The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Reading Program in an International School

Why a Reading Program Matters in International Schools

Reading programs aren’t just about hitting book quotas – they’re about fostering a culture of curiosity, connection, and confidence. In international schools, where student populations represent a broad mix of languages, backgrounds, and learning styles, a well-designed reading program is essential.

A successful reading program can help you:

• Strengthen language acquisition for multilingual learners
• Encourage independent learning
• Support cross-curricular literacy
• Celebrate diverse voices and global perspectives
• Build a strong sense of community through shared stories

And with the right library management system – like Accessit Library by Follett Software – running a reading program doesn’t have to be complicated.

Step 1: Define the purpose of your reading program.

Every school has different goals. Your first step is to get crystal clear on what you’re trying to achieve.

Is your program about:

• Boosting overall reading engagement?
• Improving specific literacy benchmarks?
• Encouraging multilingual reading?
• Building connections across your international school community?

Tip: Start with your curriculum goals and consider how reading can support them. Tie reading lists into current units of inquiry, IB themes, or language development milestones.

Step 2: Make it inclusive and culturally responsive.

In international settings, no two students have the same reading journey, and your program should reflect that.

Ideas to Increase Inclusion:

• Create genre and interest-based reading lists instead of age-based ones.
• Offer materials in multiple languages (print and digital).
• Highlight authors from a variety of backgrounds.
• Rotate reading themes to spotlight different cultures and global events.

With Accessit, you can easily build and share custom dashboards for each list – from “Books in Translation” to “Women in STEM” to “Year 7 Reads for Reluctant Readers”.

Resources such as videos, podcasts, and mini articles are also available to capture their attention and excite them to read further – this is especially useful for reluctant readers who may need some extra encouragement.

Step 3: Use technology to track and encourage participation.

Gone are the days of paper reading logs and sticker charts.

With Accessit Library, you can:

• Allow students to log their reading digitally
• Set up student profiles to track borrowing patterns and interests, and set up alerts for new books they might like
• Enable self-checkout and renewals through the online portal
• Let students write reviews and recommend books to peers
• Push automated reading reminders and program updates

This kind of digital engagement meets students where they already are – and gives them ownership of their reading progress. When students realise the freedom that comes with Accessit Library, they will be more excited than ever to engage with their library.

“Students love seeing their own dashboards. It makes them feel like their reading habits matter – because they do.” – Accessit Librarian, Australia

Step 4: Empower teachers to champion the program.

Your reading program will only scale if it’s embraced beyond the library. Get teachers on board by making it easy for them to participate.

Support teachers by:

• Curating ready-to-go reading lists tied to subjects
• Offering PD on integrating reading into nonlanguage classes
• Highlighting how reading supports IB skills like research, reflection, and communication
• Encouraging teacher book clubs or class-wide reads

Teachers using Accessit can access curated collections and easily embed links into lesson plans or class portals. They don’t need to be library experts – just engaged facilitators.

Step 5: Celebrate progress (not just completion).

Traditional reading programs reward finishing books. But in international schools, where reading levels vary widely, success looks different for every student.

Celebrate:

• Number of pages or amount of time read
• Reading in a new language
• Trying a new genre
• Reading aloud to a sibling or parent
• Writing a review or creating a book trailer

Use Accessit to track these milestones and spotlight them on a shared school dashboard, in assemblies, or through school-wide newsletters. Make each student feel important as you celebrate each milestone with them!

Step 6: Use data to refine and advocate.

The most effective reading programs are living programs – they grow, shift, and respond to your community’s needs.

Data You Can Track with Accessit:

• Which books are most (or least) borrowed
• Which genres are trending
• Which students are engaged – and which need more support
• Reading activity by age, class, or language group

This insight doesn’t just help you refine your program. It gives you hard numbers to bring to leadership when requesting budget for new materials, resources, or events. It’s always important to know which of your students may need a little extra support.

“With Accessit, I can show our administrators exactly what’s working – and what we need to better support students.” – Secondary Librarian, Hong Kong

Bring your reading program to life.

Need inspiration? Here are tried-and-true ideas from international librarians around the world:

• Reading Around the World: Passport-style challenge where students earn stamps for books from different countries
• Book Talks via Video: Students record short reviews and post to a school-wide reading board.
• Teacher Takeover: Each month, a teacher curates a display of their favorite books.
• Read-Aloud Relay: Different classes each read a chapter of the same book, then pass it on.
• Virtual Author Visits: Use your reading program as a platform to invite international voices.

