6 Essentials Every School Library Website Needs

The library website should be the first place students go to use your library’s resources, whether they are looking up a book in the online catalog or using a research database to answer a homework question. Students and teachers need a “one-stop shop” to access the best research resources to learn about and teach with.

It’s also likely the first interaction that parents and community members will have with your school library and your work as a teacher-librarian. So it’s important to make a positive first impression and make sure your website shows your library program in the best light.

As teacher-librarians, we know that school libraries provide an excellent return on investment for taxpayer dollars…but let’s face it, many folks don’t know that. Especially as more U.S. communities are pushing for book bans and public access to lesson plans, your website can be the first line of defense to answer questions and inform your community about the school library’s program and policies.

With that in mind, here are my top 6 recommendations for what absolutely must be on your school library website, plus a few bonus ideas for updating an older library website.

What to Include on Your School Library Website

And don’t worry, you can get the whole checklist with a database logins template at the end of this post.

Beginner Level Basics to get you started:

1. Links to the online library catalog and online resources
   • Ideally, these links or embedded “widgets” should make the resource easily accessible within 2 clicks from your library website.
   • Include a search box or logo linked to your online catalog.
   • Links to free or ad-supported research websites such as National Geographic Kids, Britannica Kids, Wonderopolis, MyBib.com, and Research Wagon.
   • If your library or district subscribes to any research databases or paid resources, such as PebbleGo, PebbleGo Next, World Book Online, or BrainPOP, include a link so that it’s easy for anyone to get to it and use it.

2. Library staff contact information
   • A photo of you, your name, and the names of any clerical staff, very prominently displayed
     • It’s especially important for community members to know that real people are needed to staff and run your school library program.
     • While a real photo is best, using an avatar such as a Bitmoji is fine to start.
   • Your email and/or phone number to reach you.
   • If you are nervous about publishing your school email address or phone number, embed a Google Form and set it to send you an email whenever there is a new “response.”
     • Be sure to test this yourself, and ask a non-work friend to test that it works!

Next Level Features to add to your library website as soon as possible:

3. A dedicated Parent and / or Community page
   • A short explanation of what the school library offers students, staff, parents, and the community as part of the school’s wider educational program.
     • Write in simple, concise sentences, perhaps only 5-6 sentences. While it’s tempting to tell folks everything that’s amazing about your school library, keep it short and sweet!
     • Don’t use education jargon or abbreviations. Remember that this page is designed for non-educators.
   • Checkout or borrowing times for different materials (print books, ebooks, audiobooks, etc.)
   • Library policies and procedures for how overdue and lost materials are handled.
   • Links to board-approved collection development policies and donation policies, with an easy-to-understand explanation of how materials are chosen.
   • An invitation to donate from a pre-selected wish list (or a birthday book program, if you have one)
   • An invitation to volunteer with links to the necessary clearances required by your local, state, or federal laws.

4. A dedicated teacher or staff resources page
   • How-to video tutorials for searching and using the library resources, including how to find citations to copy-and-paste inside a research database.
   • How-to video tutorials for using popular free research websites such as National Geographic Kids, Britannica Kids, Wonderopolis, and MyBib.com.
   • Links to any teacher tools created by database vendors or paid subscriptions, for example Capstone Connect or World Book Online’s teacher training website.

5. Library resource passwords digital document
   • If you’re school or district uses Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, or a similar system, create a shared digital document with all of the logins needed to use the library resources or paid subscriptions. When logins or passwords are updated, you only need to change them in one place.
   • Set the sharing permissions so that only your students and staff members can view it or save it to their own drive.
   • Add a link to this live, digital document wherever a paid resource appears on your website. Make it easy to find and open from home page, digital resources page, and Teacher & Staff page.

Use this FREE template to create your Library Logins & Passwords document to share with students.

Plus, try the interactive Library Website Checklist in Google Docs to print or track your progress.

GET THEM HERE!

6. Links to the library curriculum, Google Classrooms, or other learning management system (LMS), or at least a brief description of the library curriculum by grade level.
   • If you are teaching online or using a blended / hybrid learning model in your library classes, parents and students should have access to their online library classwork, even if students don’t earn a library “grade” on their report card.
   • If you teach in-person only, or if your school’s LMS doesn’t have a dedicated parent access, write a short summary of what each grade-level class learns during library classes on the Parents / Community page.
     • Each grade level could have their own page on the library website, or you can band a few grades together, such as 3rd through 5th grades.

Expert Level Extras to add later or when you have time:

7. Project-specific pages for class research projects or units
   • Separate pages can be linked to the bottom of your Student Resources page and the Teacher & Staff Resources page.
   • Alternatively, you can create slide presentations with the best resources and embed them on the Student Resources page and the Teacher & Staff Resources page.
8. Library class schedule posted on the home page and Parents / Community page
   • This can be an embedded spreadsheet, document, slides, or even a static image.
   • If your schedule is a PDF, you can use ILovePDF.com to convert it into a JPG image.
9. Pages explaining special programs offered, such as lunchtime book clubs, reading competitions, or “birthday book” donation programs.
10. Social media links or embedded feeds
    • This may not be a priority for elementary school libraries, but middle school and high school libraries will likely want to do this sooner rather than later.
    • Engaging your students on their preferred social media platform can be a fantastic way to advocate for your school library. Meet them where they are online!

Worth the Time and Effort

As overwhelming as it feels to create your library website from scratch or update an old library website, investing the time and energy now can make your job easier in the future.

By starting with the basics and adding extra features or pages later, you’ll build an easy-to-use school library website that becomes a digital hub for research, reading, and advocating for the school library program.

And if you’d like help with creating or updating your school library website, grab the FREE printable checklist and database logins template in Google Docs.

Get the Complete Library Website Checklist + Database Logins Template in Google Docs!