How to Host Library Field Trips for Grades 3-5
Help elementary students fall in love with the public library with engaging library field trip activities! This outline includes a welcome script, read-aloud ideas, book talk tips, how to introduce students to the library’s online catalog, and more. Use all the ideas for an hour-long visit, guaranteed to keep students coming back, or pick and choose one or two activities. Adjust the outline to suit the needs of your students and teachers, shortening or lengthening it as necessary. For example, consider adding more book talks or skipping them!
Overview
When it comes to spreading the joy of reading and turning students into library users, nothing beats a public library field trip. You’ll get to sell parent chaperones on the many wonders of the local library, too! Here are some considerations to make when organizing field trips:
Set Clear Expectations with the Teacher
Discuss expectations with teachers ahead of time. Ask what aspects of the library they’d like to see covered (such as how to access ebooks or reserve a study room) and if they’d like you to highlight books from a particular genre or subject.
Other important basics include confirming the desired duration of the visit, whether students can check out materials during the visit, and whether teachers want to bring lunches or snacks to the library, which requires a food-approved space.
Discussing classroom management expectations is always encouraged, too!
Will Students Need Library Cards Issued?
If you’re a lucky duck and the students in your district automatically receive library cards on their first day of school, or you offer student cards that don’t require a guardian’s signature, then this section doesn’t apply to you. For us, mere mortal librarians, you’ll have to decide how to handle students who don’t have or bring their library cards. Do your Circulation staff a favor and find out how they’d prefer this be managed, too, as creating 20+ library cards during the field trip may not be feasible.
We typically send both print card applications and a link to our online application to teachers a month before the field trip so that they can distribute them to parents. This gives parents time to sign their children up for library cards before the visit.
Welcome Script
Now that your students have arrived, here is a welcome script that highlights what they’ll be doing during the visit and upcoming library events:
Tell Students What They’ll Be Doing
Hello and welcome to the ________ Library! My name is ________, and I’m a Youth Librarian. Today, I’ll give you a special behind-the-scenes tour of the library, show you where to find the best books, movies, and things, and give you time to browse. Before that, I’ll read you a story, show you some of the latest and greatest books, and show you how to use our online catalog to find special items in the library. If you need to use the restroom at any time, you can find them in the hallway. Just let your teacher know before you go.
Promote Library Programs By Asking What They’ve Done Before!
Let students share the fun things they’ve done at prior library visits to show newbies all there is to do. It’s also a great way to spark engagement at the beginning of your presentation:
Raise your hand if you have been to this library before. Awesome, welcome back! Raise your hand if you’ve been HERE in our program room before? What did you do in this room? Please raise your hand and share with us!
You can do all those things and more at the library. In addition to storytimes and studying, we have book clubs, craft programs, reading to dogs, Star Wars Camp, slime making, watch movies, etc. [List awesome things you do regularly or have coming up to pique their interest!]
Read Alouds
Not reading a story to students during a library field trip is like visiting a candy store and not getting candy. Don’t deprive kids OF ANY AGE the opportunity to hear a story and fall in love with reading! Below is a script to help you transition from your introduction into reading aloud How This Book Was Made by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex. It’s my absolute favorite book-themed read-aloud for grades 3-5!
In addition to all those fun things, my favorite thing to do at the library is read stories, like this one! Does anyone know how a book like this is made? What is the process? What happens after an author writes the story? Well, it’s way more exciting than you might think. This book will tell us how THIS actual book was created and arrived here at the library.
For more great read-alouds about books and the library, see My Favorite Library-Themed Storytime Books.
Book Talks
Now introduce 3-5 of the library’s latest and greatest books. Every librarian has their favorite method for book talks. I typically write a brief and enticing summary and tape it to the back of the book. Then I can hold the book up to showcase the cover and glance at my prepared blurb if I need it. If you’re hosting multiple classes, consider choosing books you own multiple copies of, displaying read-alikes similar to the ones you book talk, or showing students how to place the books you mentioned on hold if you don’t have enough to go around.
A good transition from your read-aloud to book talks is:
Now that you know how this book was made, you’ll know that all the books displayed behind me are dying for you to read them, too! What kind of books do you like? Are there any books you are dying to read over holiday break? What are your favorite books? Raise your hand if you’re willing ot tell us.
Well, if you like animal books, then you’ll love this one…
If you liked The One and Only Ivan, then you’ll love this one…
If you like soccer, then you’ll love this one…etc.
