School Library End-of-Year Checklist
Coordinate Book Return
This can be one of the hardest tasks of the entire year...getting all of your books back! Get creative and hang posters, make bulletin boards, create a competition, offer incentives - whatever it takes! Enlist staff and parents to help, as well!
Conduct Inventories
Inventories are an end-of-year necessity. You will most likely be asked to do an inventory of your library for your school that will include consumable and non-consumable items. You may also conduct a formal inventory of all of your library books. There is likely a help guide offered by your specific automation system that will provide you with all of the details you'll need for inventory.
Submit Grades and Final Reports
If you are a teacher-librarian who is responsible for grading students, finalize assessment on all assignments and follow your school's procedures for submitting final grades and reports.
Purchase Supplies (or create a wish list)
Depending on how your school purchases supplies, now is either the time to purchase or to be ready to purchase at the beginning of the fiscal year. Based on your inventory, decide what you are running low on and what you'll need for any new projects next year.
Purchase Books (or create a wish list)
Again, depending on how your school does purchasing, now is either the time to use the rest of your book budget to purchase books or to prepare to order books as soon as you can for the upcoming school year. If you can order books and have them processed and ready for the first day of school, your students will be so excited!
Show Appreciation to Your Paras/Aides
Thank your paraprofessionals, student and/or adult library aides, and any volunteers for all of heir time and effort in the library. A small gift, gift card, or a handwritten thank you note can be all they need to feel appreciated.
Reflect on Successful Projects and Lessons
Think back on everything you did this year! Now is the perfect time to reflect on what was successful and what wasn't so successful. Write it all down and assess it. Decide what you want to change next year and what you want to keep the same.
Promote Summer Reading
Invite in the youth librarian from your local public library to talk about their summer reading program and projects. Inform students and parents on how to access the public library during the summer. Think about how your students can have access to the school library's resources over the summer months.
Summer Contact Information, Instructions, and Projects
Before you leave for the summer, communicate your contact information with administrators, secretaries, the school maintenance team, and anyone else who might need to contact you over the next few months. Be sure to discuss special cleaning instructions with the maintenance team. If you put in any hours over the summer, this is the perfect time to work on projects like inventory, weeding, genrefication, and rearranging the library.
Check in with Administrators
Schedule a meeting with your administrator(s) to discuss the successes and challenges in your library over this school year and any potential changes to the library next year. Bring your end-of-year library statistics with you and any other data to show all of the good work you've done!
Check in with your Aides/Paras
Schedule a meeting with any aides, paraprofessionals, or volunteers that worked in the library this year. You can let them know how much you appreciate them, discuss any changes you'd like to see next year, and ask them for feedback about you.
Compile End-of-Year Statistics
Gather data, photos, and information about your library, library programs, and circulation from the school year. Look back through all means of reporting to find this data...paper check-ins, reports from your automation system, email correspondence, calendar sign-ups
Create Annual Report
Use your compiled statistics to create an annual report that you can share with administrators, parents, students, and all other stakeholders. This is an excellent opportunity to highlight the library and its school-wide impact.
..from SDSL School Library Services
The Weekly Update is a correspondence from the South Dakota State Library focusing on current topics in school libraries, best practices, resources, professional development, and more.
Email: scottie.bruch@state.sd.us
Website: library.sd.gov/LIB/SLC
Location: 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD, USA
Phone: 605-295-3152
