#BooksOut4Summer
I do this thing I call #BooksOut4Summer or #SetTheBooksFree, in which families can sign up to allow their kids to each take 20 of our school library books home for the summer (and there might be a Library POP UP for 2 hrs in late July to exchange for more).

Ideally…

docs.google.com/document/d/1...
#BooksOut4Summer - Summer Library Loans @ Sardis Elem
#BooksOut4Summer Summer Library Loans @ Sardis Elementary What is #BooksOut4Summer ? The main idea: Instead of leaving the books unused, sad, and lonely on the Library shelves all summer long, we hav...
docs.google.com
June 18, 2024 at 12:31 AM
I have bags and boxes ready. Due date is set to two weeks after school starts. There is no reason for the books to be on lock down over summer. #TLSky #SchoolLibrarians #BooksOut4Summer
December 8, 2024 at 3:01 PM
Thinking ahead already to this conference, I’m also reminded of presenting a #BooksOut4Summer workshop last conf w/ @teacherkjohnson.bsky.social … and hoping #TLsky folks plan now to #SetTheBooksFree this summer.

Info on how/why here:
bsky.app/profile/exli...

(might propose a diff pro-d this time)
Calling all BC teacher-librarians! Save the date for the 2025 BCTLA conference with keynote @mychal3ts.bsky.social
Let’s celebrate how magical libraries - and teacher-librarians like you - are!
#sd36tl #BCTLA
February 9, 2025 at 2:49 AM
YES! The first 11 kids signed up to borrow #BooksOut4Summer came in this morning…chose 20ish books each.

More families will come by after school and before/after school tomorrow.

I love to #SetTheBooksFree rather than leave them in the library shelves all summer.
Here are some other past #BooksOut4Summer stats, which also show that, if you #SetTheBooksFree from abandonment on dusty shelves, they will be returned at the end of the holidays.

Summer losses aren’t an issue.

(More info in ALT)
June 25, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Recess Break PSA:

Don’t let books sit gathering dust over the long summer break ever again. Plan now for #SetTheBooksFree / #BooksOut4Summer

#TeacherLibrarians #SchoolLibrary
#TLsky

All the info + article⬇️
School Librarians:
Do you let students take books home for the summer when school’s closed?
Yes? Do tell.
No? You should try.
Read latest online
CDN School Library Journal generally & the specific article by @teacherkjohnson.bsky.social & I on this:
journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/compelling-r...
Compelling Reasons to #SetTheBooksFree: Plan Now for Summer Loans From Your School Library – Canadian School Libraries Journal
journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca
December 6, 2024 at 6:29 PM
#TLskyChat
Inv every year if possible (as in, w/ help).
I do other major year-end re-org wh/ helps keep in touch w/ col’ns:
weeding, genrefying, regrouping, shifting shelving/location to alleviate space issues.
Try to sign out books till 2nd last week,all must be back.
Then, org for #BooksOut4Summer
Q7 for tonight’s #TLSkyChat!

Inventory Every year? Never? How do you handle it? Is your library closed? Open til the last day?

For more information visit: tlskychat.com
May 22, 2025 at 1:13 AM
UPDATE:
Just starting Week 2 of the new school year and ALL #BooksOut4Summer loans are back—ZERO BOOKS LOST!(again)

Nice!

Stats:
September 9, 2025 at 9:50 PM
See also, 🧵
of more info ⬆️⬇️
about #BooksOut4Summer or #SetTheBooksFree,
letting kids checkout library books for the long summer holiday.

I want to know more about T-Ls who do this, how they run it, etc—hoping for more uptake ASAP from more school libraries.
bsky.app/profile/exli...
November 25, 2024 at 3:01 AM
So cool!

You might be interested in my and @teacherkjohnson.bsky.social hyping of summer loans for school library kids under #SetTheBooksFree or #BooksOut4Summer.

No more collecting dust on the shelves during summer holidays.
March 20, 2025 at 12:39 AM
to loan our school library collections out to kids over the summer—with no agenda or program goals other than borrow what you like and want to read.
Over on Twitter, I posted a lot about it:

@exlibrismrhunt #BooksOut4Summer and/or #SetFreeTheBooks
See also, @CdnSchoolLibrar promos
February 9, 2024 at 4:23 AM
Exciting to see @teacherkjohnson.bsky.social taking the summer loans (of school library books) idea to a bigger audience…

#SetTheBooksFree
#BooksOut4Summer

Read about in this 🧵
and try it out yourself.

bsky.app/profile/teac...

#TLsky #SchoolLibrary #TeacherLibrarian
When I first started summer lending a few years ago, I never imagined it would grow to include workshops and journal articles co-constructed with @exlibrismrhunt & colleagues in my district. The movement grows! Join me at Treasure Mountain in Toronto in January where I’ll be sharing my research.
December 7, 2024 at 6:26 PM
Ready for the BC Teacher-Librarians’ Association conference here at Vic High in beautiful Victoria.

