1. Every child needs help finding a book.
This is one I struggle with a lot; obviously, I want to help every child as much as possible! But I also know I just don't have time to help every single one. One thing I've found to be really helpful is to spend a few weeks teaching library skills and getting students familiar with the how the library is organized. This way, I can tell a student looking for Wings of Fire that it's in the chapter book section, under SUT, and they should be able to find it. So much simpler than having to show them where it is!
For reader's advisory, have you ever noticed that it's often the same students every week who need recommendations? For these frequent fliers, I try to remember their preferences so I can have a few ideas ready ahead of time (or better yet, I've already put them on display). I also think there's nothing wrong with directing a student, especially an older one, to spend some time browsing on their own. They get to work on their independence a bit, and who doesn't love browsing?
If you're lucky enough to have the classroom teacher stay for library time, get them involved with helping students. Sometimes they know a child's interests and abilities better than you do, and it's so helpful to have another adult helping out. This also helps show students the crossover between the library and the classroom, and teachers may appreciate knowing more about what their class is reading.
2. No one can remember their ID number!
This is one of those skills that you just wish every child could magically acquire in ten seconds flat. You don't want to spend all your time practicing in the library, but it's so time-consuming when a student is staring at the keypad. At my school, we make library cards for kindergarten that we scan (we keep all the cards behind the desk), which is much easier than expecting them to memorize a long number.
For the older students, my assistant and I keep a list of all the students and their IDs so that we can easily look someone up. Since first grade is the first year students check out with their numbers, I give them extra checkout time in September since so many of them don't know their numbers yet. After a few weeks, we make them do as much of their numbers as possible, even if they don't know the whole thing--it reinforces the idea that they need to learn it. We also send them home with their number on a sticky note so they can practice. There's a learning curve for the students, but it's our job as teachers and librarians to support them and give them the time to develop skills.
3. The teacher has too many requirements for book checkouts.
Agh! This is probably the hardest one to handle gracefully--you don't want to make any teachers feel like you're usurping them, but you don't want them usurping you, either. Is the issue that the teacher won't let students check out books that are "too hard" or "too easy"? Sometimes they have a point, and sometimes they don't--this is where I gently remind teachers that students have a choice in the books they check out, and that they can get a "just right" book while also getting a push book (my term for challenging books) or a simpler one. See if you can help that student find a "just right" book as well--maybe something similar to the other one they want to read!
Sometimes I have classes that need to get a nonfiction book, or a biography, or a certain genre, etc., when they check out. After a lot of frantic checkout periods where students didn't really know what they were supposed to be getting and we kept having to send them back to the shelves, I started asking teachers to let me know ahead of time what students needed, to communicate clearly to students what they needed to be getting, and to assist them during checkout to make sure they had the right kind of book.
It also bothered me that this required book (or books) was cutting into students' choice books. I let students borrow three books at a time, and I want them to get books they're excited to read, so I decided that students can checkout three books in addition to any required books. Sometimes students get to get four or five books--and they always get something they're excited about.
Finally, talk to the teachers if you feel they're being too restrictive. It's never a fun conversation to have, but you're advocating for student choice and for them to be excited about reading--and when you're putting the kids first, those conversations are much easier to have. You and the teacher ultimately both want what's best for the students, and in the library, classroom teachers need to respect your rules and expertise. If needed, talk to your administrators--you don't have to tell on anyone, but a good admin can help you frame this conversation.
4. They just take too darn long to check out!
My 2nd graders in particular seem to take forever to choose books at the beginning of the year. I kept trying to speed them up, until I realized: maybe they just need more time. (Duh.) I started making sure they had at least 15 minutes to choose books, and as the year has gone on, I've been able to cut that back down to 10. Did I want that extra 5-10 minutes for instructional time? Of course, but it was better spent letting kids have an enjoyable, productive checkout time. I'm always reminding myself to meet the children where they're at, and if they're at needing more time, I'm giving it to them.
Now, we all have that kid who can have all the time in the world, wander around aimlessly, never touch a book, refuse all help, and then panic when their class is lining up. For that student, try to give them a little extra attention and figure out what the issue is. Do they not like reading? Do they think you don't have their favorite book? I like to remind these ones that they need to get at least one book, and I would love to help them find something. Take some time to talk to them--what other books do they like? Or TV shows? What are their friends reading? And if they still won't check out and have the last-minute panic, it won't hurt them to leave without a book for a week or two. It's usually a good reminder that they do need to pick something when everyone else does.
What practices do you have that help streamline checkout? Share below--I'm always looking for new ideas!
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