Strategies and Tools for School Library Programs

Section 1: Planning for the Year

•   Three-year Strategic Planning is a worthwhile activity: 

  LIBRARY RESOURCE CENTRE STRATEGIC PLAN - sample.doc 

Section 2: Managing Your Budget

• Here's an Excel template for tracking the purchases. Library Accounts 2007-08(1).xls 
• Be sure to reconcile your packing slip with the order, to sign that the order has been received, and to forward the invoice for payment either to your school accountant (if there is no CPO) or to VSB Accounting (if there is a CPO).  NOTE:  Wherever possible, buy from a company with a CPO as the tax is immediately rebated to your library account.  You will notice a discrepancy between what you authorized for payment and what is actually paid out by VSB Accounting, always in your favour.  You will not notice this if the account is paid from the school.  

Section 3: Managing the Collection

•  ILLin'... (Inter-library Loan discussion) 

Section 4:  Managing Your Time

•  Why not analyze how you spend your time in a week?  Use this Activitiy Log. Activity Log.doc 

Section 5:  Surviving the First Year

• Ask ME to arrange for you to have a mentor
• Check what courses (online and/or at UBC) and VSB Pro D opportunities are available
• Read what Alice Yucht has to say.
• Pay attention to the "flow" of the year in the library and at your school:  when are the busiest months, when it might not be advisable to undertake inventory? what are the seasonal demands? when are the quieter times, when you could plan to do inventory, for example?
• Anticipate June as the busiest month.  Plan for it and get as much off your plate as possible.