The Trapped Librarian

Make your library the center of your school

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Topics
    • Books for Kids
    • Bulletin Boards and Displays
    • FUN!
    • Helpful Hints
    • Library Advocacy
    • Life
    • Organize It!
    • School Library
    • Technology
    • TPT
  • Shop
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
You are here: Home / School Library / Why Your Students Need Library Catalog Practice

January 22, 2021 by: Laura

Why Your Students Need Library Catalog Practice

Last Updated on November 14, 2022 by Laura

Why Your Elementary Students Need Library Catalog Practice

I realize that many educators don’t see the importance of library catalog practice for our elementary students. Is it really that important for our students to know how to use this online version of the old-fashioned card catalog? I believe that mastery of these important library catalog skills contributes to strong lifelong learning and independent thinking. Consider the following scenario…

How can we best help our elementary students?

A student comes in and asks you for a book. Do you go to the shelf and grab it for them? Or do you take the time to guide them in some library catalog practice? Do you encourage them to search the library catalog themselves? And then do you take the time to give a little mini lesson on locating the book? Of course it is much easier to do the first thing, to give the student the book. And we ARE helping them get what they want. But does this really serve our students in the long run?

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Lao Tsu

Although the origin of this old adage may be disputed, the truth of the sentiment has endured through the years. And it is this idea that fuels my desire to instill independence in my students. That is why I believe it is important to help our students with library catalog practice throughout the year.

Scaffold Your Library Catalog Instruction

Library Catalog Practice for kindergarten through 5th grade students

Like so many important library skills concepts, it is imperative to scaffold student learning so that skills from previous years are reinforced and built upon.  Add a bit of new library catalog practice each year at each grade level and you have a recipe for success!  We all want our students to find the information they want and need! I use this K-5 Library Catalog Unit to ensure that the skills I am teaching in kindergarten through fifth grade build upon one another each year. We learn about different types of library catalog searches (subject, keyword, title, author, series), adding on each year.

Kindergarten and first grade library catalog practice

These activities have the most potential for student application beyond class if students are logged into the library catalog and if they have some choice.  So I begin teaching students how to log into the Destiny catalog system and check their information in 2nd grade.  After that I usually have them log into the library catalog for most of our library skills activities.  Students learn to put books on hold and we talk about personal information, privacy protection, and safety. 

Library Standards and Best Practices

Giving students the skills and tools to effectively use the library catalog and find resources in the library lays a very basic and necessary foundation for future inquiry and information seeking.  Therefore the activities in this unit support the following American Association of School Librarian Standards from the Framework for Learners:

IV. CURATE:  Make meaning for oneself and others by collecting, organizing, and sharing resources of personal relevance.

A. THINK:  Learners act on an information need by:

  •   Determining the need to gather information.
  •   Identifying possible sources of information.
  •   Making critical choices about information sources to use.

B. CREATE:  Learners gather information appropriate to the task by:

  • Seeking a variety of sources.

Library Catalog Practice for K-5

Library Catalog Practice for kindergarten through 5th grade from The Trapped Librarian

This unit contains library catalog practice lesson ideas and activities to teach search and location skills to your Kindergarten โ€“ 5th grade students. Although I created this unit for use with Follett’s Destiny system, the activities can be used with any library catalog system.

Students will learn to conduct 5 types of library catalog searches:

  • Subject
  • Series
  • Title
  • Author
  • Keyword

Included in this time-saving product:

  • Teacher’s Guide with Standards Alignment
  • Lesson Ideas for each grade, K-5
  • Student guides for logging into Destiny and for putting a book on hold
  • Video tutorial and reference page for holds and lists in Destiny Discover
  • 10 worksheets for grades 3 – 5 for classic Destiny
  • 10 worksheets for grades 3 – 5 for Destiny Discover
  • 10 worksheets for grades 3 – 5 without the Destiny label – use with any library catalog system!
  • Answer keys
  • Step-by-step instructions for setting up your Visual Search
  • Digital version (grades 3-5) to Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams 
  • Editable title/author/series worksheets (PowerPoint file)

Grab it and start teaching your students to “fish” today!

The Ultimate Year Round Library Catalog Resource

Year Round Library Catalog Practice Bundle from the Trapped Librarian

And if you want to save as you continue library catalog instruction throughout the year, take a look at this money saving bundle of all of my library catalog resources!

