The Power of One Goal: Make This Your Most Intentional (and Joyful) Library Year

bookbeeslibrary
Jul 8
2 min read

Every new school year brings fresh pencils, new faces, and a million things to do in the library. But instead of trying to do everything, what if you picked just one meaningful goal to guide your year?

At the start of every year, I would ask myself, “What is the one thing I want every student to know by the end of the year?” Then I set my library goal based on the response. I started at sites that had little to no programming so I knew I needed to give the students a solid foundation of library skills. Setting one big library goal for the year was something that helped me stay focused and have a joyful library program. Whether it was helping students confidently use the OPAC, become expert book browsers, or simply feel like they belong in the library, a single, student-centered goal helped give me direction for the year. It doesn’t mean giving up makerspace or storytime—it just means weaving purpose into everything you already do. Think of it as your library’s heartbeat for the year, beating quietly beneath the buzz of read alouds, book fairs, and cozy corners.

I think it's a great tool for beginning library staff or staff who feel they’ve lost their focus, or like me, needed a focus to build strong foundational skills. If this sounds like you, I suggest giving it a try. To make it easy, I’m sharing one free library goal with a full year of month-by-month activity ideas to get you started. And if you’re ready to dig deeper, I’ve put together a full planner with 10 student-centered goals and blank templates for your own goals—perfect for mapping out an intentional, joyful library year.

Let’s keep it focused, and fun!