having two plans is better. I’ve had it happen that the thing I most wanted to discover – the thing that I was sure would take all day to find – was what I found in the first hour at the library. The good news was that I had the rest of the day to devote to other research; the bad news was that I didn’t have a plan beyond finding that one thing. I could have made much better use of my time if I would have had a Plan B for my day.

3. Check the Catalog Before You Go

Rather than spending your valuable on-site time looking up items in the catalog, do it before you go. Create a list of the must-look-at item, complete with call numbers. You’ll be able to hit the ground running. (Well, walking. They discourage running in most libraries.) Check out this article for tips on finding more resources in online catalogs.

4. Check the Library's Hours

Not every library is open 9am-9pm and not every library is open on Sundays. Be sure to check their current hours of operation. (I say “current” because summer hours are often different, plus smaller libraries sometimes have shorter hours around the holidays. Some small libraries even close for lunch.)

5. Explore the Library's Website

Like the catalog, don’t spend time while you’re at the library looking at their databases that you could have searched from home. I don’t mean just Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.  A growing number of libraries have their own databases , like obituary indexes and digitized yearbooks. Explore those resources from home and save your on-site time for the things that aren’t online.

6. Ask for Local Advice

Some libraries and archives have visitor guides on their websites; review those before you go. Also, tap into the power of social media. Go on Facebook and ask the advice of those who research there. Target those pages and groups that are relevant to that area, such as:

• The library’s Facebook page
• The group or page for the county genealogy society
• The pages and groups for the history of the area

Katherine Willson has put together a  tremendous list of genealogy pages and groups on Facebook . It’s a free download and a great resource.

A simple question such as, “I’m going to do research in such-and-so library soon. What advice do you have?” You’ll likely get practical tips such as where to go for lunch, availability of outlets for your laptop, etc.

BTW, here’s a piece of advice if you’re going to research at the  Genealogy Center  at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne: If you’re going to look at microfilm, bring a sweater. It is freezing in the microfilm room!

What library do you want to visit? Let me know in the comments!

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39 comments on “ How to Plan a Successful Library Trip ”

Great tips! I do this when I got to the ACPL. 🙂

You definitely need a plan at ACPL! (A sweater also helps in some parts 🙂 )

Just spent a month in Fort Wayne, researching at the Allen almost every day. I don’t find the microfilm room cold, but the new Discovery Center is FREEZING! Worth a little discomfort for the great March Madness seminars.

Good to know! The new Discovery Center used to be the microfilm room, so that makes sense that it’s freezing.

Call ahead (at least a day, preferably more) whenever possible, particularly if you want to look at something that does not have a call number! We can give you advice on best days of week and time of day to come, parking, traffic/road conditions, etc. AND some of the items you want might be stored in an area where they must be retrieved by staff – so calling in advance will make it more likely that the items will be ready when you get there.

Those are great suggestions! One that I might add is that if you are going with a group, let the library know ahead of time that your group is coming. Many libraries will arrange orientation tours for groups. It’s also good to give them a heads up that they might be extra busy that day!

As much as possible, start filling out your note pages at home, with the repository, date, title, author, publication info, call number, and what you’re seeking. Then you won’t have to spend research time (and hand muscles) on those page headings.

That’s a great suggestion, Marian!

Thank you, Amy, for sharing the link to my list! 🙂

You’re welcome! It’s an awesome list!

Hi, Amy: I just watched one of those very enjoyable videos you and the other ladies have done. You mentioned an ancestor, Matilda Skinner, and that you haven’t found when/where she died. Have you checked the Canadian Census records? There is an Edna M. Skinner, widow, mother in law, listed there, as well as other entries – all through ancestry.ca.

I don’t know if Matilda was ever in Canada, but I’ll sure go take a look! Thanks!

I agree with the advice given above. But another thing to be aware of is that many libraries not only have had to cut hours, but also staff. My old place has a lot of newbies (who are great people), but they only work 10 hours a week for a pittance, and none of them stay too long. The days of having experts in the collection are long past. Just be advised that when you go to a place that they might have really good ‘”hidden collections” that the current staff is not aware of. Sorry to say, I get that a lot, but that’s real life. On the other hand there are some great new discoveries being made and more and more is being put online where it is available 24/7/365.

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Also, if you are checking a special collection, check to see if they have different hours than the library. I went to a University Library once and only had a couple of hours instead of the whole day. I could have gone longer on a different day. And some days they were closed completely. And it was staffed by a student who didn’t know what she was doing.

That’s a great reminder! I’ve had similar experiences even at a public library. The genealogy and local history room was staffed by volunteers and had different (shorter!) hours than the rest of the library.

Also if you get there and the genealogy room is closed, ask. Don’t just walk away because they may take pity on you and open it for you.

They might! On the other hand, don’t get upset if they don’t. Library staffing is generally pretty thin as it is and opening up a room that wasn’t scheduled to be open can be an issue.

Don’t forget if they have a sign-in sheet, sign in. Very often funding is based on the number of people served.

One thing I learned the hard way, was to make sure the genealogy department is open. I only had one day in a county library in Virginia.(I live in Arkansas)..only to be told that you had to make an appointment 2 days before for a librarian to open the room and monitor you while you were there. I have been to lots of genealogy libraries….this was the worst.

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Calling ahead is definitely good advice – check to see access restrictions for special collections as well. I was horrified to discover that a library in British Columbia restricts its local history records room (now behind a closed, locked door) to card-holding members of the library system! They also have all the genealogy books locked in that room as well. I was there on a Sunday afternoon in the winter. As a librarian, it left me speechless and as a genealogist, angry. So, sad as it sounds, make sure you will have access to the records the location holds before you spend money and time to travel there.

Also, take a couple of memory sticks with you, especially if visiting smaller libraries. Unlike bigger libraries, they might not have them available for sale and you’d hate to make a big discovery with no way to save it.

