The librarian can demonstrate how to care for books, magazines and media in the library. Students learn to wash hands before getting a book and to keep food and drink away from the book. The librarian reminds students to use a bookmark for marking their place in a book, and provides several bookmarks for each student.
She demonstrates what happens when a book gets wet by showing students a water-damaged book. She advises students to put books in a backpack when the weather is wet.
She can remind students that babies and pets can damage books. The students learn how to report a damaged book to the librarian so it can be repaired.
The librarian may use an interactive whiteboard to explain how books are found on the shelves. She may use the Order in the Library game developed by the University of Texas to instruct students on what to do with library books they no longer need. First-grade students can work with levels one and two. Second-graders can work with levels one through four, and third-graders may complete levels one through seven.
Kindergarten and first-grade students meet the librarian in the picture book section of the library. The librarian explains that picture books are shelved using the last name of the author. She demonstrates how the information is located on the spine of the book and how books by the same author are shelved by the first letter in the title.
She can show students how to re-shelve books or where to leave books when the student is unsure where the book goes. A handout depicting the shelving information on the spine reminds students to consult the call letters when searching for a picture book.
The librarian demonstrates five parts of a book, including the spine, the cover, the title, the author and the illustrator. He shows primary students how the information on the spine and cover can also be found on the book's title page. The librarian explains how the author and the illustrator cooperate to create the book.
With second and third grade students, the librarian can also display the table of contents and index. Students will learn where to find fiction, biography and non-fiction books. The librarian may provide students with a simple form of the Dewey Decimal system.