+44 (0) 1273 38684911 simple tips to make your school library shine and stand out this term
School libraries are more than just book collections – they’re dynamic hubs of learning, creativity, and discovery. But in a world where approaches to education are constantly evolving, how do we ensure that our school libraries stand out, stay relevant, and aligned with the school’s mission? The answer lies in strategic planning.
In this post, we’ll dive into how school librarians can start building strategic plans that align with school goals, showcase their value, tell compelling stories, and even adopt some ideas from the business world. We offer multiple real life tips with links to useful resources. Ready to shine this term? Let’s get started!
Where do school librarians begin with strategic planning?
Aligning with the school’s vision
When did you last read your school’s plan? Every department is working towards common educational goals, and the school library is no different. By reviewing your school’s strategic plan, you can identify key areas where the library can contribute—whether it’s supporting literacy, fostering student well-being, or promoting digital skills.
Resource: I’ve been following Elizabeth Hutchinson for a while and her resources are impressive. Check out her blogpost on strategic planning and incorporate some of her ideas in your plan.
Conducting a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
Do you understand where you currently are? Borrow a tool from the business world and conduct a SWOT analysis. This helps you evaluate where your library is excelling, where there are challenges, and what opportunities lie ahead. For example:
- Strengths: Strong digital resources, experienced staff.
- Weaknesses: Limited space for group learning.
- Opportunities: Expansion of digital literacy programs.
- Threats: Potential budget reductions.
Resource: The LibFocus blog has an oldie-but-goodie regarding examples of SWOT analysis answers. If you are short on inspiration, this is the post to read.
Tip: Involve staff, students, and even parents in your SWOT discussions—they’ll bring diverse perspectives that help shape a more comprehensive plan. More on that below!
Telling your story: How school librarians can demonstrate value
I cannot stress this enough – strategic plans are only successful if they communicate the library’s value to stakeholders. Demonstrating your value and that of your school library is essential.
Principals and other stakeholders, including school library personnel, need to keep in mind an important question—what value can and do students and teachers get from having access to school library services and programs? (IFLA School Library Guidelines)
Here’s how you can demonstrate the library’s impact in a way that resonates with school leaders, teachers, and students alike:
Use data to highlight success
Statistics are your friends. No, really! Track key data like circulation numbers, event participation, and how often teachers collaborate with the library. This data helps quantify the library’s contributions to student learning and overall school success. But it is more than just borrowing figures, as one interesting post confirms,
The data must go beyond just numbers of visitors; it should document purposes of visits, size of groups, and popular attractions. This information can drive decisions about maker areas, furniture, future space design and availability.
Resource: This short piece from OCLC offers valuable guidance on data collection generally and reminds us to consider different ways of collecting information from students and teachers.
Share student success stories
While data is important, stories are the heart of your library success. Where possible, highlight individual student achievements where the library played a key role. Maybe a student discovered a love of reading through a literacy program, or perhaps a group of students improved their research skills using the library’s resources.
Resource: Social proof is essential. By leveraging endorsements from teachers, students, and community members, libraries can shape positive perceptions and encourage greater participation. The use of peer recommendations, teacher involvement, and success stories helps validate the library’s role as a key educational resource.
Tip: Feature a “Student Success Spotlight” in your school’s newsletter or on social media, where you showcase how school library services contributed to a student’s learning or personal growth.
Idea: What about a “Take Care” Station? I was inspired by this experience of a school librarian – small thoughtful items to make a real difference.
Collaborate with teachers to build relationships and trust
Strong partnerships with teachers are a win-win. When you collaborate with people, your library’s impact on student or pupil achievement becomes even clearer. Offer to support classroom projects through research workshops, recommend relevant resources, or even co-host lessons on information literacy, GenAI and digital skills.
Example: I read about how a high school basketball coach’s visit to the library turned into a surprising discovery of how libraries can foster engagement with previously challenging-to-reach groups of students. Sometimes you just need a fresh perspective to truly transform your space.
Engage your stakeholders—turn them into your greatest advocates!
Gaining support from stakeholders—school leaders, parents, teachers, and learners, students or pupils—is essential to the success of your school librrary strategic plan. Here’s how to foster engagement and make stakeholders champions of your library.
Host library open days or themed events
Nothing beats meeting your community face-to-face. Host open days or themed events that bring people into the library. Whether it’s a Digital Literacy Week, a MakerSpace showcase, or a Reading Challenge, these events help highlight the diverse resources and experiences your library offers.
Resource: National Library Week – wherever you are! – is a perfect opportunity to showcase your school library through events, activities, and social media campaigns. It’s a nationwide celebration of libraries that you can tie into your own initiatives. Get creative!
Leverage digital platforms and newsletters
Keep your school community informed by creating regular digital content—whether it’s a newsletter, a dedicated school website section, or posts on social media. Share updates, promote upcoming events, reader recommendations, and celebrate achievements. Make it relevant, interesting and get everyone involved.
Tip: Think multimedia and go where your community hangs out! Use tools like Canva to design eye-catching visuals, making your newsletters and social media posts engaging and informative.
Present your plan to school leaders
Your multimedia skills can be applied more broadly. Prepare a professional presentation for your school leadership team or governing body that outlines your library’s strategic plan. Use a mix of data, stories, and visuals to clearly show how the library aligns with school-wide priorities and supports student achievement.
Tip: Read everything you can about your school’s plans and policy. Frame your pitch around key educational priorities, such as improving literacy rates, promoting well-being, or enhancing digital literacy skills—focusing on what matters most to your audience.
Business-inspired ideas to boost engagement
Taking inspiration from the business world can give your library an extra edge when it comes to engaging stakeholders and demonstrating value.
Use professional marketing techniques to promote your library
We’ve all seen how good businesses are at promoting themselves. They have learned to engage with their audiences so why not take a page from their book? Create a strong visual identity for your library, complete with a catchy tagline and vibrant promotional materials. Organise campaigns around key events and really get the word out.
Create a library “Elevator Pitch”
If you’re working on your image and messaging, formulate an elevator pitch. It’s a short, persuasive statement explaining why the library is essential to student success. This is useful in meetings with school leadership, at parent-teacher events, or even casual conversations with colleagues. For example:
“Our library empowers students by providing critical research skills, fostering a love of reading, and supporting the curriculum through diverse, accessible resources.”
Tip: You have different audiences within the school environment, so you should have different elevator pitches at the ready. For school leaders, focus on academic support and success; for parents, emphasise personal development and inclusivity.
Tap into student ambassadors
Empower students to become library ambassadors. Create a leadership program where students take ownership of certain projects—whether it’s managing social media, organising events, or promoting reading initiatives among their peers.
Idea: Start a “Library Leadership Team” where students can plan library events, lead book clubs, or run peer tutoring sessions. This not only builds leadership skills but also amplifies the library’s reach and relevance.
Start your school library strategic planning now!
Strategic planning is an exciting opportunity to ensure your library’s long-term success this term – and beyond. By aligning with your school’s vision, demonstrating your value, and engaging your stakeholders, you can create a library community that not only meets the needs of today’s students but also adapts to tomorrow’s challenges.
So, what’s your next step in creating a strategic plan for your library? Share your ideas in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going!
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