Great post Amy. I try to think like the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared”. I always take 2 of the most important items – 2 pens, 2 pencils, 2 thumb drives, and 2 water bottles. I also bring a notebook, snacks, lip balm, tissues, and a small bottle of hand lotion. I make sure I will have access to my tree either by bringing my laptop or finding out if I can login to my own Ancestry account on the library computers (I have found a few libraries with Institutional Ancestry accounts don’t have the ability to allow you to login to your own account). If tree access is not possible, I print out a few pedigree charts and family group sheets for the part(s) of my tree I will be working on.

I was really surprised recently to have created a whole research plan for many microfilms at the FHL and in the intervening days (less than a week) between creating my plan and going to the library, the whole collection was digitized and available in the catalog. I was really glad I had created several back-up plans because I got them all done!

I had the same thing happen to me with a trip to the FHL!

Another thing to ask is exactly WHAT you are allowed to bring into the research rooms at a library or other genealogy research facility. I know that at the North Carolina Archives there are lockers in the outer reception area, and you are allowed to take only minimal designated items into the research room.

One more thing… I always send a “thank you” email to the librarian and/or the volunteers who have helped me. I usually personalize the thank you by including the family surnames or local historical events I am working on … just in case they find something interesting after I leave town.

I have found that my digital camera is my best friend when I go to a library. I always ask to see if it is OK to take pictures in the library and if so I have taken a picture of each page of some books. That way I have my own digital copy. Talk to the Librarian, tell them what you would like to find, they are there to help. I was once told of a typed 3 ring binder full of obits from the local newspaper, as I was taking pictures of that, she said I might be interested, in some of the other binders with marriages, divorces, anniversaries, etc. What a great unexpected find. As a thank you I gave the Library a digital copy of all the pictures I took, as a back up for those only copies of binders. So it was a win win for all.

Yes, I agree that asking is a good idea. I was busy snapping photos of book pages at a library in Cincinnati when the librarian came over and told me I couldn’t do that. They made money by charging for copies, so you had to make notes on what pages you wanted copies of and they made the copies for you. Kind of embarrassing and a pain, but I can understand their situation.

I’m planning a trip to KY the first week of May in hopes I can meet some of my grandmother’s family as well as research at the Hart County Historical Museum in Munfordville, KY to find some answers.

I would really like to spend some time at the Library of Congress. I have no specific research targets at the moment as I’ve just discovered that my PGF is not bio.

I’m heading next month to Hannibal, Missouri. I plan to spend some time in the library there looking for information about exactly where my ancestors lived and where the kids went to school. Your podcast was very helpful.

Great tips for a library visit! My local library, Grant R. Brimhall Library in Thousand Oaks, California, has a great genealogy section with a sign-in sheet.

Great tips and reminders.

I’m going to visit the State Archives in Florida.

I’ve been fortunate to live in the KCMO area for the past year and have made several visits to the Midwest Genealogy Center, a branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library system, in Independence, MO. It has a wonderful, diverse collection and a terrific staff. If you’re in the area, be sure to visit!

Attended genealogy night at the SAR Library Sons of the American Revolution. While the lectures took up most of the evening, it was fun to wander and check out their collection. Will definitely return and we agree with you – have two plans when you go!

This was very timely. We are headed to Ireland next week to do research at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland. I appreciate the review and new things to think about before we go.

I have not been to the Allen County Public Library nor the Family History Library. I have set myself a goal to get to one of them in 2021. I just need to do some more genealogy here at the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, MO (a suburb of Kansas City), to make it worth my while so that I don’t research things that I could have found at home. Need to make good use of my research log over the next year and a half. Thanks for the good tips!

Elementary Librarian

Library lesson plans and ideas for the school librarian. Lessons incorporate Common Core and AASL standards.

How to have an Awesome Author Visit

An author visit is one of the most exciting events for students and staff. Not only does it create a buzz around the library, but it also encourages students to read, write and explore the world of literature. However, planning and executing an author visit can be a daunting task. From budgeting to logistics, many things must be considered to ensure a successful visit. Here will share some tips on how to have an awesome author visit even if you have a small library budget.

1. Look for a local author.  Travel costs are typically the biggest expense when it comes to having an author visit your school. If you can find someone in your state (or nearby), that can cut the costs significantly.

2. Split a visit with another school (or several).  When planning an author visit, it's always a good idea to consider contacting other schools in your area. This approach not only creates a larger audience for the author but also allows for the possibility of special pricing. When looking for people to split the visit cost, starting with the district is an excellent place to begin. If that doesn't yield enough interest, it's worth considering putting a message on the state's  library listserv . Don't overlook the possibility of involving the public library, as they may also be interested in hosting an author. When multiple visits are scheduled, the author may ask for help coordinating the schedule. As a librarian, you may be more familiar with the necessary travel times and can assist in creating a more efficient schedule.

3. Ask the author for a discount.  If you can't afford the author you really want, ask if he or she would be willing to discount their rate for you. Authors understand how tight school budgets are and may be willing to negotiate if you also allow them to sell their books during the visit. Just remember that the authors also have expenses and that they may not be able to do this.

4. Prepare your students.  Announce the author's visit several weeks in advance and send book order forms home (if applicable). Visit the author's webpage and watch book trailers to familiarize students with the author's work.

5. Ask the author how you can help.  Before the visit, provide your author with all the school addresses he or she will be visiting. Provide contact information for local news stations and newspapers so the publicist can send the author's information to them. Be sure to provide a specific schedule since our school schedules are rigorous and difficult to change. During the visit, make the author feel welcome. One of the schools Alecia visited gave her a gift of travel snacks. She was very appreciative, as I'm sure any author would be. If the author will be visiting during lunchtime, be sure to ask if he or she would like to stay for lunch.

6. Discuss expectations upfront.  Where will the presentation take place? Are there any special things the author needs, like a projector or sound system? Who will be introducing the author? Who will handle disciplinary issues? Is the author willing to sign autographs after the presentation? When will the author be paid? Make sure to take care of any paperwork issues before  the author arrives.

