3 weird and wonderful library ideas
Image: Mother reading a book with her primary school-age daughter.
1. Vending machines
Book vending machines have become a bit of a craze in recent years, and for good reason – they’re eye-catching, fun to use and promote reading for pleasure, which is great for growing minds.
Most schools use book vending machines as a reward system – the tokens used to operate the machine are given to pupils for good behaviour or academic achievement, and pupils are allowed to keep whichever book they choose. But you could also run it under a borrowing scheme and hand out tokens in exchange for a returned book.
There are a fair few companies that sell refurbished vending machines. They can even customise them to incorporate your school logo and colours. If you’re struggling to pick a company, ask for recommendations on our Facebook group, PTA Hangout.
2. Vehicles
If you have space outside your school to park a vehicle, you could convert a bus, van or trailer into a quirky home for borrowable books.
Full disclosure, this project is a big undertaking! Firstly, you’ll need to decide if your library will remain mobile or not – it will be much simpler and cheaper if the vehicle is no longer usable, but you will then have to ensure you have a permanent parking spot for it.
Once that’s decided, the real work begins! You’ll want to spend a good chunk of time working out how to make best use of the space. How many books can you store inside? Do you want to build in seating or other storage options? How can you make sure the library remains secure?
You’ll need a lot of input from the school, of course, but also some handy volunteers who enjoy a good fixer upper. The result will be a glorious reading space that will capture the imaginations of pupils (and hopefully garner the attention of the local press too, which is great exposure for your PTA and school community!).
3. Nooks, crannies and corners
Your library doesn’t have to be all in one room – it can be dotted all over your school! Any wall or corner can be transformed into a home for borrowable books. You could even designate certain classrooms for particular genres or age ranges, and create a library map so pupils know where to find what they’re looking for.
Perhaps the ultimate little book lover’s dream is a reading nook. All you need is a comfy sofa or armchair tucked away somewhere, surrounded by stacks of books. Bliss!
Image designed by Freepik
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