What the Best School Libraries Are Doing Differently

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes | Last updated: July 2025

Digital books are the biggest change in Libraries since forever. Their purpose? To complement your beloved print books - not to replace them. eBooks and Audiobooks will enhance your library collection and appeal to even the most reluctant reader. Audiobooks can engage those struggling or hard-to-reach students.

We want to help you get the most out of your investment. A strong dynamic school-wide launch of your ePlatform followed by ongoing regular promotion is critical to ensure maximum uptake and engagement.

In this post, we’ll walk through strategies to promote your school's ePlatform digital library. You’ll hear stories from schools that have had great success, see what worked (and why), and take away proven ideas you can use right now in your school.

Table of Contents

• 1. Launch with Whole-School Support
• 2. Keep the Momentum Going
• 3. Promote from the Library and Beyond
• 4. Let Students Lead the Way
• 5. Final Thoughts and Takeaways

1. Launch with Whole-School Support

Getting your school’s digital library off the ground starts with a strong launch - and that means engaging every corner of your school community.

Get the Boss on your team! Reading raises Literacy levels, and improved Literacy will benefit every department and every student in the school. That's something every school principal / head teacher wants.

Get the Teachers on board! Encourage the Principal to get some friendly competition going - assign each teacher a target for loan rates per class with cheap fun or even free rewards and prizes. Utilise ePlatform for homework reading/listening. Bonus points for Holiday reading!

Ideas for Promotional Activity at Launch:

• Present your new eLibrary to the Staff and Student Librarian teams first. Encourage everyone to log in, browse, borrow and read an eBook/Audiobook to become familiar with the platform.

• Present ePlatform at your school Assemblies and parent evenings to spread awareness.

• Compilations - create your own on the Home Page for instant access to popular titles or series. For example: ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Netflix’, ‘Book Tok, ‘Graphic Novels’, ‘Comedy Central’, Sports titles, perhaps start a ‘Book Club’ or create ‘English Dept. Recommended Reads’, a S.E.N. or High/Low Compilation for your struggling readers - the options are endless. Ask the students for suggestions and make it fun.

• Literacy Support - ePlatform is not just for the Library – share this valuable resource with English, ESOL, SENCo and the Reading Recovery team. Our unique ‘Settings Wizard’ tool was developed for Dyslexic & visually impaired students. The ‘Immersive Reader’ offers a wealth of support: read aloud, grammar, translation and more.

• English Department - Notes & Highlights function for class study of texts and revision.

• Language Teachers - Translation and Grammar tools for classroom and leisure reading.

• Free Promotional Resources – simply download, customise and print. Easy.

• Spread the Word! - utilise your school newsletters & intranet to introduce and educate parents about ePlatform. Remind them before each school holiday – free, 24/7 age restricted access to a digital Library is at their children’s fingertips. (**Don’t forget to include sign-in & password info).​

Aquinas College (New Zealand) took this approach by personally presenting to faculty teams and staff:

“We have faculty meetings and full staff meetings every week.  I attended the faculty meetings of ESLO, Special Needs, Year 7/8, and also Languages, and explained how to log in and use the eBooks and Audiobooks - this included the dyslexia settings. 

After this, I attended a full staff meeting and went through the process again.  I had a staff member use their laptop through the projector and I instructed while the others followed on their own devices.  We went through the whole process of finding the site, logging in, borrowing, using dyslexia settings, returning and logging out. 

I took questions and sent notes with screen shots as a follow up by email.  They all agreed that it is a very simple system and many are using it now.”

— Aquinas College
(Secondary School, New Zealand)​

2. Keep the Momentum Going

Launching your digital library is just the beginning. The key to long-term success is consistent visibility. Just like physical library books need to be displayed and promoted, your digital collection also needs regular reminders and touch-points throughout the school year.

A common reason digital library usage drops off after launch is that people simply forget it’s there. Teachers get busy, students move on, and the login link gets buried. But with light, ongoing promotion, you can keep digital reading top of mind and build lasting engagement.

The best schools don’t overcomplicate this. They use simple, low-effort strategies that build habits over time. From digital book displays and newsletter shout-outs to reading challenges and stat celebrations, momentum is all about consistency, not complexity.

Need some inspiration to help get the kids on board?

Try these proven tips and ideas to promote ePlatform in your school and engage even the most reluctant reader:

• Involve your wonderful Student Librarians or Top Readers/Patrons – train them up on all the tools within ePlatform - empower them to champion the eLibrary to their peers.

• Establish weekly lunchtime ePlatform Sessions – run By Students For Students

  • Student Librarians or Top ePlatform Users run them. Just 4 students means you can run a session every week and they only have to do 1 per month.

  • Same Time Same Channel - make it a fixture: Every Monday lunchtime. Regular exposure will increase awareness, interest and usage.

  • Include all the key Tools and Settings, New Releases and general queries

  • Peer-to-Peer word of mouth is priceless and it frees up your time.

• Reminders in newsletters home - and internally to remind the teachers! Have a wall space dedicated to new releases and update monthly, or use DVD cases to showcase eBooks in a display – create a physical presence in your Library.

• Regular Promotion: create Compilations, run Competitions – choose from movie tie-in titles, tv characters, streaming service content - Alex Rider, Harry Potter, etc.

• Get the kids to write book reviews to share in class.

“I have done a lot of promotion with the students regarding ePlatform and have had amazing results. The amount of loans on the ebooks and audio books for last month was amazing.

Thank you so much for providing such an amazing service.