An author visit can be a fantastic opportunity to spark a love of reading and writing in students, but it takes careful planning to succeed. Following the tips and tricks outlined in this blog ensures that your author visit is awesome, engaging, and inspiring for your elementary school students. Remember to think about all aspects of the visit, from budgeting and logistics to promotion and activities, and work with the author to create an experience that will have a lasting impact on your students. Happy planning and happy reading!

April 11, 2013 at 9:40 am

'm an author/illustrator and I've been visiting schools for 25 years. Over time I've developed an "author/illustrator visit checklist" that covers just about everything a school needs to know/do to prepare for an author/illustrator visit - even things that may not be obvious like explaining where your visitor should park if your school has a very limited number of parking spots. If you use this checklist you can feel pretty confident that you've covered the bases for any author/illustrator visit.

March 31, 2013 at 10:33 am

These are some great ideas. Definitely work with other schools (I should try the public library as well! Haven't done that in the past) and support local authors. I would just add work with the teachers ahead of time as well. Prepare lessons that can be used in the classroom integrated with their curriculum and using the author's books. They need to "buy in" to the experience. AND they should attend the visit as well ... so as to connect things the author might say during his or her presentations to later lessons. "Remember when such and such an author came and talked about revision or journaling or observing the world around you?" Learned this from hard experience ... had a couple teachers sit in the back looking bored and grading ... sure they didn't mean to be so overtly disinterested but that's exactly how it came across. :/ I'm not as sure about asking the author for a discount, though. For so many of them school visits are actually how they make their living. Once they can actually make a living from the sale of their books alone many of them no longer DO school visits. Many understand budget constraints and have priced their visits accordingly to begin with. Or, at least, that is the way I feel. Anyone who wants to ask can certainly do so! It might work in some cases.

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All the work is done for me, my students are engaged, my principal was impressed.

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15 Awe-Inspiring Libraries That Will Make You Want to Read All Day

• Written by Katie Watkins
• Published on April 10, 2016

From community meeting hubs to secluded refuges, places to learn and places to study, libraries can be so much more than just a place to a check out a book. With this in mind, we’ve rounded-up 15 awe-inspiring libraries, including a Canadian church that was converted into a library, the first library in Muyinga, Burundi – built using participatory design and local materials – and the largest academic library in Finland. See what makes each of the libraries unique after the break.

Rehabilitation of the National University Library / ANMA (Strasbourg, France)

Strasbourg’s National University Library (BNU) found new life in this rehabilitation project by ANMA. Located in a building from the German-occupation period (1871), the architects sought to maintain the monumental architecture style, emphasizing the molding and dome on the outside, while at the same time creating newer, modern spaces on the inside. A 27-meter spiraling staircase connects all of the library’s floors.

Cultura Bookstore / Studio MK27 - Marcio Kogan + Diana Radomysler + Luciana Antunes + Marcio Tanaka + Mariana Ruzante (São Paulo, Brazil)

While not technically a library, this bookstore – and 2015 Building of the Year winner -- in São Paulo functions like one in many ways. Seeking to go beyond being a merely a place to purchase books, the architects sought to create spaces for people to read, hang out and meet up. To achieve this the top floor features 21-meter-wide bleachers, providing a place for visitors to sit and read as well as a spot where small concerts and lectures can be held.

Hyundai Card Travel Library / Wonderwall (Seoul, South Korea)

Built specifically for travelers, this library in South Korea is the perfect place for those with wanderlust. Seeking to create a form of travel itself, the library  “exhibits a thick accumulation of information, experience and objects, including a bookshelf that covers the entire wall from floor to ceiling.”

Vila Franca de Xira Municipal Library / Miguel Arruda Arquitectos Associados (Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal)

Known as the “Factory of Words,” this library in Portugal gets its nickname from its location on a site formerly occupied by a rice mill. A large triangular window cuts through the floors, providing natural light and connecting the building’s different spaces.

Seashore Library / Vector Architects (Hebei Sheng, China)

Enjoy the view of reading on the beach, but without all the sand (and no sunscreen required) in this seaside library in China. Designed to look like “weathered rock” each room in the library offers a unique connection with the ocean, letting in different amounts of light, wind and sound.

9 ¾ Bookstore + Café / PLASMA NODO (Medellín, Colombia)

Designed especially for children (and for the inner child in all of us), this bookstore and café in Colombia contains nooks for reading, drawing, resting and playing. There are also private reading rooms and tables for meeting up and chatting.

Story Pod / Atelier Kastelic Buffey (Newmarket, Canada)

This community lending library in Canada pivots open (like the covers of a book) during the day, inviting people to read inside and on the lawn in front. Featuring vertical slats of different sizes, the library allows light to filter through when closed, offering views of the book spines at the widest openings.

LiYuan Library / Li Xiaodong Atelier (Beijing, China)

Offering a quiet refuge away from the village center, this library is nestled in the mountains, blending into the landscape and offering a secluded place to sit and read. Local materials – sticks used to fuel cooking stoves – were used to clad the building. The wooden sticks “temper the bright light and spread it evenly throughout the space to provide a perfect reading ambience.”

Library of Birmingham / Mecanoo (Birmingham, UK)

Located in the heart of Birmingham’s largest public square, this library has eight rotundas on the inside, each one containing a different function and culminating with the original Shakespeare Memorial Room from 1882. A cantilever provides shelter in front of the entrance and also acts as a balcony with views of events happening in the square.

Free University's Philology Library / Foster + Partners (Berlin, Germany)

Designed for students (who would presumably be spending “hundreds of hours” studying in the space), the library at the Free University in Berlin, “combines a massed concrete structure with a light diaphanous envelope.”  Natural light and air fill the space and reading desks wrap around each floor, while “the bibliographic collections are housed in a four-storey central core.”