Don’t miss these library catalog articles!:

  • Spice Up Your Library Catalog Instruction
  • Empower Your Students with Catalog Skills
Why should your elementary library lessons include library catalog practice?  Instill independence in your K-5 students as they learn and practice important library skills. Get elementary library ideas for scaffolding your instruction for student success and engagement! Whether you need Destiny library lessons, Destiny Discover library lessons, or lessons for ANY other library catalog system, this article is for you. Make your library lessons fun and engaging with these practical ideas.

Be the light!

  • Why You Should Teach About Advertising Techniques
    Encourage Growth Mindset with the Questioneers Books

    Comments

    1. Lisa Sullivan says

      January 30, 2021 at 6:41 PM

      Our library moved recently, so I feel like I am starting all over again with helping students find the books they are looking for! Thanks for the ideas to spice up instruction on using the library catalog.

      • Laura says

        February 11, 2021 at 9:20 AM

        You’re welcome! How excited to have a new location!!

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Past Posts

    Categories

    Find it Fast

    Books for Kids Bulletin Boards and Displays Collaboration Distance Learning Freebies FUN! Helpful Hints Inspiration Library Advocacy Library Decor Library Events Library Lessons Library Management Life Organize It! Professional Development Remote Learning Research School Library Seasonal Technology Tech Tips Test Prep TPT Uncategorized

    TPT Shop

    Facebook

    Pinterest

    Instagram

    thetrappedlibrarian

    ๐Ÿ“š Elementary School Librarian
    ๐ŸŒŸ NBCT 2011
    ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿปโ€๐Ÿซ Teacher Author
    Blog: trappedlibrarian.org

    โญ๏ธ ๐—š๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐˜€๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฎ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€!โญ๏ธ These book series lists will keep your students reading and hook them on books that they love.

๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐˜๐—ผ 25% ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ ๐—ง๐—›๐—”๐—ก๐—ž๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—จ25!
 
Features of this time-saving resource:
โœ…  Lists of popular chapter book series in order
โœ…  Printable or Digital lists
โœ…  Printable bookmarks have fun quotes on the back
 
๐Ÿ“š  Grab this versatile resource and make it easy for your students to find their next favorite book! ๐Ÿ“š

Grab them today! >>>>> https://bit.ly/3efDOze
    ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฝ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€!
This big bundle of year-round library resources is ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜„๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€ 30% offโ€ฆ
๐ŸŽ‰ ๐—•๐—จ๐—ง ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ง๐—ช๐—ข ๐——๐—”๐—ฌ๐—ฆ ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—น๐˜† โ€” you can save up to 25% ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ during the TPT sale with code ๐—ง๐—›๐—”๐—ก๐—ž๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—จ25! (Today & tomorrow May 6-7)

โญ๏ธ ALL of my monthly library bundles
โญ๏ธ 30% off individual prices โ€” plus extra sale savings!
โญ๏ธ Bonus guide to help you plan each month
โญ๏ธ Lessons, bulletin boards & more to carry you through the year

โœ… Preview here: https://bit.ly/3v2Pc9R
    โœจ ๐— ๐—”๐—ฌ ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—™๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—ง โœจ ๐— ๐—”๐—ฌ ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—™๐—ข๐—จ๐—ฅ๐—ง๐—› ๐—•๐—˜ ๐—ช๐—œ๐—ง๐—› ๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—จ! โœจ Need some fresh ideas to wrap up the school year? The Library Helpers newsletter has you covered!

Here's a peek inside:
โญ๏ธ An idea for ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐——๐—ฎ๐˜† + 19 more fun National Days!
โญ๏ธ Intergalactic Research Report
โญ๏ธ Popsicle-themed trivia game for review fun
โญ๏ธ An ocean-themed library catalog practice

๐Ÿ’ป Donโ€™t miss these time-saving resourcesโ€”click "๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜„๐˜€๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€" in bio!

 #libraryhelpersnewsletter #elementarylibrary #teacherlibrarian #librariansofinstagram #elementarylibrarian #librarymediaspecialist #schoollibrarian #schoollibrary #librariansofig #schoollibrarians
    Looking for a fun way to keep your Kโ€“2 students Looking for a fun way to keep your Kโ€“2 students moving and engaged? ๐ŸŽ’
โญ๏ธ Grab this FREE School Supplies Scavenger Hunt โ€” it's low-prep, high-fun, and perfect for your library or classroom!
Sign up and get it sent straight to your inbox. ๐Ÿ“ฌ

๐Ÿ‘‰ Download it today at the link in bio!