Excited to be presenting a workshop this afternoon on #SetTheBooksFree #BooksOut4Summer to encourage T-Ls to let kids take library books home for summer holidays.
#bctla #PSAday
October 25, 2024 at 5:28 PM
Here’s the doc link so that my info/promo form/email with family sign up sheet can be put through a screen reader for accessibility:

docs.google.com/document/d/1...
#BooksOut4Summer - Summer Library Loans @ Sardis Elem
#BooksOut4Summer Summer Library Loans @ Sardis Elementary What is #BooksOut4Summer ? The main idea: Instead of leaving the books unused, sad, and lonely on the Library shelves all summer long, we have...
docs.google.com
June 16, 2025 at 5:45 PM
A4: Library joy beyond library, in community:

Love doing #BooksOut4Summer

Love that so many kids/families see me at important events—Pride, Mural Fest, cultural celebrations, other community activism I do—they know I’m a safe, caring, involved person; in turn, they’re more connected to the library
March 20, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Celebrating 6 Years of #SetTheBooksFree

journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/reading-joy-...

Last days of school:
#SetTheBooksFree
Let kids take them home, read them, love them for two months.
#BooksOut4Summer

#TLsky 📚 #Skybrarians

More info/ideas threaded below⬇️
May 26, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Inspired young author:

Back in June, after reading Perfect to some classes and issuing a challenge, one quirky fellow was so obsessed, he borrowed it for #BooksOut4Summer loans. September, he started coming in every day or so to show me new pages in the epic pencil & eraser comic he’s making…
I read Max Amato’s book Perfect to a few classes yesterday. I issued a challenge for kids to create sequels or inspired by books…said I’d have a prize for them if they did. One kid came back with this picture she’d made. Pretty cool! She got a book from the freebie cart.
October 8, 2024 at 3:14 PM
Last Day of School (with students); just our admin day tomorrow, then…summer holidays!

The last families signed up for #BooksOut4Summer checked out today to help #SetTheBooksFree!
June 26, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Speaking of Decrees…

So Decrees This Librarian:

May Day is the day for all T-Ls to begin planning to institute a #BooksOut4Summer event for the summer holidays. No more books collecting dust for months!
#SetTheBooksFree!

Here’s how/why:
bsky.app/profile/exli...
And,
bsky.app/profile/exli...
See also, 🧵
of more info ⬆️⬇️
about #BooksOut4Summer or #SetTheBooksFree,
letting kids checkout library books for the long summer holiday.

I want to know more about T-Ls who do this, how they run it, etc—hoping for more uptake ASAP from more school libraries.
bsky.app/profile/exli...
I do this thing I call #BooksOut4Summer or #SetTheBooksFree, in which families can sign up to allow their kids to each take 20 of our school library books home for the summer (and there might be a Library POP UP for 2 hrs in late July to exchange for more).

Ideally…

docs.google.com/document/d/1...
May 2, 2025 at 1:09 AM
You mentioned book stacks for summer vacation…I’m super passionate about school libraries doing summer loans…I could go on and on about it…access barriers down, incr use of resources…
@teacherkjohnson.bsky.social and I have even done workshops to spread the #BooksOut4Summer #SetTheBooksFree idea
January 16, 2025 at 3:02 AM
May 28, 2025 at 12:27 AM
“Reading Joy Should Not End in June! Set Your Books Free for the Summer”
journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/reading-joy-...

Last days of school:
#SetTheBooksFree
#BooksOut4Summer

#TLsky 📚 #Skybrarians

More info/ideas threaded below⬇️
May 26, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Tons more info and data under my @ExLibrisMrHunt handle on Twitter via #BooksOut4Summer and #SetTheBooksFree hashtags.

Is this done in schools in the U.S. at all?

Done internationally?

If you’re a CDN school doing this (maybe via Cdn School Lib Journal push?), let me know.
June 18, 2024 at 12:52 AM
Starting to receive a bunch of forms back from the #BooksOut4Summer / #SetTheBooksFree promo I started last week.

Yes!

The books won’t be sad, lonely, dusty on the shelves of the library this summer; they’ll go home with kid readers!

(See also, prev posts with those hashtags for more info + 🧵)
June 16, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Starting to hype #BooksOut4Summer this week.

It’s definitely time to #SetTheBooksFree again for the summer holidays.

(See my hashtags above for tons more info on letting kids take school library books home for the summer.)
June 2, 2025 at 4:08 PM
#LibraryLife, year-end edition…

Inventory bookdropping:

Joy for all the books that actually came back on this deadline day; sadness for all the books still unaccounted for; sadness for all the shelving now to do; joy for the upcoming #BooksOut4Summer / #SetTheBooksFree opportunity.

Mixed bag!
June 16, 2025 at 5:34 PM