Jaime Garcia Terres Library / arquitectura 911sc (Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico)

Housed within an 18 th century building in Mexico City, this library occupies just a 170-square-meter space. Dedicated to Mexican author Jaime Garcia Terres, the library features two long bookshelves that “are suspended from the walls,” creating a “syncopated rhythm that mirrors the floor pattern.” An “empty bookcase” hangs from the ceiling, filtering “the light through a series of mullions modulated in the same fashion as the bookshelves.” 

Helsinki University Main Library / Anttinen Oiva Architects (Helsinki, Finland)

The largest academic library in Finland, this library was designed for a wide range of users, and includes a variety of functions such as sound-proof rooms for group work, quiet reading rooms, information and collections zones. Large arched openings give the library a distinct look from the outside and provide natural light on the inside, while the curved brick facades integrates the library “within the street line formed by the adjacent buildings.”

Library of Muyinga / BC Architects (Muyinga, Burundi)

Inspired by vernacular design and built using “a participatory approach,” this was the first library to be built in Muyinga. “Locally-sourced compressed earth blocks” were used to allow for cross-ventilation and to give the library a luminous glow in the evening. A special reading space for children is covered by “an enormous hammock of sisal rope as a mezzanine, in which the children can dream away with the books that they are reading.”

Garden library / Mjölk architekti (Zadní Třebaň, Czech Republic)

The supporting frame of this library in the Czech Republic is the library itself, forming bookshelves that stretch from the ground to the observatory on top. 

Monique Corriveau-Library / Dan Hanganu + Côté Leahy Cardas Architects (Quebec, Canada)

This stunning library in Quebec is housed in a former church, with the shelves and reading rooms bringing new life to the former nave.

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Children’s Library Ideas: Designing Engaging Learning Spaces

In our pursuit of fostering a love for reading and discovery in young minds, we focus on creating vibrant and engaging children’s library spaces. We recognize the importance of an environment that appeals to children’s senses and imagination. To achieve this, we embrace the use of bright colors and thematic murals that breathe energy into the library’s interior design. Furniture, fabrics, and even sculptures play a role, further enhancing the visual appeal and providing a stimulating backdrop for children’s reading areas.

We go beyond aesthetics to incorporate activities that bridge the gap between stories and the real world. We create interactive experiences, such as story walks , which invite children to physically step through their favorite tales. This method not only gets children more involved in the story but also aids in their cognitive transition from words on a page to expansive imaginative adventures.

Our libraries are nimble spaces adapted for diverse learning styles and interests. From self-directed library programs that incite exploration to specialized zones such as puppet theaters and STEM labs, our ideas are tailored to keep children’s curiosity alive. We aim to make our libraries a place where kids can engage with literature, play, and learn in a multitude of ways, ensuring that every visit offers a new opportunity for discovery.

Understanding the Needs of Young Readers

We recognize the diverse needs of young readers varying from early learners to school-aged children. Our goal is to foster a love for reading and provide targeted educational resources that engage and support each developmental stage.

Early Learners’ Engagement

For early learners, it’s essential that we create an interactive environment that encourages exploration and learning. We curate a collection of:

• Picture Books: Rich illustrations to capture their attention and fuel their imagination.
• Board Books: Durable and easy to handle, aiding in their tactile development.

We also include activities like story times and puppet shows to make their library experience dynamic and enjoyable, ensuring that we cater to their educational needs while making the process engaging.

School-Aged Children’s Preferences

When it comes to school-aged children, our focus shifts slightly to include a broader range of topics and complexity in reading materials that align with their growing interests and academic requirements. Our shelves are well-stocked with:

• Chapter Books: A variety of genres to satisfy curious minds and foster a love for reading.
• Educational Resources: Supplemental materials for homework help and skill development.

We ensure our programs and book selections stay relevant to their evolving preferences and provide a mix of entertainment and education to keep them engaged as they grow.

Designing Children’s Library Spaces

In crafting children’s library spaces, we focus on stimulating young minds with innovative layouts and creating an inviting atmosphere with unique seating and thematic aesthetics.

Innovative Layouts for Interaction

We recognize the importance of interactive spaces that allow children to learn and explore. By incorporating tree-shaped bookcases and low-hanging murals , we create themed areas that foster curiosity and social interaction. Reading areas are strategically placed to facilitate both group activities and quiet reading, ensuring that children of all ages have a welcoming space to connect with literature.

Custom Seating Options

Custom seating is pivotal in our design, aiming to provide both comfort and functionality. Themed benches shaped like animals or bean bags in vibrant colors not only add a fun element to the library but also accommodate the varying ergonomic needs of children. We ensure there are ample benches by book displays to allow children and caregivers to sit and explore selections together.

Thematic Decor and Artwork

Decor and artwork are not mere embellishments; they are integral to creating an immersive experience. We integrate decor that complements our themes—whether it’s a space odyssey or a jungle adventure. Artwork, including wall murals and ceiling hangings, serves as visual stimuli that engage children’s imaginations and help them to envision the stories they read.

Functional Shelving and Displays

Shelving and displays in our libraries are designed for accessibility and appeal. Clear, age-appropriate labeling on functional shelving helps children find books independently, bolstering their confidence. Interactive displays draw attention to new or featured books, and we strategically place these displays to captivate children as they enter the library space.

Creating an Educational Environment

In our vision of an engaging children’s library, we prioritize a blend of literary resources and dynamic experiences to promote education and growth. Our focus is on curating a diverse book collection, hosting enriching educational programs and storytimes, and integrating interactive learning tools that cater to various learning styles.

Diverse Book Collections

Our book collection is a carefully selected tapestry that reflects a spectrum of cultures, abilities, and perspectives. Our aims are:

• To provide a wide range of genres and formats, including picture books, graphic novels, and non-fiction, ensuring that every child can find a book that resonates with them.
• To continually update our selection to include the latest award-winning titles and educational materials that support school curricula and personal development.

