4 Ways To Make Self-Checkout Work For Your School Library

 

I am excited to share my new article, 4 Ways To Make Self-Checkout Work For Your School Library, on the District Administrator site.

Self-checkout is becoming a familiar part of everyday life, from grocery stores to airports.

In a school library, though, self-checkout is about more than speeding up the checkout process. It can give librarians something even more valuable: time. When students can handle the routine task of checking out their own books, librarians have more freedom to move throughout the library and focus on the people who need them.

With the right library management software, self-checkout can be a simple addition to the school library, giving students more independence while giving librarians more time to focus on support and connection.

That might mean helping a student find the right book, answering a teacher's question, supporting a project, or simply having a conversation with a reader. The technology handles the transaction, while librarians can focus on the relationships and interactions that make a school library a meaningful part of the community.

Making that happen takes more than installing a self-checkout station. It requires thoughtful preparation, from keeping patron records current to creating a space where students can use the system independently and planning for how librarians will use the time it creates.

Here are four ways to make self-checkout work for both students and school librarians.  You will find the article here, friends.

You've Been Book'd With Books To Celebrate Diwali!

Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, is India’s biggest and most important holiday. It’s a time filled with joy, tradition, family gatherings, food, and light. Across India and around the world, Diwali is celebrated with fireworks, decorated homes, the exchange of sweets, and prayers for prosperity and happiness.

This year, Diwali will be celebrated for 5 days starting on November 6, 2026. To help our students learn about and celebrate this meaningful holiday and the rich traditions that surround it, I’ve put together this special You've Been Book'd With Books To Celebrate Diwali choice board featuring 14 wonderful books about Diwali. These books include picture books, nonfiction titles, and stories that highlight the customs, legends, and celebrations of Diwali in ways that readers of all ages can enjoy.

You can click on each book cover in the choice board to explore the individual titles in Titlewave, and you can view the entire curated list of Diwali books too. This is a great way to bring the spirit of the Festival of Lights into your classrooms, libraries, and homes this season.

8 Ways Librarians Can Collaborate with Teachers to Support Curriculum Goals....and 10 Ways to Put It Into Action!

Earlier this year, I joined Follett Software for a special webinar, Co-Planning for Impact: How Library–Curriculum Partnerships Move the Achievement Needle.

This week, Follett shared an amazing new infographic they created, 8 Ways Librarians Can Collaborate with Teachers to Support Curriculum Goals, featuring the information and ideas I shared during the webinar.

There are SO many ways we can use this infographic and the information in our work as teacher librarians! Here are just a few ideas for how you can put it to use, spark new conversations, build partnerships, and highlight the important role we play in supporting teaching and learning.

1. Use it during teacher meetings or PD. Share the infographic at a faculty meeting or professional development session to spark conversations about how the library can support upcoming units, projects, and learning goals.

2. Use it to build new partnerships. Share it with teachers you haven't had the opportunity to collaborate with yet as an invitation to explore possibilities together.

3. Use it for curriculum planning. Keep it handy when grade-level teams and curriculum leaders are planning units, looking for resources, or brainstorming new learning experiences.

4. Use it to celebrate collaboration. Highlight examples from your own library that connect to the ideas in the infographic. Share the projects, lessons, and partnerships happening throughout the school.

5. Use it in your library newsletter. Feature one idea at a time and show how it connects to the work happening in your school.

6. Use it to start conversations with administrators. Bring it to planning meetings to discuss where the library can support school wide initiatives, curriculum priorities, and student achievement.

7. Use it as a reflection tool. Look at the eight ideas and consider which partnerships are already strong and where there might be opportunities to grow.

8. Use it to inspire new ideas with students. Think about how collaboration can create more opportunities for students to explore, research, create, read, and share their learning.

9. Use it to advocate for library involvement early. Share it with curriculum teams to encourage bringing the librarian into conversations when units and projects are being developed, not just when resources are needed.

10. Use it to share your library's impact. Include it in annual library reports, presentations, board updates, or communications with families to help tell the story of how the library supports teaching and learning.

And I especially love thinking about turning the infographic into a yearlong collaboration challenge. Choose one idea each month, connect with a teacher or grade-level team, and find a new way to bring the library into the curriculum.

I can't wait to hear how you use the infographic and information as Future Ready Librarians, friends.

You will find it here on the Follett Software site.