The Secret to a Great Reading Program?

Consistency. Visibility. Flexibility.

Accessit Library was designed to help schools build meaningful reading programs without increasing staff workload. With automation, data insights, and an intuitive dashboard experience for both students and staff, it becomes the backbone of your library-led reading initiative.

Learn more about Accessit Library

Whether you’re starting a reading program from scratch or scaling an existing one across your school, Accessit Library is your trusted partner in bringing the power of reading to every student.

👉 Discover Accessit Library by Follett Software.

How to Prove Your Library’s Impact and Win Support: A Guide for International Schools

Why Librarians Need to Show Their Impact

In international schools, librarians wear many hats – from reading advocates to curriculum collaborators. But despite their essential role, libraries often face funding cuts, staffing challenges, or limited visibility in leadership discussions.

The challenge isn’t that school leaders don’t care – it’s that library impact is often invisible without the right tools and language.

Fortunately, tools like Accessit Library by Follett Software are designed to help you track, showcase, and advocate for your library’s contributions in ways that resonate with decision-makers. Learn how Accessit Library can start improving your library immediately.

Start with the data – but make it tell a story.

Library management systems like Accessit make it easy to pull usage statistics, borrowing trends, and reading engagement data. But data alone isn’t enough – you need to frame it in a way that speaks to school-wide goals.

What school leaders care about:

• Student achievement and involvement
• Equity and access
• Operational efficiency
• Return on investment (ROI)
• Curriculum alignment

Sample storytelling tactics:

• “Our checkout rates for multilingual books have increased 40% this year, supporting our goal of inclusive education.”
• “Students using Accessit to track reading progress showed stronger independent learning skills, aligning with our IB learner profile goals.”
• “We used usage reports to reallocate budget toward high-demand nonfiction, ensuring every dollar supports engagement.”

Use Accessit reporting tools to your advantage.

Here’s how international schools are using Accessit to build their advocacy tool kit:

✔ Borrowing Trends

Show what’s being read and by whom – broken down by class or year group, age, language, subject, or genre. Demonstrate engagement growth over time.

✔ Curriculum Alignment

Track resources used in direct support of curriculum units, inquiry projects, or literacy benchmarks.

✔ Program Participation

Pull data on reading program engagement, top-performing themes, and student-led book reviews or dashboards.

✔ Collection Development

Illustrate how collection updates reflect student demographics, interests, and curriculum needs.

“Accessit’s real-time dashboards made it possible to walk into a meeting with evidence in hand. I could show how every decision was tied to impact.”
– Librarian, International School in Singapore

Don’t just show numbers – tell stories.

Data proves value, but stories make it stick.

Collect and share quotes from student book reviews and conversations like:

• “This book helped me feel seen.”
• “I didn’t know I loved history until I read this.”
• “The dashboard made it easy for me to find books that matched my topic.”

Pairing stats with stories paints a powerful picture of the human side of library impact.

Build stronger visibility with your admin team.

Make it easy for your leadership team to understand – and support – your work:

• Share quarterly impact reports using Accessit visuals.
• Invite administrators to student book talks or reading challenges.
• Offer short presentations showing how the library supports school goals.
• Share dashboards or access usage data via staff portals.

If you work across multiple campuses, Accessits site-level reporting makes it easy to compare and advocate for specific needs – whether it’s additional funding, more staff hours, or a new digital collection.

Advocate without burnout.

The best part? With automation from Accessit, reporting isn’t another job – it’s built in.

You can:

• Automate overdue reports and circulation summaries
• Use pre-built templates to export data in seconds
• Run comparisons over time to measure program success
• Quickly identify underused parts of the collection

You don’t need to be a data analyst to advocate for your library – you just need the right tools.

Learn more about Accessit Library.

Accessit Library by Follett Software gives international school librarians the insights and tools to prove value, win support, and grow impact. Learn more about Accessit Library here:

👉 Explore Accessit Library and discover its reporting tools.

What Makes a “Busy” Library in an International School – and Why It Matters

A New Definition of Busy in the School Library

In an international school setting, the library is more than a room filled with books. It’s a dynamic space where cultures intersect, curiosity thrives, and the seeds of lifelong learning are planted. But when we call a library “busy,” what do we really mean?