Educational Programs and Storytime

We offer a robust calendar of programs and storytimes that are both engaging and educational. Highlights include:

• Weekly Storytime sessions that combine reading aloud with activities designed to build literacy skills and spark imagination.
• Seasonal educational programs that complement school learning and celebrate cultural events, fostering a love for reading and continuous learning.

Interactive Learning Tools

Our interactive learning tools are designed to supplement traditional reading experiences with hands-on engagement. Key components include:

• Tactile exhibits , such as sentence makers and puzzles, which help with language acquisition and problem-solving skills.
• Technological tools that include audio-based toys and educational software, providing alternative routes to literacy and retaining information.

Incorporating Technology into Learning

In today’s digital age, we aim to blend traditional literacy with cutting-edge technology to foster learning and engagement in children’s libraries. Our initiative is to support the literacy and learning needs of young users through thoughtfully integrated technology.

Digital Catalogs and e-Books

Digital catalogs serve as the cornerstone of a modern library’s offerings. We curate a diverse selection of e-Books that cater to various reading levels and interests, ensuring ease of access and convenience for our young readers. By offering e-Books through user-friendly platforms, we enable children to explore a vast repository of literature and educational content from the library’s tech devices or their own at home.

• Accessibility : Remote access to reading materials around the clock.
• Instant Availability : Multiple kids can read the same title at once, eliminating wait times.

Learning Tablets and Aids

Incorporating learning tablets into our environment has proven invaluable in supporting interactive learning. These devices come equipped with educational apps and programs that complement traditional teaching methods. Our focus is on utilizing age-appropriate software to aid in the development of literacy skills, mathematical understanding, and creative thinking.

• Book-reading apps with read-along features to aid in pronunciation and comprehension.
• Puzzle and problem-solving games that stimulate critical thinking.

Technology-Enhanced Spaces

Our libraries provide technology-enhanced spaces where children can interact with tech in a supervised and constructive manner. These spaces often feature interactive whiteboards, audio-visual equipment for storytelling or lessons, and areas designated for collaborative projects using tech tools. These changes have brought about a dynamic shift in the way learning and teaching are approached within library walls, making our spaces future-ready for our users.

• Interactive whiteboards for group activities and digital presentations.
• Audio-visual systems enrich storytelling sessions and educational videos.

Fostering Community and Caregiver Involvement

We understand the critical role that libraries play in promoting literacy and learning. By creating collaborative spaces, offering targeted programs, and implementing community engagement strategies, we enhance caregiver involvement and support childhood development.

Collaboration Spaces for Group Activities

Collaboration spaces in libraries serve as versatile venues for group activities that bring together children, caregivers, and educators. We furnish these areas with child-friendly materials and furnishings to foster a comfortable environment for interaction and learning. These spaces are designed to encourage conversations known to support language, literacy, and STEM skills by:

• Hosting storytime sessions that facilitate parent-child bonding.
• Providing access to educational toys and tools that stimulate cooperative play.

Programs for Parents and Caregivers

We offer specialized programs for parents and caregivers that aim to empower them as primary educators in their children’s lives. These programs include:

Through these interventions, we convey the importance of early education and provide practical skills to enhance it.

Community Engagement Strategies

Effective community engagement strategies position us as a central resource for educational support within the community. We focus on:

• Strengthening our communication with local schools and educational organizations to better serve our youngest patrons and their caregivers.
• Promoting awareness of our role in family engagement by partnering with campaigns and initiatives.

By maintaining clear and open channels of communication, we ensure that our resources and programs are known, accessible, and tailored to the needs of our community.

Supporting Literacy and Education for All Ages

In our commitment to literacy and education, we focus on providing specialized resources and forging strong partnerships. Our goal is to cater to the diverse educational needs of our community, from tweens to adults, ensuring access to a wealth of knowledge and learning opportunities.

Resources for Tweens and Teens

To address the needs of tweens and teens, we meticulously curate collections tailored to this age group. Our selection includes:

• Young Adult Novels : Engaging fiction that resonates with young readers.
• Non-Fiction : Books that support school curricula and personal interests.
• Study Guides : Materials that assist with test preparation and learning strategies.

Additionally, we provide dedicated library spaces that offer a safe and inviting environment for youth to study, collaborate, and socialize.

Partnerships with Schools and Educators

We actively collaborate with schools and educators to enrich our educational offerings. Our joint efforts include:

• Curriculum Support : Resources aligned with school syllabi to enhance student learning.
• Professional Development : Workshops and training sessions for educators to keep abreast of best practices in literacy education.

These partnerships aim to create a cohesive support system for learners of all ages, making the library an extended community classroom.

Literacy Programs and Campaigns

Our literacy programs and campaigns are structured to promote reading and learning beyond the traditional classroom. Highlights include:

• Seasonal Reading Challenges : Themed events to encourage consistent reading habits.
• Author Visits and Book Talks : Interactive sessions that allow readers to engage with writers.
• Outreach Programs : Initiatives to reach underserved populations and promote equal access to literacy resources.

By organizing and hosting these programs, we foster a culture of reading and continuous education in our community.

Enhancing Library Accessibility

To ensure every child can explore and enjoy our library, we focus on creating an environment that accommodates various needs. This includes thoughtful design elements from signages to furnishings, each playing a crucial role in enhancing accessibility.

User-Friendly Signage and Guides

We prioritize clarity and readability in our signage to guide visitors efficiently through our spaces. Our signs include:

• Large fonts and high-contrast colors to assist those with visual impairments.
• Pictograms and Braille descriptions to support diverse user needs.
• IDS systems that integrate digital signs for real-time information and interactive guidance.

Accessible Furnishings and Mats

Our furnishings are selected with accessibility in mind. Key features include:

• Adjustable tables allowing wheelchair access and comfortable accommodation for children of various heights.
• Soft mats in reading areas provide safe, comfortable spaces for children who spend time on the floor.
• A selection of cushions and furnishings distinguishable by tactile differences, aiding those with sensory sensitivities.

