When describing the school library program at my school, I found myself using the word "our" a lot. It was always crystal clear that it wasn't "my" library, but rather it belonged to everyone—the students, staff, librarian, everyone. My job as the librarian was to facilitate the development and growth of our program, but it took all of the school community to create OUR school library program. So, how do you build a school library program that makes everyone feel like they are a part of it? Here are some places to start.

People

We need to know the people in OUR school. We have to build relationships with students, staff, administrators, etc. We need to know their needs, their wants, and their agendas. We want them to know OUR needs, wants, and agendas. We want to talk about how they align and how working together, we can do amazing things. These relationships set the foundation for the school library program to grow and thrive. By creating that culture of working together, we have a team to build OUR library.

Collection Development

By knowing OUR people, we can know what we need to have in OUR collection. We need materials in all sorts of formats that they are interested in, that they need, that represent them, that help teach them about the world around them, and so much more. We need to meet their curricular and recreational needs. We want their input and suggestions and ideas. This is how we build OUR collection!

Access

How do we make sure students have access to OUR library? With schedules and staffing, it can be difficult. Look for ways to open the doors. Self-checkout allows students to access the collection even when the librarian is teaching. Recess is a perfect time for students to come and read and explore. My assistant was often annoyed by the amount of students we had during recess, but I saw it as a sign that our library was a place they wanted to come. They felt comfortable in OUR library.

Facilities

We took advantage of all sorts of nooks and crannies in the library; we had a reading hut, story area, open spaces, and quiet corners to put pillows and chairs so students could find a comfortable place to read. We had plants, stuffed animals, and other fun decorations throughout that brought a warm environment to the facility. Unless there was instruction happening in that part of the library, students were welcome anywhere. We encouraged them to explore and spread out. This after all was OUR library.

In the end, I wanted students to feel completely comfortable coming to the library whenever they wanted. It was important to create that environment where all of OUR users felt they could come, explore, learn, have fun, and get that sense of community. We know as librarians how essential OUR libraries are to the whole school, so building the OUR culture also builds a team of advocates for the library program because everyone feels a sense of ownership in the program.