"Pop Up" Library and "Bathroom Book Talks"

Two new developments at the SHS Library are the pop up library and bathroom book talks. To be honest, I am still in the beginning phases of each of these ideas, but I thought I would talk about them while they are fresh in my mind.


The Pop Up Library

The pop up library came about out of necessity.  Our initiative this year is independent reading in the classroom.  That means more business for me in the library because students are definitely checking out books.  Yay!  In conjunction with this phenomenon, I have more teachers using the library.  So I have teachers coming to the library while other teachers are sending students to check out books. Hence, the library is a bit too congested from time to time.  Good problem to have. . . Enter the pop up library.

The first time, I took my laptop, a scanner and a cart of books to the English hallway and parked myself there for the last 45 minutes of each block.  Students could renew a book, turn in a book and/or check out a new book from the selection I brought with me.  In 2 days, I saw roughly 145 students who either renewed or checked out a new book.  Another 50 or so just returned a book without checking out a new one.  Therefore, I am declaring my first pop up library a success.

              

As you can see from the pictures, it was originally called a mobile library, but I think pop up sounds more modern, and if truth be told, I stole that phrase from the multitude of Hallmark movies I watch featuring "pop up" themed restaurants or "pop up" shops.  So now I have new signage.

My second pop up library happened this week.  Ms. Boykin and I have been working on a fast food restaurant introduction activity to go with her food sciences projects.  The first day she scheduled the activity is the same day the library hosted the district Academic Decathlon.  So again, we had to find another place.  We arranged to meet in the back part of the cafeteria (lovingly called the Jag Room).  I brought my activities and cookbooks out to the Jag Room and conducted the lessons there.  I also brought my laptop and scanner in case anyone wanted to take a cookbook home.  No takers this time, but I am always hopeful.

               

When I become more confident about this concept, I plan to travel to the lunch room.  Eventually, I want to bring a fun activity or two with the book cart to give the students more choices and more reasons to love their library.


Bathroom Book Talks

Now let's discuss the bathroom book talks.  This idea was not mine, but I do love to steal great ideas from great librarians.  I belong to a couple of Facebook librarian groups, and someone posted they were going to advertise books in the bathroom stalls.  Genius!  Everyone eventually goes to the bathroom.

So here is my first attempt, The December 2018 In"stall"ment of Bathroom Book Talk . . .

I know you can't possibly see all of this, but I decided to showcase 3 fiction and 3 nonfiction books each month.  I have included titles, pictures and a short summary for each selected book.  I am going to hang them in all of the faculty restrooms and the student bathrooms that are closest to the library. (I believe in encouraging all patrons, even the adult ones.)  The December edition is going out this week.  I hope to see these books fly off the shelves, but only time will tell.

Have a great day!