How I Organize my School Library Cards
Hi friends!
One of my first back-to-school tasks is organizing our school library cards!
Here are my goals for my library card system:
- Our students should be able to independently visit the library and check out their own books, even if I’m busy teaching a lesson or helping another student.
- I want to encourage students to return their books when they finish reading them.
- I want to be able to quickly see which students are struggling with the organizational skill of keeping up with their library books.
- Students should feel ownership of their library accounts.
- I want to look my students in the eye and call them by name.
- The system should help me deal with holds, fire drills, power outages, and other unexpected events.
Here’s how I make that happen.
Copy Library Cards on Card Stock
I copy library cards on a different color card stock for each grade. I copy enough cards for the students we have and for the new students I expect us to get during the school year. I’ve uploaded my cards and system on TPT.
I put a barcode sticker on every card, and stack them by homeroom teacher. I don’t laminate them, but they still last all school year.
Students Print Their Names
On the first library visit, students print their first name on the library cards, in BIG LETTERS! They get to choose their marker color(s) and add stickers, if they’d like to. This helps me accomplish goals 4 and 5. The students feel more ownership of the cards they helped make. When they slide the card across the check-out desk, I see their name in BIG LETTERS and can call them by name as I look in their eyes.
Store Cards in Teacher Pockets
I have a pocket chart that I bought on Amazon that is just the right size, with clear pockets for teacher names on it. (affiliate link) I hang it on the end of a book shelf with Command(tm) hooks.
This pocket chart helps me reach goal 1. Students quickly learn to walk to the pocket chart and get their library card from their class pocket with their teacher’s name on the front. You can see the color-coding at work here.
Stamps for Book Returns
On a student’s weekly check-out visit, if she has either returned or re-checked her library books (no late books, no lost books), she gets a stamp for that visit on her library card. We bought Crayola stamp markers on Amazon, and they’ve lasted at least a whole school year.
We only stamp on the weekly visit. Students can visit the library at any time, and many visit a few times a week. But we only stamp library cards on the once-a-week class visit.
See the star every 6th spot? When students reach the star, they get to choose a prize from the treasure box (a pencil, eraser, or bookmark). Even my super cool 5th graders love to get to the star and choose a prize!
So our students get a stamp every week, and a prize every 6th week. That helps me reach goal 2, encouraging students to return their library books. It also helps me meet goal 3. I can see at a glance if a student is wayyyyyyy behind on stamps, compared to the rest of the class.
Holds, Fire Drills, and Other Unexpected Events
In school, stuff happens, right? Sometimes a class is in the middle of checking out books when the fire alarm goes off, announcing a fire drill. Students place their library cards into the books they’re carrying, set the books down and walk out.
When the network or power goes out, the library stays open. Students make their book selections and place their library card inside the top book. As soon as we have power again, we scan, scan, scan and get all the books checked out and delivered to classrooms.
When a student can’t check out because she left her book at home, she chooses her next book, we put her library card in the book, and we keep the book behind the check-out desk for her. I encourage students to write their own overdue reminder notes.
Library Cards for the Win
This library card system helps our school library run smoothly for the whole year. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s been a win-win for me and my students!
I’ve been using your system for the last few years and LOVE it!!! The kids like seeing their progress on how often they’ve returned their books and how close they are to earning a prize.
Thank you for a great product!
Hello again, Cari.
I forgot to ask if you would consider selling your new formatted cards separately. I have already purchased the original card that is punched.
Thank you for your consideration!
Hello! This system looks great, and I would love to try it. Do the cards help you accomplish goal 1, “Our students should be able to independently visit the library and check out their own books, even if I’m busy teaching a lesson or helping another student.” I would love to figure out a better system for students to check out books if I am not available!
So do these cards also work for a shelf marker like the punch cards? I really love those but this would be nice out in a pocket rather than filed in a box.
Kathryn, we do use these as shelf markers, although they are about the size of an index card. I love the ease of keeping them in the pocket chart for easy student access.
Thanks for your question!
Cari
Thank you! I really have had such positive experience using this system! I am going to give the smaller size a try because it would be easier to use! Thank you!
This seems like a great system. I do not have an automated library but am hopeful that will someday change, so I like to learn how others set up their circulation procedures.
This looks like a great system and I am thinking of giving it a try this year. My only question is, how many books do you allow students to check out at a time. I allow K-2 to check out one book per week and 3-5 to check out 2. How would you handle stamps for students that check out more than one if they only return one book?
Hi Jessica!
I have used these cards for the last several years. My K-1 check out 1 book per week. My 2-5 grades check out two. I only stamp their card if BOTH books are either returned or brought back in to renew. If they only have one book, no stamp. Even if they return the 2nd book the next day, they don’t receive a stamp. I’m up front with the kids about it from day one and they understand and accept my rule.
I LOVE this system!! It’s a GREAT way for our responsible kids to earn a little extra something!
Debbie
Thanks Debbie!
I saw this post this summer, and this system is working so well in my new library! I will make a couple of changes for next year based on some changes we are making, but I am so grateful to have found something that works, is neat, and promotes self sufficiency in the media center. Thank you a million times for taking the time to share this!