Why You Need to Automate the Library
When working with young children, routines and procedures help make the most of your time. This is especially true in an elementary library where there is finite time. Instead of wasting time with certain items, just automate your library.
Automation just makes things simpler. It means that you don’t have to deal with interruptions to leave the library. Automation also means every child gets a voice. When you automate the library, you’re freed up to match books to readers.
5 Things to Automate in the Library
There are some tasks and routines that may take up valuable teaching and learning time.

- Automate bathroom requests. Create a system for kids to leave the room when they need to use the restroom, get a drink, visit the nurse, or even if they just need to wander. There are some people who don’t want kids to miss instruction. I used to be like that. Now, I just let them go and have them check in with someone to get caught up.
- Use automation to get a status of the class. This was great when I was a classroom teacher & wanted to keep up with what all of the kids were reading. Now, it’s a good way to read the emotional temperature.
- Tattling and reporting can feel overwhelming during a 30 or 40 minute class period. Create a way for students to share that information that doesn’t disrupt the entire lesson.
- One of my favorite things to automate is exit tickets! There are so many great tools to use for this! Answer Garden, Flip, Seesaw, Forms, Padlet, Jamboard, and more are all perfect ways to make it easy for students to share out learning & ensures everyone gets heard.
- This one can feel controversial. Automating circulation frees you up to help match books to readers. Especially if you are by yourself. Students can scan in their own library books when they are returning them. They can even check them out on their own once they’ve had time to practice!
How to Automate the Library
There are a number of ways to automate the library.
Systems alone can make simple things automatic! In one school that I worked, we had a schoolwide signal to request bathroom use. Kids silently used the signal, and we silently responded. No interruptions, and everyone gets what they need!
In other schools that I’ve worked, we have needed documentation of students leaving the room or were required to collect data. When you’re someone who doesn’t like to spend time at the copy machine or even waste paper, there are digital options!
I have found it useful to automate library tasks with Google Forms. The video below shares how to use Google Forms to automate certain routines and procedures. Take a peek and start creating!