Top 10 Best Practices for Building a School Library Collection

Building a school library collection that effectively supports students' learning and fosters a love for reading requires careful planning and consideration. Here are some best practices to include in your process:

1. Understand the school's population and curriculum needs.
   Start by gathering input on subjects, topics, and interests to understand students' needs and community guidelines. 
   
   In addition, document curriculum requirements for each impacted grade level and ensure they align with national and state educational standards, such as the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) standards.
    
2. Create a collection development outline.
   Design a plan for how you will create and maintain your collection. First, develop a proposed budget by outlining goals and priorities for different library sections (e.g., fiction, nonfiction, reference):
   1. Goals can include supporting literacy, developing research skills, or promoting STEAM topics. 
   2. This is also a good time to explore grants and community partnerships to expand funding sources.
   3. When your goals and budget are set, plan for initial acquisition and ongoing maintenance of the collection:
   4. Define criteria for selecting materials, including quality, relevance, age-appropriateness, accuracy, and diversity. 
   5. Establish guidelines for regular review, deselection, and removal (weeding) of outdated or unused materials to keep the collection relevant and current.
       
3. Balance print and digital resources.
   Digital resources provide students with easy and flexible access to a broader assortment of literary material. Consider eBooks, audiobooks, online databases, and digital subscriptions to give your students more options and appeal to all preferred learning methods. 
   
   A robust print collection remains essential for any library, as physical books remain crucial to literacy development. Count on Follett Content services to manage your books:
   1. Cataloging and Processing: We’ll barcode and catalog your books for you so that they are delivered ready for the shelf.
   2. FollettBound^®: Tough, laminated book covers will protect your investment and extend the life of your paperback books.
       
4. Focus on a wide range of characters and genres.
   Representation helps students see themselves in your library and promotes empathy. Include books by and about people from various cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives. 
   
   Provide a range of genres (e.g., graphic novels, poetry, mystery) and topics, including those on mental health and global perspectives.
    
5. Select age-appropriate content by school grade levels.
   Focus on high-quality materials that provide educational value, accurate information, and engaging narratives to support the literacy growth of students at each grade level. 
   You can easily find materials that match the reading levels and developmental stages by filtering books through advanced search options in Titlewave^®.
    
6. Encourage student input and interests.
   Regularly solicit feedback from students to include materials that reflect their evolving interests. Promote student engagement through activities like book clubs, online book fairs, and programs that encourage them to explore the collection.
    
7. Collaborate with community and online resources.
   Collaborate with local businesses and nonprofits or search online for free author videos and teaching resources to enrich the library experience.
   
   You can also connect with our partner, Future Ready Librarians^®, a nonprofit supporting equitable and accessible student learning through powerful librarianship that embraces change and innovation. 
    
8. Organize a fun and engaging learning space.
   An attractive, well-designed library is a welcoming space with comfortable reading areas, study spaces, and interactive displays. 
   
   Use clear categorization and signage to make materials easy to find. Consider genre shelving or special sections to help students navigate the library. 
   
   Showcase themed collections, highlight new arrivals, decorate with book posters, and feature staff or student recommendations to encourage exploration.
    
9. Engage in continuous professional development.
   Attend workshops, conferences, and webinars to stay current with education, technology, and library science trends – network with other school librarians to share ideas. 
   
   Sign up for free monthly newsletters for school librarians to learn about new resources, popular titles, and learning strategies. 
    
10. Regularly analyze and evaluate your school library collection. 
    Monitor library circulation data to discover the most- and least-used resources, and adjust future acquisitions accordingly. Run a collection analysis in Titlewave to identify gaps, emerging needs, and areas for improvement.

By following these practices, you can build school library collections that are both educationally enriching and inspiring for students.