A busy school library isn’t just about foot traffic or the number of books on shelves. It’s about purposeful activity, student engagement, and the central role the library plays in teaching and learning. In international schools – where curricula vary, student populations are diverse, and community cohesion is essential – a busy library is an indicator of a thriving learning environment.

The Library as the Pulse of the School

International schools often serve multilingual, multicultural communities. This adds depth and complexity to the work of educators and librarians. The library can – and should – serve as a unifying space.

So, what defines a truly busy library in this context?

1. A Centre for Literacy and Learning

A busy library sees constant, intentional use. It might mean a student browsing for an independent reading book, a teacher collaborating with the librarian to develop a research project, or a group of students huddled around a digital resource during study block or playing a board game.

Accessit Library expands your centre of learning beyond the physical library with tools like One Search, a unified platform that connects all library and school resources in a single search. Whether a student is looking for historical archives or a current news database, it’s all discoverable in one place – making research easy and intuitive.

2. Engaged Readers, Not Just Frequent Borrowers

A circulation report can show how many books are checked out or issued – but does it measure engagement? Busy libraries cultivate reader identity and encourage student voice through reading programs, student reviews, and curated lists.

Accessit Library allows librarians to create custom dashboards and reading lists aligned to curriculum, interests, or genres. Whether it’s Staff Picks, Books Set in Asia, or Novels for IB English, students discover what resonates with them.

3. Collaboration Across Departments

A library is only truly busy when it supports all parts of the school, not just language arts. In international schools where departments often span multiple curricula (IB, British, American, etc.), integration matters.

The Accessit customisable dashboard and content tagging let you tailor resources by subject, department, or grade level – helping teachers embed library content directly into their lesson planning.

4. Student-Centered Technology Use

Being busy also means being smart about digital engagement. A modern school library should feel as relevant and interactive as any online learning space.

The Accessit responsive web app and integration with major databases (like EBSCO, Gale, Britannica, LibGuides, and more) give students secure, age-appropriate access to research tools – on any device. Students can track holds, renew books, and engage in self-service borrowing, reducing reliance on librarian time while fostering independence.

Why It Matters: The Impact of an Active Library

Academic Success

Libraries play a measurable role in improving student outcomes. When resources are easily accessible and aligned with the curriculum, students are better prepared – and teachers are better supported.

A study-ready library means students spend more time learning and less time searching.

Student Well-Being and Belonging

For international students learning new languages and cultures, the library can be a safe space. It’s often one of the first places they feel at home – a space where books reflect their background. Digital tools are an additional help to close gaps in learning.

Busy libraries become centers of cultural inclusion, empathy, and emotional well-being.

Whole-School Efficiency

Busy doesn’t mean chaotic – with the right tools, busy means efficient. Automation features in Accessit reduce librarian workload by simplifying cataloging, tracking overdue materials, and updating student records via school data systems.

As one librarian put it:

“Accessit notifies me regarding books that have been placed on hold and any new updates. It makes sending overdue notices so easy, and I actually get responses from students now.” – Stephanie DeYoung, Everett Alvarez High School

Building a Busy Library: Key Ingredients for International Schools

1. Diverse and Inclusive Collections
   Offer books that reflect global voices and multilingual texts that support ELL students and heritage speakers.
2. Student Autonomy
   Enable self-service borrowing, renewals, and personalized dashboards.
3. Teacher Collaboration
   Provide tools for teachers to build reading lists, integrate library content, and align resources to assessments.
4. Data-Informed Practices
   Use engagement and borrowing analytics to guide collection development and demonstrate impact to leadership.
5. Reliable Automation
   Automate cataloging, batch imports, and overdue communications, so your staff can focus on high-value engagement.

A Busy Library Is a Visible Library.

When your library is bustling – not just in foot traffic but in activity, engagement, and impact – it becomes indispensable to your school. And when you can track that impact with clean data and easy reporting? That’s when school leaders take notice.

With Accessit Library by Follett Software, schools gain a secure, powerful, and adaptable platform that empowers librarians to focus on what matters: students, reading, and learning.

Learn more about Accessit Library.

Are you ready to reimagine what your library can be? Discover how Accessit Library by Follett Software can help your school create a truly busy – and deeply impactful – library.

👉 Explore Accessit Library.

