Back to Libraries: Ready, Set, Shelve!
by Stephanie Campbell, MLIS and Travis Corter, Brodart Copywriter
As the new school year kicks off, libraries become the heart of learning once again. Whether you’re preparing for first-time students or welcoming familiar faces, it’s the perfect moment to refresh your space, streamline your systems, and stock up on essential library supplies that set you up for success.
Up Your Library Processing Game
A streamlined library processing system minimizes problem points while maximizing patron engagement. Investing in high-quality processing labels, barcode scanners, and circulation supplies keeps your shelves organized and your data clean. These unsung heroes keep check-in and checkout practices running smoothly. Color-coding collections with transparent labels over the spine labels can make things easier to find and shelve. You can take a similar approach with stickers to identify genres within a general fiction collection.
Tracking your books makes purchasing decisions, weeding, and other circulation challenges easy to approach. So where do you start? Our Barcoding for Beginners guide helps you pinpoint the circulation software, symbiology, and style to best meet your library’s needs.
Weeding Library Collections with Confidence
Library weeding is more than shelf-clearing—it’s a strategic way to boost circulation. It's easy to weed most areas by age, condition, and low circulation. But sometimes you need to be more ruthless with your criteria. Even classics and well-reviewed items must go if they haven't done well in your community, particularly if you are a small location in a big library system. You don't need to be all things for all people. And volunteers can be a great resource to pull books from printed circ reports, cross out barcodes, and more.
Book Jacket Covers Won’t Steer You Wrong
Boost your book appeal with book jacket covers that combine durability with design. Even older books can look fresh and inviting when given a little extra polish. Explore our range of adjustable and pre-cut options to protect your investment and keep titles shelf-ready all year long.
Display Ideas That Increase Library Circulation
Draw patrons and students in with charming displays. Displaying books by the cover’s dominant color, similar fonts, or cover imagery is an attractive and easy way to bring those “hidden gems” to the forefront. Highlighting “hidden gem” titles can make readers feel like you’re letting them in on a secret.
Additional Display Tips
Consider using slatwall endcaps on shelving to create more display space. You can also create a “recently returned” shelf that patrons can browse.
Use book-bin furniture or tubs instead of shelves for easier browsing of children's materials.
If possible, leave top and bottom shelves empty, as these are hard for patrons to reach.
Your Library Supply Checklist Starts Here
Now that you have a few more tips and tricks at your disposal, you’ll want to make sure you have all the resources you need. Take advantage of our August specials through August 31, 2025.