#20 Displays

Displays can make a huge difference to your library. There are many potential reasons for setting them up:

Promote new stock.
Promote clubs and societies.
Promote pupil achievements.
Promote school events.
Display photographs from trips [...]

#19 Dummy Guides

There are many guides and manuals on the market which describe themselves as ‘dummy’ guides, or guides for the uninitiated.
These types of guides are invaluable in libraries. You should create them for as many processes and topics as you can find time for, from such things as borrowing a book, through logging on to the [...]

#18 Chess

Chess can sometimes be regarded as ‘old fashioned’ by pupils and staff alike, but I have always found it to be a powerful and useful social tool to encourage friendly competition, improved social skills and interaction between pupil categories that would not usually meet.
Chess can help pupils with the following:

Problem [...]

#17 RSS Feeds

RSS feeds are easy to set up and can be of use to pupils, academic staff and librarians.
RSS (or Really Simple Synication) is an easy way of cherry picking from the flood of information available on the web. Instead of going looking for information on a daily basis (or ignoring it altogether), you can pick [...]

#16 Deli.cio.us for subject guides

del.icio.us can be much more than a list of websites. You can create a new account for each subject or topic, or create bundled topics within one account. You are only limited by the amount of tags you could create before your page became unmanageable.
With a bit of imagination and skill, you can use the [...]

#15 Linking The Web

Linking to web information from a school website sounds like a very simple concept, and indeed it is. It is also a hugely powerful way of interacting with teaching staff, and producing an end product that will be of immense use to teaching staff and pupils.
If your school already has a school website, chances are [...]

#14 Images And Video

Most people own, or have access to, digital cameras and camcorders.
Filming and photographing pupils when they take part in sporting, social or library activities is a great way to get to know pupils better, have some fun with them , and keep a record for your newsletter or Intranet.
Please be aware that parents’ permission is [...]

#13 Del.icio.us for CPD

The new technologies section looks at the technical side of setting up a del.icio.us account. Once you’re up and running with it, the simplicity and power of the tool should make you aware of its potential in several different roles.
One of those is in the CPD sphere. Here is just one simple example of how [...]

#12 Clubs

Clubs are a great way to publicise the library’s facilities, get the space busy and have fun at the same time!
The beauty of clubs is that there is such a wide variety of interest groups that can be tapped, there are bound to be a range of activities that will interest pupils and the librarian. [...]

#11 Podcasts

Podcasting is often viewed as highly technical, specialist area. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Creating a podcast is not as easy as creating a blog, but it’s not difficult either.
You need: a plan (what do you need podcasts for?), time to record, a volunteer to make the recordings, a headphone and microphone set, [...]