Inclusive Program Design

Our programs are designed to be inclusive, ensuring participation from all children. We achieve this through:

• Collaboration with experts to create activities that address various developmental stages.
• Incorporating art and sensory experiences suitable for children with different abilities.
• Offering materials in multiple formats, including large print and audio, to support diverse learning styles.

Outfitting and Maintenance

When setting up and maintaining a children’s library, our focus is on budget-conscious solutions, practical maintenance, and innovative storage and space optimizations. We aim to establish a vibrant and durable learning environment for children.

Budget-Friendly Furnishing Solutions

For furnishing on a budget , we prioritize multipurpose furniture and community donations. Here are cost-effective strategies:

• Acquire second-hand : Seek gently used furniture from community businesses or schools.
• DIY approach : Build custom shelving that fits exact space and needs, cutting down on expenses.
• Local partnerships : Collaborate with local artisans for discounted rates on unique pieces.

Effective Maintenance Steps and Tips

Our maintenance approach includes routine steps that extend the life of furniture and resources:

• Daily Cleaning : Wipe down surfaces daily to maintain a hygienic space.
• Regular Inspection : Monthly checks for wear and tear can prevent complete replacement of furniture.
• Immediate Repairs : Addressing damages promptly ensures safety and preserves the library’s aesthetics.

Creative Storage and Space Solutions

We are adept at making the most of available space with creative storage solutions:

• Vertical Utilization : Installing shelving units that take advantage of vertical space.
• Modular Furniture : Using pieces that can be rearranged based on current needs and events.
• Corner Nooks : Transforming underused corners into reading or activity areas with custom shelving.

By following these guidelines, we outfit and maintain children’s libraries that are both functional and appealing.

Promoting the Library’s Presence

Our approach to promoting the library’s presence focuses on creating a strong brand identity, leveraging social media for effective communication, and initiating projects that engage the local community.

Branding and Thematic Visuals

We prioritize a cohesive branding strategy, embedding elements such as the alphabet in creative designs to make our library instantly recognizable. Our thematic visuals often include art to reflect our library’s mission and captivate our audience. For example:

• Themed Desks : We craft desks that double as visual centerpieces, with nature motifs using materials like wood and glue to form shapes and textures that appeal to children’s curiosity and love of learning.

Active Social Media and Communication

By actively maintaining our social media platforms, we ensure ongoing communication with our patrons. Our strategy includes:

• Content Schedule : Regular posts and updates keep our community informed and engaged.
• Interactive Posts : We use polls, questions, and themed storytelling to foster interaction.

Engaging Community Projects

We actively involve our community through projects that enhance our presence both physically and culturally:

• Little Free Library : We expand outside our walls with multiple ‘Little Free Library’ installations, encouraging a culture of sharing books and knowledge.
• Community Art Projects : Through collaborative art installations, we provide a space where families can create and contribute, making art a cornerstone of community engagement.
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Travel for Library Lovers

A nd if you’re going to be in one destination or an extended period of time, you may be able to get a temporary library card giving you access to books and services for the time you’re there. For a book lover, that’s a big travel bonus. (If you’re looking for reading ideas, you can find some of my recommendations here.)

I asked a few traveling friends to share some of their favorite ideas about libraries.

The Long Room, Dublin: when Jedi knowledge meets monastic Ireland

When I think of libraries one that is top of mind is Trinity College and the Book of Kells. When Marta visited, however, she saw a comparison between Trinity College’s Long Room and Star Wars’ Jedi Temple archive. Do you see the similarity?

The Long Room is the most imposing and beautiful part of the vast Trinity College Library, an impressive collection of over 3 million manuscripts and books hosted in the grounds of Dublin’s oldest university. Trinity college dates back to 1592 when it was funded by charter of Queen Elisabeth, but the oldest library buildings we see now only date back to 1712, when construction started following the designs of Thomas Burgh. 

Read original article here: The Long Room, Dublin: when Jedi knowledge meets monastic Ireland

Osgoode Hall, Toronto, Ontario – Photo Essay

Osgoode Hall in downtown Toronto is home to the two courts and the Law Society. It also houses the largest private law library in Canada, the Great Library, with over 100,000 volumes. Mary captured the grandeur of the building in photos.

I recently had an opportunity to tour the inside of Osgoode Hall and although it wasn’t a requirement or even necessary, I couldn’t help but whisper as I walked through the halls. You are after all in a place of law! Another thing was that I felt really small, especially in the library…with its high ornate ceilings and walls filled with books.

Read original article here: Osgoode Hall, Toronto, Ontario – Photo Essay

Underwhelmed in Alexandria, Egypt

Although he was underwhelmed, in general, with Alexandria, Lance was impressed with the collections at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (that’s his photo above).

We LOVED the area dedicated to the late President Anwar Sadat. It included a number of items from Sadat’s life, including a letter from then-U.S. President Jimmy Carter praising him for his role in bringing peace to relations with Israel as well as the clothes he was wearing when he was assassinated. Being American and woefully ignorant of Egyptian history, seeing this room (especially in the aftermath of the January 25 revolution) helped bring context to the political struggles of the country.

Read original article here: Underwhelmed in Alexandria, Egypt

Getting Booked at New York’s Library Hotel

The Library Hotel in New York City combines two of my favorite things – books and a luxury stay – in an enticing environment. I’ve put this on my to-stay list.

Lance liked it too (that’s his photo above) and says:

One of the unusual aspects of the hotel is its number system. The entire hotel is laid out on the Dewey Decimal System. Each of the floors and all of the rooms have a theme based on the Dewey system. Our room was the Middle Eastern Language room and featured Islamic art (one of our favorites).

Read original article here: Getting Booked at New York’s Library Hotel

As for me, my favorite library in the New York Public Library with Patience and Fortitude (the two stone lions out front) to welcome you. You’ve likely seen the library in movies (Ghostbusters, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Sex and the City, to name just a few), but you should get there to see it in person.

