For the elementary or middle school librarian (or the classroom teacher) looking to encourage literacy, this volume provides detailed ideas for promoting reading and encouraging students to learn about and use the library. The work begins with practical ideas to market library services, including curriculum suggestions such as lessons to teach the Dewey Decimal System. A second section focuses on economical ideas for decorating library spaces and various themes for reading programs as well as instructions for carrying these themes school-wide. Numerous patterns for use in the various displays and suggested surveys to fine-tune library programs to the needs of a specific student body are also included.

Gayle Skaggs is the librarian at Cole R–5 Elementary School in Eugene, Missouri.

Gayle Skaggs
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 194
Bibliographic Info: 248 illustrations, index
Copyright Date: 2008
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3132-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3218-6
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

Introduction      3

Part I . Practical Ideas for Marketing Your Library Services

Getting Started      7

Starting the Year in Style      10

Doin’ the Dewey      17

Other Curriculum Suggestions      25

Puppetry in the Library      34

Part II . Marketing Through Displays and Reading Themes

The U.S.A.      43

Around the World      59

Give Yourself a Gift      77

A Paint Theme      80

A Medieval Theme      83

The Gigantic Garden      89

Is It Spring Yet?      97

The Farm      99

“Leaf ” It to the Library      108

A Reading Tree      112

Let’s Go Camping      114

Gone Readin’      119

Thirsty for a Good Book?      122

Take a Walk on the Wild Side      125

Pirates      128

Pencils      132

Library Building Blocks      135

Exercise      137

Jump Right into a Good Book!      140

Get in Step … Read!      141

Money      145

Good Book Cafe      149

Recipe for a Great Book Report      151

T-Shirts with Library Style      153

Socks      155

Welcome Back      156

Need a Hand?      157

Cowboys      159

Make Time to Read a Good Book      161

We’ve Gone Batty for Books      162

Read a Good BOO-OOK Today      164

Accessorize!      166

Catch the Vision      168

Keys      171

Friends      172

Elephants      174

Before You Play the Game      177

Seeing Stars?      178

Out of This World!      179

Reading … It’s Like Magic!      181

Library Snapshots      182

No Need to Speed … Just Read and Enjoy      183

Tired of Jumping Through Hoops?      184

Conclusion      185

Index      187

“a good basic resource”—Booklist; “this is a resource that you will refer back to many times throughout the school year, so keep it handy!”—Catholic Library World; “many useful, inexpensive and easy-to-do display and promotion ideas”—Feliciter.