Top 5 Solutions for Your Biggest Library Opening Day Collection Headaches

The day has arrived – your new school library is approved to move forward, and you can’t wait to get it up and running. You want to make it the best library possible for you and your students – and you have a million ideas. But do they make sense for the space that you have? Are they in your budget? Will everything you want to include fit in your space? What new books and resources do you need? Will it be easily accessible to all your students and staff? How will you keep your library up to date? What kind of tracking system is the best for your specific needs? 

There are so many things to consider, decisions to make, budgets to adhere to, and a whole school to keep happy. We know, and we do it often. After decades of setting up new libraries, we’ve solved some common challenges that our customers have experienced and provided comprehensive solutions for hundreds of schools. 

Let’s get into it. 

Pain Point #1: You have so many ideas, but don’t know where to start. 

The idea of a new school library is as exciting as it is overwhelming. There’s a lot to think about and plan, and it goes way beyond just filling up your library with books and materials. 

Solution: Make Follett your experienced and reliable partner. 

From day one, you can work with a Dedicated Sales Consultant who will support you as you build and curate your new library. Follett Consultants work with thousands of publishers to provide a premium selection of books and materials along with comprehensive classroom solutions to ensure that your students have what they need to succeed. 

Pain Point #2: Ensure that your collection meets the needs of your students today and in the future. 

You know what your library and school need today, but what will they need five years from today? How much should you lean into eBooks and digital resources? Will the number of books you’ll need per student stay the same? What solutions are trending in the library space?

Solution: Our dynamic Library Curation Team has over 90+ years of expertise in the library and classroom completing over 1,000 custom projects every year. 

You know your students and your school best, so when you work with our Library Curation Team, you can combine your expertise with their amazing curation skills to create a top-notch library that can serve your students today and in the future. The Library Curation Team can start by assessing the specific needs of your school and provide comprehensive solutions for your entire new library. They can also provide lists with targeted topics such as Makerspace and hands-on learning, and alternative formats like eBooks and audiobooks. They meet with publishers twice a year, so they’re also up to date on current market trends. They can provide you with lists of well-reviewed and award-winning books that factor in the unique needs of your school’s demographics to choose the best books for your state or region. 

Pain Point #3: Deadlines are rough. 

The first day of school is a hard start – there’s no wiggle room there. How can you make sure your library is up and running on time?

Solution: We will make sure your new library is presented the way you want it when you want it. 

When you work with Follett New School Services, you’re assigned a New School Coordinator that will work with you to personalize every step of the process – for the entire process. Your New School Coordinator is there to ensure your project stays within your budget and that your order is delivered (for FREE) by your chosen date. 

A shelving and cleanup team will unpack, shelve, and remove any packing debris. The team can also set up convenient processing options, in True Dewey Order or by genre based on your specifications. They’ll make sure your Follett Destiny^® Library Manager and/or MARC records can be easily imported, directly integrating your content – all before your planned opening day. 

Librarian Arlene Baldwin from Clearspring Middle School in Manitoba, Canada, says, “We knew that in partnering with Follett we could create a library we’re proud of. When our initial order was placed, we were pleased to find the prices included shelf-ready processing (spine label, MARC record, bar code affixed to the book and Mylar on dust jackets if required). We received the books in True Dewey Order, and they were quickly put on the shelves in minutes rather than hours.”

Pain Point #4: You need a partner with services, resources, and support that extends after your new library opens.

Working with a team to get your library up and running is fun and exciting – but who will be there to help for the long haul? There’s an overwhelming amount of content and materials to look after and keep up to date.

Solution: We provide valuable ongoing curation services and online collection analysis tools that support your collection development needs. 

You’ll work with a Dedicated Sales Consultant to ensure that your collection is supported for any ongoing needs. Your Dedicated Sales Consultant will connect you with our Titlewave Team and act as a customer service partner who will be there for you whenever you need assistance. 

There are also several self-service analysis tools you can use to diagnose the strength of your collection over time to continually provide the best titles for your students.

• Titlewave^®: Our most powerful online curriculum support tool where you can quickly find only the best educationally relevant content to support learning.
• TitleWise^®: This collection analysis tool will help with weeding your collection and making informed purchasing decisions.
• Analysis Tools: Help discover, manage, and report on more than 40 diversity-related topics and 16 topics covering diversity, kindness, wellness, and empathy. 
• Genrefication: We assembled a team of 27 experienced librarians already using genres in their libraries and created a streamlined way to help bring genrefication to our customers and encourage a self-service approach for students.

Pain Point #5: Your library needs an accessible and reliable tracking and reporting system. 

Keeping track of everything your library has to offer and making sure that students and staff alike can access all the amazing materials you’ve carefully curated is not a small task. 

Solution: Follett has two amazing library management systems to help your school find, track, and report.  

Accessit Library is one of our leading library management solutions that offers your school a cutting-edge, secure learning platform that gives you the connectivity, visibility, and flexibility you need for asset discovery and management. Thanks to easy and fast implementation, it enhances your library’s collection and usability for staff and students. 

Destiny Library Manager maximizes resources, builds meaningful connections, and provides useful insights for student growth and learning. By providing clear visibility to all the library resources available, educators can collaborate to further engage and support students in learning. With our web app, Follett Destiny Discover^®, students can access all their print and digital resources in the library, classroom, or at home. Plus, students can take their independent reading journey to the next level with student-led challenges, achievement badges, and interest-based recommendations within Follett Destiny Discover^® Engage – an add-on subscription.

Contact our team and start planning your new library today!  

Let's Connect