5 Easy Ways Google Sheets Can Preserve Your Sanity as a School Librarian

Sometimes being a librarian feels like balancing an endless number of plates on sticks while I’m pedaling a unicycle. You know what I mean? Most of the time, I feel like there is never enough time in the day to get everything done and there is SO much to remember and keep track of. Especially as the only person running a multi-faceted space and program like the library, I used to rely on sticky notes to keep myself together so I wouldn’t forget my upcoming displays, conversations with various teachers, or to-do action items. I still use sticky notes periodically but once I started using Google Sheets, I felt like a gigantic weight came off my chest. Suddenly there was a place I could access from anywhere that would permanently hold All The Things so I could actually focus and be in the present. When I searched my Google Drive for all the spreadsheets I’ve created, so many ideas came up for this post that I had to split what I thought would be a short list into two blog posts. To start with, here are five easy ways I use Google Sheets to keep my sanity throughout the school year:

1. Teacher Sign Ups: While I have an official calendar for the library, sometimes I create spreadsheets with dates and time slots for English teachers to sign up for checkout, visit book fair, or when I can visit their class for announcements or overdues conversations. I share the spreadsheet with teachers and they put their name in the time slots that work best for them. Then, I add those to the library calendar. This way, teachers are partners in getting students to the library but at a time that works for them with my own availability.
2. Supplies Purchases: At the end of each school year, I’m blessed to be able to order supplies for my library. I created a spreadsheet for this with different tabs for different vendors that includes the supplies I usually order, including Item number, description, price, and quantity. This makes creating the Purchase Order simple! (Note: It’s important to check the vendor site each year to make sure all your spreadsheet info is correct.)
3. Furniture Inventory: Do you ever feel like you have less chairs, or someone borrowed the space but you can’t figure out what’s missing? I created a spreadsheet organized by area of the library, item, and quantity of each. I tape this spreadsheet to my circulation desk at the end of the school year to help our custodians know what belongs in my library after they do their summer cleaning. I use this spreadsheet at the beginning and end of each year, making note of anything missing or updating numbers due to damage. This is also helpful when asking for funds or creating a grant for additional furniture as your needs change.
4. Random Teacher Winners: Do you have fun contests for teachers, or have “random” teacher winners for events? (Consider it; it’s fun!) I keep track of mine in a spreadsheet to include the teacher(s) names, school year, and what contest they won. This way, the same teachers aren’t randomly picked over and over again. This could apply to contests during School Library Month, book club participation, class contests, etc.
5. Event Planning: Planning a big event, or even just looking for a way to organize the details of your programming? Use a spreadsheet to track attendance, supplies, scheduling, confirmation emails, and more – all in one place! I use a spreadsheet when I am planning an author visit. There are so many details that I need to keep track of what’s done and what’s not, including dates and who is responsible for each task. It’s easy to see what needs to still happen so when the big day arrives, everything is taken care of.

Whether it’s managing furniture, coordinating events, or streamlining teacher collaborations, Google Sheets truly lightens my mental load. I hope these initial ideas inspire you! Stay tuned for my next post, where I’ll dive into five more complex ways Google Sheets can give you librarian superpowers and save your sanity.