Getting Started With School Services

Erin LinsenmeyerDowners Grove Public LibraryDowners Grove, Illinois

So what are we doing, exactly?

--Working out your stuff/the ins and outs

--Learning your community/service area

--Figuring out how to market your services to your schools

--Leveraging your opportunities

--Providing services inside and outside of the schools

--Evaluating everything

So you want to start working with your schools...

--Do your background work first--What do you already do that can translate? --What are some services you would want to do?

--Determine what resources you can allocate --How much time will you dedicate? --Do you have a budget? How much money will you need?--Who will be responsible/the point person?

--Build department and library buy-in --Who can you partner with? --How can you celebrate successes?

Know your community

--How many schools are in your area?

--Who do you need to know?

--What are some new opportunities that can emerge?

--What do your schools do and do not do? What holes can you fill?

--What are your school district’s goals?

Putting the what and the who together...

Finding opportunities --New teacher luncheons--Teacher in-services/Professional Development --Curriculum nights/School registration

Making opportunities

--Promoting on social media --School assignments --Working with who you know

Services Inside and Out

--School library cards--Requesting materials--Using databases/e-resources

--Storytimes and Booktalks

--Co-teaching classes

--Field trips

--Don’t be afraid to promote to different groups!

--And everything else!

And then what?

--Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate

--Celebrate successes large and small

--Stay in communication

--Try, try, try!

Questions?

Erin LinsenmeyerChildren’s Librarian/Outreach CoordinatorDowners Grove Public LibraryDowners Grove, Illinoiselinsenmeyer@dglibrary.org