Scanning without extra equipment
The children can easily find a book that suits them, so they read a wider variety of books. Scanning is easy with an iPad, Chromebook or phone, and you don't need any extra expensive equipment for it.
The school library in order, and kept that way for good
100% grip on the school library, and adding to the collection deliberately
The problem
Does this sound familiar?
The mountain of work you don't know where to start with
A limited budget that has to be spent carefully
A spreadsheet that's out of date the moment you close it
Library software that throws everything on one pile, so you still don't know where a book is
How it works
Do it yourself or together with a local bookshop or library
1
Weeding, categorizing and labeling
Remove unattractive books, sort the rest per shelf and put labels with protective film on them. You keep an up-to-date, findable and tidy library.
You see the spread across ages, the fiction/non-fiction balance and the publication date. This is the point where weeding turns from a gut feeling into a guideline.
2
Taking stock
Scan in the collection and get a complete overview. It's lightning fast, for two reasons:
- No barcode stickers, because the ISBN is already on the book.
- Everyone scans along on their own phone, so you don't have to buy (a large number of) scanners and can start today.
3
Renewing
Replace roughly 10% of the books each year and keep the quality secured. Ask a local bookshop or library for tailored advice, or exchange insights with another school.
Proof
Three customer stories, each linked to a different step:
Scanning without extra equipment
The children can easily find a book that suits them, so they read a wider variety of books. Scanning is easy with an iPad, Chromebook or phone, and you don't need any extra expensive equipment for it.
Clear, organized shelves thanks to labels
Thanks to the labels, the bookcases are very well organized, making it even easier for children to find a book that suits them.
Clear, organized shelves thanks to labels
Thanks to the labels, the bookcases are very well organized, making it even easier for children to find a book that suits them.
Finally a clear picture
Thanks to the School Library App, everyone knows which books we have in the library, and we finally have a clear picture of what the pupils are reading.
Finally a clear picture
Thanks to the School Library App, everyone knows which books we have in the library, and we finally have a clear picture of what the pupils are reading.
Why not something else?
These are the three alternatives
A spreadsheet
Works fine on the day you make it. But nobody keeps it up to date, duplicate entries creep in, and after a few months nobody knows which version is the right one anymore. There's no link to a physical location, so you still end up searching book by book.
A traditional lending system
Built for lending, not for collection management. You can see who has a book, but not what your collection looks like or where the gaps are. Often complicated, too, with a learning curve that doesn't suit a volunteer who only has one afternoon a week.
A library-scanning app from a publisher
Really just a spreadsheet with a scan function bolted on. Many titles are missing from the database, so your file stays full of gaps. Built to steer you toward their webshop, not to give you a grip on your collection with structure and a clear overview.
Frequently asked questions
Library Scan
- Library setup advice
- Scan your own book collection
- Detailed collection analysis
- New title suggestions
- Import/export via spreadsheet
- Share collection data with local partners
£125per year
Essential
- All Library Scan features +
- Student information system integration
- Team-wide collection insight
- Advanced search engine
- Extensive book information
- Order lists from student wishes
+£300per year
Complete
- All Essential features +
- Lending at school and home
- Track reading and engagement
- Personal book recommendations
- Insight into reading trends
- Weeding advice from lending data
+£1.70per pupil