How International Schools Can Automate Their Library & Free Up Time for What Matters

The Hidden Cost of Manual Library Management

Managing a school library without automation is overwhelming. You’re manually importing records, tracking overdue books, handling classroom requests, and updating spreadsheets – all while trying to support reading and instruction.

In international schools, these tasks are often harder with multiple curricula, languages, a staff changes. And when admin tasks take over, students miss out.

The good news? Library automation doesn’t just reduce workload – it transforms your capacity to serve students and support the broader school mission.

Why Automation Matters More in International Schools

International schools face unique challenges:

• High student mobility and fluctuating enrollment

• Diverse student language needs

• Limited access to IT or technical support

• Cross-curricular resource demands from multiple departments

• Cultural and curriculum diversity requiring adaptable systems

With these complexities, automation isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity.

That’s where Accessit Library by Follett Software shines. It’s a powerful, user-friendly platform that automates the most time-consuming aspects of library management – freeing you up to lead, teach, and connect.

What Library Tasks Can Be Automated?

Here’s what international school librarians are automating with Accessit Library today:

1. Borrower Synchronization

Automatically sync student details – including names, classes, year levels, and contact information – from your school’s student information system (SIS).
This means no more manual data entry when students arrive midyear or shift classes. Visit the Accessit website here to view the tools that are best fit for your school’s needs.

“It’s always easier than anticipated. I import student data with just a few clicks.”
– High School Librarian, Southeast Asia 

2. Overdue Notifications

Chasing overdue books shouldn’t take up your day. Accessit lets you send automated email reminders to students and parents, encouraging prompt returns.

You can even customize the language, frequency, and tone – making communication feel personal, not robotic. Students and parents are more likely (and willing) to respond to an email sounding personable rather than mechanical.

3. Cataloging New Books

With Accessit, you can catalog entire batches of new books in minutes.
Assign a batch number, scan the books, and let the system do the rest – including tagging them by topic, level, or funding source.

This makes it easy to process large orders and get books into students’ hands faster.

4. Self-Service Checkouts and Renewals

Offer students independence with the ability to:

• Check out and return books independently

• View their borrowing history

• Place holds or renew books from any device

This saves time at the desk and builds student ownership as students learn to take care of their library needs themselves. This makes librarians (and parents) happy!

5. Inventory and Record Management

Say goodbye to bulky spreadsheets. Accessit lets you:

• Track items by location, class, or category

• Filter and sort catalog records instantly

• See real-time status on overdue, lost, or reserved books

• Quickly reconcile inventory during audits

6. Resource Sharing Across Schools

For multicampus international schools, Accessit enables resource sharing across sites while maintaining clean data and localised borrowing policies.

This means books can flow between campuses – without confusion or mismanagement.

More Than Just Time Savings

✔ Increased Accuracy

Automation eliminates human errors in cataloging, borrower records, and circulation. That means fewer mismatched records and less frustration during audits or inspections.

✔ Better Student Service

With repetitive tasks out of the way, librarians can spend more time helping students find the right books, teaching research skills, and collaborating with teachers.

✔ Data for Advocacy

Automated reporting gives you insights you can act on – from circulation trends to underused resources. Use this data to make purchasing decisions and advocate for your library’s value.

Building a Future-Ready Library

Automation doesn’t mean replacing librarians. It means amplifying your impact.

With Accessit, you’re not just digitizing processes – you’re creating a smarter, more flexible library that adapts to the unique needs of your international school.

From streamlining admin to enabling real-time access, automation helps you:

• Improve the student experience

• Expand the reach of your library

• Reduce staff burnout

• Elevate the role of the librarian as an instructional partner

Real Stories from the Field

“Accessit has truly changed the way I manage our library. I used to spend hours sorting records – now I can actually plan reading programs and engage with classes.”
– Stacy Cameron, Library Services Coordinator

“Self-checkout and real-time dashboards give students and teachers control. It makes the library more accessible and user-driven.”
– Library Media Specialist, Middle East

What to Automate First? Start Here:

1. Borrower Imports: Get your student data synced.

2. Overdue Reminders: Set up automated emails.

3. Self-Service Setup: Support students with autonomy.

4. Batch Cataloging: Improve your next book delivery.

5. Reporting Dashboards: Start tracking trends today.

Learn More About Accessit Library

Imagine what your library could look like if you had hours back each week.
Accessit Library by Follett Software gives you the tools to automate routine tasks and focus on what matters most: your students and your school community.

👉 Discover Accessit Library today.