Great Resources for Book Talks
If you’re a book talk newbie or want to freshen up your routine, try these tips and resources:
- How to Use Booktalks to Instill a Love of Reading by Scholastic
- Adventures in Booktalking by Jbrary
- Engaging Reluctant Readers During Book Talks by Ontarian Librarian
- Publisher YouTube Channels with Book Talks & Trailers:
Introducing the Library’s Online Catalog
Now that students have ideas for books to check out, provide a brief overview of the public catalog so they can locate and hold more. My favorite method is to connect a laptop to a large screen, making it big enough for students to see clearly. Here is a sample script for doing a quick overview. If you have the time and your audience has the patience, feel free to dig into your catalog deeper by showing them how to filter results, about search terms, etc.
Raise your hand if you can tell me how to find out if the Library has a book you want. Yes! You can ask a librarian OR go online to our website. [Show website & navigate to catalog]
Let’s search for The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. There are so many options, including books, large print, and audiobooks. Now we’ll click on the book to see if it’s available and where it’s located in the library. It says “Available” and it’s located in the “J Fiction” section under “Applegate” because the author’s last name organizes books in that area.
Let’s look up another book – what should we look up? [If it’s not available, show them how to place it on hold using a card number.]
Ok, one more search: Would you rather wrestle a shark or play in the World Cup? [Search for sharks or soccer and point out how many books, audiobooks, etc., there are on that topic.]
You can do this on a catalog computer here in the library or from home on your computer, tablet, or phone! Any questions?
Public Library Tour
Tours are a great way to get students (and adults!) more comfortable in the library and excited to start browsing. Be sure to highlight where students can find catalog computers, reference desks, new books, the best sections for their age group (juvenile fiction, tween fiction, etc.), check-out stations, and library of things items. It’s also an excellent opportunity to tell fun library stories and local history. For example, “Did you know that painting of a cat in the stairwell is of the library’s actual library cat from the 1980s? Can you imagine petting a cat while you read books in the library?!”
Walking large classes around can get tricky, especially when stragglers get rowdy. Feel free to get in-depth with smaller groups (take them for a behind-the-scenes walk behind the Circulation desk or another staff area, or share fun library stories) and quickly point things out for bigger groups.
I enjoy passing out library scavenger hunts for groups of 20 or more kids to help them get the wiggles out while still learning the lay of the libraryland. A sample is below using photos of things in the library, but there are countless ways to conduct a hunt!
Time to Browse
Concluding with time for students to browse and check out books is a great way for students to decompress after focusing their attention for so long and practice their new library skills. If you still need to fill time, consider a simple bookmark craft! Set out white cardstock bookmarks, a basket of colored pencils or markers, and they’ll have a blast!
Classroom Management Tips for Youth Librarians
Ask the Teacher!
Before the visit, ask the teacher if there are any special tools they use to quiet and focus their students. Some may clap a rhythm, flick the lights, or use a special phrase. It’s helpful to have a quick chat about management with teachers because each one has unique expectations. For example, what I consider an appropriate noise level and what the teacher finds appropriate could be two very different things. Feel free to let the teacher know that you’ll give them a nod if you’d like them to step in and quiet the class down, as some teachers may jump in unexpectedly.
Movement Rhymes
If you feel students getting antsy, I love using the following songs to grab their attention, help shake their sillies out, and keep them engaged a bit longer.
If You Can Hear Me
If you can hear me, clap once (pause to let them clap and assess how many did it)
If you can hear me, clap twice
If you can hear me, clap three times
If you can hear me, stand up (move on to these movements if too many are still not listening)
…Hands up
…On your head
…Jump until I tell you to stop
…STOP!
…Queitly sit down
Two Little Blackbirds
I do this with all first and second grade classes, so by the time they get to third and fourth grade, it’s nostalgic. Plus, the anticipation building is fantastic, and by the time you get to LOUD, they’re staring at you rapt with excitement about getting to yell in the library.
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill (hold up index fingers)
One named Jack (bounce left index finger)
One named Jill (bounce right index finger)
Fly away Jack (fly left hand behind your back)
Fly away Jill (fly right hand behind your back)
Come back Jack (fly left hand back to front)
Come back Jill (fly right hand back to front)
Two little black birds sitting in the snow (hold up index fingers)
One named fast (shake left index finger super fast)
One named slow…
Two little black birds feeling very proud
One named quiet
One named LOUD!…
Great Classroom Management Resources
- Classroom Management in the Library (Part 1): Routines and Procedures from the Sowing Seeds Librarian
- Behavior Strategies for Library Programs from VermontAfterSchool.org
- How to Manage Behaviors in the Library by Anna Melvin from the ALSC Blog