#ElementaryLibrary #LibraryLessons #LibraryActivities #SchoolLibrarian #KindergartenTeacher #FirstGradeTeacher #TeacherFreebies #ActiveLearning
#MovementInTheClassroom #ScavengerHuntFun
    โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿ˜Ž ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ฎ๐˜†/๐—๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜„๐˜€๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ is here to help you finish the year strong and start dreaming about summer! This issue is packed with practical ideas for your school library.

 ๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚โ€™๐—น๐—น ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ: 
 โ˜€๏ธEnd-of-year library lesson tips!
 โ˜€๏ธLots of book lists!
 โ˜€๏ธGreat ideas to promote Summer Reading!
 โ˜€๏ธResources to motivate your kiddos to return their books!

๐Ÿ“ฌ Check your inbox or click the link in bio to read it now!

 #libraryhelpersnewsletter #elementarylibrary #librariansofinstagram #teacherlibrarian #librarymediaspecialist #elementarylibrarian #schoollibrary #schoollibrarian #schoollibrarians
    โ˜€๏ธGet ready for May with great ideas for your โ˜€๏ธGet ready for May with great ideas for your library lessons! 

โœ… Library Review and Assessment
โœ… Ocean-themed storytime
โœ… Calming Yoga
โœ… Summer Reading Challenge

๐Ÿ˜Ž You'll be ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜…๐—ฒ๐—ฑ and ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ for the month!

๐Ÿค“ Read it on the Trapped Librarian Blog!
>>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/2022/05/18/may-library-lessons/

 #maylibrary #schoollibrarians #elementarylibrarylessons #librariansofig #schoollibrarian #elementarylibrarian #schoollibrary #elementarylibrary #librarymediaspecialist #librariansofinstagram
    โญ ๐—œ๐˜'๐˜€ ๐—ก๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น โญ ๐—œ๐˜'๐˜€ ๐—ก๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜๐—ต! โญ

Do you celebrate Poetry Month in your library??

It's a great time to....
โœ… Encourage creativity
โœ… Strengthen collaboration with classroom teachers
โœ… Renew interest in your library's poetry section

โžก๏ธ Get more ideas over on the blog >>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/2021/04/4-fun-poetry-month-activities-for-the-school-library/

 #poetrymonth #teacherlibrarian #elementarylibrary #librariansofinstagram #librarymediaspecialist #elementarylibrarian #schoollibrary #schoollibrarian #librariansofig
    ๐™๐™š๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™ง๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™๐™–๐™ฎ๐™ก๐™ค๐™ง ๐™Ž๐™ฌ๐™ž๐™›๐™ฉ: ๐™๐™–๐™˜๐™ฉ๐™จ, ๐™Œ๐™ช๐™ž๐™ฏ๐™ฏ๐™š๐™จ, ๐˜ผ๐™˜๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ซ๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™š๐™จ ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™ˆ๐™ค๐™ง๐™š! By Gena Chester | Capstone Press, 2025 | Ages 8-11 

๐Ÿฉท Swifties of all ages will love this engaging title packed with vibrant photos, fun facts, and interesting tidbits about the ever-popular Taylor Swift. The book includes interactive quizzes that both test fansโ€™ knowledge and invite future fans  to learn more about the starโ€™s life, music, and career. With its colorful design and high-interest content, it's sure to grab the attention of young readers.

๐Ÿฉต If your students are anything like mine, they canโ€™t get enough of Taylor Swift โ€” and this book will definitely feed their fascination. Itโ€™s perfect for skimming, reading cover to cover, sharing with friends, or diving into solo. 

๐Ÿ’œ I highly recommend adding it to your collection, and you might even want to grab more than one copy. Itโ€™s bound to be in high demand!

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone Press for the opportunity to read a digital review copy of this title. Available 8/1/25

 #elementarylibrary #teacherlibrarian #schoollibrarian #librariansofinstagram #swifties #schoollibrarians
    We all know how lively school can get in the sprin We all know how lively school can get in the spring! ๐ŸŒธ Sometimes, a calming reset is exactly what students need. These yoga books for kids offer a gentle way to introduce mindfulness and movement, helping kids refocus and build self-control. ๐Ÿง˜โ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ’ซ
Check out this new blog post for 14 of the best yoga books to add to your library!
๐Ÿ”— Link in bio. https://trappedlibrarian.org/2025/03/19/yoga-books-for-kids/
#YogaBooksForKids #ElementaryLibrary #MindfulnessInSchools #YogaForKids #LibraryLife #SpringReset
    Follow on Instagram
    • ABOUT
    • CONTACT
    • Privacy Policy

    © 2025 // Design by Laugh Eat Learn // Theme by Pretty Darn Cute Design