How to hold Booktime events for schools

Before your event

• Talk to reception teachers about how you can work together to encourage parents to bring their children to the library.
• Provide them with leaflets about your library, how to join and the benefits, and membership cards if possible.
• Invite reception teachers to bring their class in to the library. Alternatively, arrange to visit the school for Booktime bookgifting sessions and stories.
• Try to get any library joining forms completed before any visit so that children can easily borrow a book when they come.

Ideas for the session

• Greet the class as they arrive, so they immediately feel comfortable in an unfamiliar place.

• Have a story – if you've received a Booktime library resource pack the Why Elephant has a Trunk big book would be ideal – they may already know the story, so encourage them to join in.
• Have a simple and fun activity which the children can enjoy in 5–10 minutes eg. A treasure hunt using Booktime stickers, exclusive to libraries, that can then be used as incentives or rewards; a Why Elephant has a Trunk collage activity; or a challenge for the children to look round in pairs and find The Elephant's favourite books in the library (the children just have to give a good reason for choosing the books they find!).
• Why not let them choose a book to take home – allow 10-15 minutes for this. Some children will need help.
• Have an extra member of staff to deal with the admin of taking out books, so you have time to talk to the children.
• It's a good idea to record the number of children who came and any lessons learned for the next time.