I promoted through emails to students and staff and also by just having power points running in the library showcasing how to use the platform and what they can use it for.

In the run up to the holidays I have been putting information on our daily notices also.

Anytime a student asks for a book and we do not have it, ePlatform is the first place I look to see if it is available through it.

The teachers are also promoting it in class, with students having the option of using ePlatform for silent reading (10 to 15 minutes a day)

Another way of promoting the eBooks is on our library shelves I have DVD covers with a picture of the books, (saying if you want to read me, come and see the library staff) students bring it to me and then I show them we do not have this book in the library but it is on ePlatform and show them how to use it. (That was someone else’s idea from a conference I went to that I have run with).”

— Beenleigh State High School
(Secondary School, Australia)​

3. Promote from the Library and Beyond

Your library may be the heart of the reading culture, but to truly embed your digital library, promotion has to extend beyond the library walls. The more touchpoints students and staff encounter across the school, the more likely they are to engage with ePlatform.

That means making your digital collection visible in corridors, classrooms, newsletters, assemblies, and even staffrooms. Schools that succeed here treat the eLibrary as a whole-school resource - not just something "owned" by the library.

Promotion becomes a shared responsibility when it’s embedded into school life. Whether it’s a quick mention during roll call, a poster in the canteen, or a shared title for class discussion, spreading awareness in everyday places helps drive consistent usage.

Ideas for whole-school promotion beyond the library:

• Customise your message and Print our free digital Promo posters, to suggest where ePlatform can be used in other departments. Examples:
• Library: Student Run Sessions on ePlatform
• English: Use Notes & Highlights in your class texts for study & revision
• Languages: Use the Translate and Grammar tools
• S.E.N.: Settings Wizard and Literacy Support Tools
• Ask the English and S.E.N. Head of Departments to try the new ‘Classes’ book assignment feature for Class Set novel studies, homework or leisure reading. Assign titles and view analytics and reports on individual and class progress.

Takapuna Normal Intermediate (NZ) shared how they embedded it into ESOL and home use:

“Working closely with our International Student Director she has found it a valuable program for our ESOL/ International learners. Not only does Sophia work with the learners while at school but has also explained the importance of phonics and how to use the phonics program to parents and caregivers at various events we have held during the year, therefore they are using the program 24/7. Parents are also given the username and password. Any new learners arriving at TNIS throughout the year are shown the ePlatform.”

— Takapuna Normal Intermediate
(Intermediate School, New Zealand)​

4. Let Students Lead the Way

One of the most powerful ways to promote your digital library is to get students involved in spreading the word. When students recommend books, run displays, or speak about the platform in their own voice, it becomes more relatable and engaging for their peers.

Peer-to-peer influence works. Students are far more likely to try something if they hear about it from someone their own age. Giving students ownership also builds a stronger reading culture - one that doesn’t rely solely on library staff to drive momentum.

Some schools build formal student ambassador programs. Others simply offer creative opportunities for students to review books, make posters, or curate themed reading lists. However you do it, handing the mic to students helps the platform feel like it’s theirs too.

Ways students can help promote your digital library:

• Create posters, book reviews, or “Top 5 Reads” lists to display around the school

• Run eBook recommendation slots during assembly or library time

• Suggest new titles via wishlists and help promote when they arrive

• Act as digital mentors by helping younger students with logins or book selection

“At Blackpool Aspire Academy we use ePlatform as a key tool for promoting independent reading. As part of our curriculum, all students in Years 7-10 complete 30 mins reading as part of our Literary canon every day of the school week. However, with all students in Years 8 & 9 the chromebooks are carouselled so for one of the reading lessons per week they use ePlatform and read independently a book of their choice. We give them headphones which gives them the option of using audiobooks with the print visually to help them too. As well as this time, they are encouraged to read the books on their own devices at home. As you may know we teach in one of the most deprived boroughs of the country with one of the lowest levels of adult literacy. Our children do not necessarily have the support and facilities for reading at home and therefore we try to provide them with the reading space within the academy using ePlatform.

Here are what a sample of our Year 8 students said about ePlatform:

"The ePlatform website is easy to access"

"The eLibrary extends my vocabulary" (their words not mine)

"If you're not a good reader, it helps you by reading the book to you and focusing on the words"

"I like being able to use elibrary at home especially if there's a book I can't find in shops"

"There is a good selection of books, it's free and the loan duration is a good length of time"

We launched ePlatform through the school website to parents and initially trialled it within English lessons but then went to whole year groups when it was introduced with the Literary Canon reading time every day.

We have found it is good for EAL students as we can find translated texts and also for visually impaired students as you can change the font size or use an audible option.

We would recommend it highly to other schools who wish to promote independent reading at secondary level as it merges the world of technology with a love of reading."

— Blackpool Aspire Academy
(Secondary School, United Kingdom)​

5. Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Promoting your school’s digital library isn’t just about raising loan numbers - it’s about creating a sustainable culture of reading that includes everyone: students, staff, and families.

The most successful schools don’t rely on one big campaign. They build momentum with consistent, collaborative efforts across departments, year levels, and student groups. They celebrate small wins, adapt based on feedback, and keep things visible all year round.

Whether you’re launching your ePlatform for the first time or looking to boost usage after a quiet term, the key is to start simple and stay consistent. Borrow from what’s working in other schools. Involve students. Keep promotion visible. And above all, make sure the platform feels useful and exciting for your whole school community.

Need more support?

• Explore promotional tools and resources
• Book a free walkthrough of ePlatform