Marketing in the School Library

As a library media specialist (LMS), I often find myself pulled in many directions at any given time during any given day.  In this teaching position, that I love so much, I have come to expect that my days will likely never look the same.

Like all of you, before I was a LMS, I was a classroom teacher.  Whether I was teaching in the elementary classroom or middle school mathematics, my students and I thrived on our classroom routines, expectations, and normal day-to-day goings on.  (An assistant superintendent once asked me if my consistent classroom schedule was for the students or for me. I told him it was for “all of us” - and that was the truth.) Our classroom routine made it so I could focus on teaching and my students could focus on learning.  It aided my classroom management.

In my first years as a LMS, I was teaching in a middle school with a set library schedule, which I learned to make work for me.  I saw 6th grade students on Mondays and Tuesdays, 7th grade students on Wednesdays, and 8th grade students on Thursdays. Fridays were set as my enrichment days.  With the students, I established library “norms” and expectations. I was able to give book talks, share book trailers, talk with students about books, etc. All was well!

Fast forward several years to my current LMS position.  I serve middle school and high school students. I have no set schedule.  Every day is a NEW adventure!

One of the many things I love about being a LMS is talking to kids about books and reading.  I love hearing about their latest reads, their passion for a series, their irritation with how long it takes their favorite author to write a book, etc.  Oftentimes during these chats, I get new suggestions of books to order. I also love suggesting books to students to read. When a student approaches me and indicates a need for help finding a book to read, I must admit, my inner-librarian self squeals and claps with excitement.  It’s like a puzzle I get to put together. So - the questions begin. What was the last book you read? What did you like about it? What’s your favorite book? What makes the book your favorite? Etc. Until - voila! A “book match” is made!

Unfortunately, I’m not always available to do my beloved “book matching”.  This saddens my librarian’s heart, but it is what is. So here’s what I do…  Every month, I have a new quirky, punny library theme, complete with posters, signs, a bookmark, and a bookmark with my Bitmoji on it.  I display books on the tops of our shelves, and each book has a bookmark placed in it. If I’ve read the book and enjoyed it, I put the bookmark with my Bitmoji on it in the book.  This is my way of suggesting books to my kiddos without actually being there! (At the beginning of each school year, I communicate my bookmark “strategy” with ALL of my students. For the 6th grade students this is new information, but for the rest of the student body - it’s a reminder.  So, EvErYoNe knows!)

My hope is that each student looks forward each month to what that “CrAzY” Mrs. Fiala is going to “do” in the Media Center.  For the record, I’ve not had a repeated monthly theme in the six-years I’ve been at Aurora Public Schools!

by Emmy Fiala