NOTE :   This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and purchase something it helps support this website (and you get the same low price). Thank you for your support.

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If you like this article, you'll find more to enjoy at Traveling with MJ - Value luxury destinations, experiences, and products .

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National Library Week: Why aren't some librarians in Alabama in a celebratory mood?

Four librarians in Prattville, Ala., have lost their jobs over book challenges. Now one of them wants his job back.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

It's National Library Week, but in Prattville, Ala., it's a time of stress for librarians. Troy Public Radio's Ann Kenda reports the suburb of Montgomery is at the center of Alabama's book challenges.

ANN KENDA, BYLINE: On a recent spring evening, a small group of protesters showed up in downtown Prattville.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Hey, hey, ho, ho, this library board has got to go.

KENDA: They're holding signs that say things like ban bigots not books, and all books are important. The protest comes after new members on the public library board had asked library director Andrew Foster to review 113 books for sexual content. When he tried to get clarification, the board's lawyer at the time, Laura Clark, answered in email.

JACOB HOLMES: One email that included Laura Clark giving advice on how or whether he could remove books from the library.

KENDA: That's journalist Jacob Holmes, who'd filed an open records request with Foster to see the email exchange. The board then fired Foster because they said the emails were privileged information and should not have been released without their permission.

HOLMES: And that is the apparent impetus of what caused them to call the meeting to fire Andrew Foster.

KENDA: The board didn't comment for this story. Foster, who's suing to get the job back, also didn't comment. But his former colleague Lacie Sutherland was at the protest. She's one of three other librarians fired for supporting Foster.

LACIE SUTHERLAND: Basically, we had an old-fashioned stand-down, like in the old Wild West, except it was - there was a circulation desk between us.

KENDA: Sutherland says she loves the Prattville library but is now applying elsewhere.

SUTHERLAND: As much as I would love to have my job back, I am moving on. I can't wait forever for them to see the light and I can't not have a job.

KENDA: The Prattville Library controversy is not new to Kasey Meehan. She's with PEN America, which advocates for writers. She says across the country, people are losing their jobs in fights like this.

KASEY MEEHAN: Individual librarians, educators, library directors are being dismissed from their roles for defending and for protecting and for advancing the freedom to read.

KENDA: At the protest, Nancy Klasterka worries that more book bans are not far off. She's a retired librarian.

NANCY KLASTERKA: Believe me, when they get the LGBTQ books out of there, then it'll be the books on the Civil War because white people are portrayed in a poor light. And then it'll be books on religions that are different from their own. There's no stopping these people.

KENDA: She's referring to conservative groups like Clean Up Alabama, which is behind the Prattville book challenge. The group would not comment for this story. Prattville's library has an interim director and is open, but a Facebook post asks the public for patience as it's understaffed.

For NPR News, I'm Ann Kenda in Prattville, Ala.

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Texas mom says she was issued an arrest warrant for her kids' overdue library books

A Texas stay-at-home mom said she was trying to renew her driver's license when she learned there was a warrant for her arrest stemming from overdue library books.

"I was so angry. I was sad and mad," Kaylee Morgan told NBC News in a phone call Wednesday. "The whole week leading up to court I couldn’t decide if I wanted to laugh or cry."

Morgan, a mother of five children, said she took five or six books out from the Navasota Public Library in Navasota, about 115 miles east of Austin, last March for her homeschooled children.

At the time, Morgan said she was pregnant and experiencing hyperemesis, extreme morning sickness, and placenta previa, when the placenta covers the opening in the cervix. It can cause bleeding around the start of the second half of pregnancy and mild cramping or contractions, according to the Cleveland Clinic .

Morgan said the books were between a few weeks to a month late when her husband dropped them off, except for one that did not fit in the library's drop box. Her stepson later dropped the book off inside the library, she said.

NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston obtained a copy of the overdue notice from the library that showed Morgan had two books due on March 31, 2023. The notice, dated April 10, 2023, said she owed a fee of $1.

A week later, the library sent what it said was a second and final notice. It said Morgan had 10 days to return the books and pay a new $2 fine or the matter would be turned over to the court.

A city ordinance states that failure to return books or library items within 30 days from the due date results in their library card being suspended. If a person fails to respond to the letter of complaint within 10 days of receiving it, it is considered a misdemeanor criminal offense punishable by a fine of up to $500.

Morgan said she did not receive the library's late notices because they were sent to an old address. The library never called her about the late books, she said.

It wasn't until she went to renew her driver's license last month that she was told she had a warrant for a nearly $570 ticket.

The Navasota Public Library referred NBC News to city attorney Cary Bovey. Bovey could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Morgan, who said her family cannot afford to pay the ticket, said the entire ordeal has been stressful and questioned why the punishment for overdue library books was so strict.

"I offered to pay for the books. I offered to pay for the late fees but I cannot pay $600," she said. "I understand that we have deadlines for a reason and all of those things, but there has to be a better way to cultivate community engagement, instead of tearing the community apart."

"You could come in and read books to the kids for community service, you could help build the little free library or bring in canned goods," she said. "Any number of things could be done."

Minyvonne Burke is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News.

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PRESS RELEASE: Imagination Library of Washington Brings Transformative Literacy Initiative to WA DOC State Prison Visit Rooms

Released: April 8, 2024 Updated January 1, 2017

Photo Curtesy of Dolly Parton's Imagination Libary

TUMWATER – This week is National Library Week . The 2024 theme is “Ready, Set, Library,” and what better time to announce a unique prison partnership between Imagination Library of Washington, the statewide partner for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) to bring an innovative and exciting early literacy program to prison visit rooms.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails high quality, age-appropriate books each month to children between the ages of birth up to five years old, at no cost to the family.

However, DOC’s partnership looks a little different. This unique partnership began in fall 2023, with the goal of bringing the Imagination Library to the state’s 11 prisons to put books into the hands and hearts of children visiting their incarcerated parent.

