At the end of the year, school librarians are busy helping teachers and students, collecting books, promoting summer reading, and saying goodbye until fall. We are also getting the library ready for summer and whatever that means for us! With the flurry of tasks, I find it sometimes hard to focus on one thing. But I've reflected on this a bit, and here is how I usually wrap up the year:
Inventory:
This year I am taking a full inventory of the library. Nonfiction was particularly daunting, but I took it one section at a time. I am still in the middle of it. I'm finding that It helps me really know my collection even better. When it's as close to 100% as possible, I will complete a Titlewave Analysis in Destiny, and make collection decisions based on the results.
Clean-up:
Second, I am getting to much-needed book repairs! I find books that need new labels or covers, etc. I usually place those in a cart that I work on throughout the summer. I feel really accomplished when I get several done!
Book Order List:
Third, I start my fall book order. By now I know which books I didn't get in my last order, as well as books that need replacing. And I will have an idea of what ARCs I have loved that are set for publication in the summer or early fall. Having a book order ready for fall really helps me meet student needs for books!
Summer To-Do's:
I come up with an ongoing summer to-do list. I enjoy coming to the library throughout the summer and completing little projects here and there. One of the items on my list this year is shuffling the books in my biography section. I have an empty spot and some sections are tight. Also, my graphic novel section is really overflowing! I emptied a book truck, and want to move the overflow into that cart. But I'l have to find a place for the cart, too.
Yesterday, I told someone that I tend to my library as if it were a garden -- caring for it, nurturing it, and making sure it has the best conditions to grow! (Although I do not have a green thumb when it comes to plants, I do when it comes to books!) When I tell someone this, I always think of Ranganathan and his Fifth Law of Library Science: "The library is a living organism".
I hope you have found more ideas here on how to wrap up your year in the library! And I hope you library "garden" grows and grows each day!
Sounds very familiar! I shifted a whole bunch of things at the end of the year to make more room for fiction. One thing I always do at the end of the year is to get rid of unused equipment. My book order for July has over 250 books on it right now- it's fun to start the year with new books!
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