Keeping your library up to date

Keeping a school library up to date and well stocked with relevant, diverse, high quality books is an important task. The first step is sorting and auditing your existing stock.

Before you begin, the best thing to do is approach your local library service to see what support is available in your local area. Below are a list of school library services available across Scotland. Many school library or outreach services can support you in sorting your library.

The pack below is for teachers and/or parent councils working in a primary school or setting which does not have a schools or children's librarian to support them. Use our practical tools and step-by-step process to help with the process of sorting, clearing and rearranging your library shelves.

As well as an opportunity to remove out of date titles, remember this as a great opportunity to get to know what books you already have. By sorting and rearranging your stock, you, your school staff and volunteers with have a better understanding of what is in your library, what is well-used and loved, where the gaps are and how best to invest limited resources in a targeted way.

Remember, if you have a local public library close by, you can speak to library staff and also ask their advice. Invite them to share their knowledge and expertise as part of this process.

What is in this resource

• A guide to updating your library, with activities to involve your pupils
• A PowerPoint of ideas and inspiration for arranging the books in your library
• Printable bookmarks for encouraging pupils to respond to books
• Printable Bookzilla genre signs for your library