How to Host a
Successful Book Fair in Your Elementary School Library
By Karen
Austin
1.
Choose
the right book company
a.
First
check to see which companies your school system allows you to work with for
your book fair
b.
Call
the representatives and talk to them about what their company can do for your
school
c.
Talk
to other librarians in your school system to see what companies they’ve worked
with and liked
d.
Use
the company’s online resources or planning box to help you select your products
2.
Choose
the right date/time
a.
Make
sure your date/time do NOT conflict with other school events- check the school
calendar
b.
Have
the book fair around payday
c.
How
long will your book fair last? 1 week? 2 weeks?
d.
Will
you have special events? Book Fair Night, Family Night, Extended Hours, etc.
e.
Will
you close your library or keep teaching during the fair?
f.
When
are your volunteers able to work?
3.
Choose
the right helpers
a.
Can
your PTA help? Library parent volunteers?
b.
They
can make signs, announcements, flyers, help with setup/break down, run the cash
register, help people shop, etc.
4.
Choose
how you will support teachers/classrooms (optional)
a.
Will
you have teacher wish lists, discounts, special shopping dates?
5.
Choose
your location
a.
How
big will your book fair be? Can you host it in your library? Should it be in
the gym or cafeteria for more room?
b.
Will
you need tables to display books?
c.
Will
you decorate or have a theme?
d.
Will
you have signs/labels for the “favorites” on the shelves?
Here are a
few helpful links:
- How to Have a Hugely Successful Book Fair PowerPoint
by the librarians at Crestline Elementary in Alabama
- Book Fairs: Tips for Success by PTO Today
- Top 11 Tips for a Fabulous Book Fair Fundraiser by
Volunteer Spot Blog
- Book Fair Ideas (with timeline) by Elementary
Librarian
If all else
fails—look on Pinterest!
Karen,
ReplyDeleteFrom one fellow Pinterest lover to another, I have to agree with you that some of the funnest and most creative library ideas can be found there!
This was a very well-informed post with lots of great resources. Thank you! Book fairs were always my favorite as a student and while I'm so excited to be able to host my own, I'll admit that the weary sighs and trepidation from classmates who are already librarians makes me worried. There are so many logistical concerns with book fairs--I guess my librarians always made it look flawless and easy that I'm expecting the same. Your post really brought to light how many things the school librarian has to predict, plan and prepare for! It's this kind of pre-game planning (rather than waiting until the last minute and scrambling to put it together) that really makes a book fair successful.
Karen,
ReplyDeleteWow! You made me realize just how much librarians actually do when it comes to these book fairs. I am always just so excited to see them arrive that I never really stop and think about how it is that they get there. This is just one of those things that falls under the header of "Things they didn't teach you in Library School". However, thanks to you I now have a better idea of what I will be facing and even some awesome jumping off points for how to decorate! Thanks so much for sharing.