“We know that strong bonds between parent and child are crucial for successful reentry,” said DOC Secretary Cheryl Strange. “This partnership allows us to promote healthy relationships and positive memories that will last a lifetime and also promotes literacy at an early age, when it is most important to foster a love for reading.”

The goal of this partnership is to promote enrollment in the Imagination Library, highlight the importance of building early literacy skills at a young age, and offer incarcerated individuals the unique opportunity to build a strong, healthy relationship with their children and families through the magical wonder of books.

“Imagination Library of Washington is thrilled to partner with the Washington State Department of Corrections to creatively enhance literacy opportunities for children as they are visiting incarcerated loved ones. Collaboration is key in creating meaningful engagement and impact, and we believe this partnership will bring families together and inspire a love of reading, bringing light to perhaps a dark time for Washington families,” stated Imagination Library of Washington Executive Director, Brooke Fisher-Clark.

See the cast of 'Ghosts' experience their characters' history at the Library of Congress

The snarky spirits who inhabit CBS comedy “Ghosts” are appreciated not only for their silly antics and sometimes-wise observations, but also for their distinctive characterizations.

The motley crew inhabiting the fictional Woodstone Mansion in the series (Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. EDT/PDT, and streaming on Paramount+) span centuries, from the 1020s (strapping Viking Thorfinn) to the late-1990s (handsome Wall Street bro Trevor).

Given their diverse histories, it seemed fitting for the Library of Congress in Washington to dig into the ghosts’ backgrounds. Earlier this week, five of the eight “ghosts” – or, more precisely, their human actors – toured the historical building and were shown artifacts from the time period of their respective otherworldly alter egos.

“We saw, to a surprising degree, issues we are talking about today that are reflected in writing 100, 200, a thousand years ago,” said Asher Grodman (Trevor).

“It’s almost like you coined the phrase, ‘history repeats itself,’” responded Rebecca Wisocky (Hetty) with a laugh and comfortable arm squeeze of her co-star.

History presented itself in the form of maps, sheet music, manuscripts and audio recordings curated for Wisocky, Grodman, Richie Moriarty (Pete), Danielle Pinnock (Alberta) and Román Zaragoza (Sasappis). (Missing were Brandon Scott Jones (Isaac) , Devan Chandler Long (Thorfinn) and Sheila Carrasco (the currently-MIA Flower).

Here is what they had to say about how seeing the items affected their view of the supernatural.

More: In pivotal election year, 'SNL' should be great. It's only mid.

Rebecca Wisocky (Hetty, late-1800s)

Some historical artifacts: “A Repository of Fashion, Pleasure and Instruction” (Harper’s Bazaar, Feb. 21, 1874); “The Curse of Cocaine is Spreading in New York” (New York Journal, Jan. 10, 1897); “The Perils of Child Labor” (Journal of the American Economic Association, March 1890).

“What is so fun about my character is she gets it all wrong so often,” says Wisocky. “You can watch her and believe she’s a feminist and realize through Alberta (a 1920s ghost) that all right, women should have the right to vote. But then, as it was in her time, she still hates the Irish.”

Asher Grodman (Trevor, 1990s)

Some historical artifacts: A 1994 map of downtown Manhattan; “The Soaring ‘90s” and “Goodbye, Golden Decade. Now What Will the ‘00s Bring?” (Wall Street Journal, Oct. 13, 1999); “2000 and Counting” (USA TODAY, Dec. 31, 1999); Brokerage Firm Safety Directory (May 1995).

“I was a kid during the (Wall Street) era, so it doesn’t feel like history for me. All of the cool kids were part of it and I was watching,” Grodman says. “But we’re looking at these (ghosts) from a modern-day perspective. I don’t think any of these characters are idiots, but it’s easy to fall into the thinking of, ‘they did dumb things back then.’ But some things, like Blockbuster, they’re businesses that are gone, but they were doing really, really, really well at the time.”

Danielle Pinnock (Alberta, 1920-30s)

Some historical artifacts: Copyright deposit from Scott Joplin’s opera “Treemonisha” (May 19, 1911); typescript memoir of “Happy in Hell” by Noble Lee Sissle about the formation of the 369 th Infantry Band, aka “Harlem Hellfighters” (undated); lead sheet of “Blind Man’s Bluff,” the earliest known song from Edward “Duke” Ellington (1923).

“Seeing all of that sheet music today, I was like, I want to get on the piano and play it immediately,” says Pinnock. “To also learn there was a jazz singer famous during that time, Alberta Hunter, which I think is where my character comes from as well, and find out she was best friends with Langston Hughes … The 1920s was such a beautiful time for Black artistry. So vivid and brave.”

More: Surprise! CBS renews 'S.W.A.T.' for Season 8 a month before final episode was set to air

Román Zaragoza (Sasappis, 1600s)

Some historical artifacts: An 1852 reprint of a 1656 map of the New York and New Jersey area, Van Der Donck’s map of New Netherland (1656); account of the first contact between the Lenape and Europeans (“The Voyages of Giovanni de Verrazzano," 1524-28); Indian land grants record (1726-71).

“The word I keep coming back to, seeing all of this, is emotional. Seeing what New York looked like before the Dutch got there and what it looked life afterward and to have our curator, who is Munsee, talk about her family, it felt so real, not like a textbook,” says Zaragoza. “When we finished I was like, whoo, it’s heavy. Emotional, but beautiful.”

Richie Moriarty (Pete, 1970s/1980s)

Some historical artifacts: “Archery Safety” from The Boy Scouts of America merit badge pamphlet (1978); “Ant Watching” (T.C. Schneirla, 1971); "Dungeons & Dragons comics (1988, 1990).

“They took some fun creative license and it was so evident how much effort they put into curating things for our characters, like Pete’s love of comics” Moriarty says, “Even from a specific episode: Pete had a weird storyline and was watching ants, so they found a book about ant watching.”