When it comes to gift giving in schools, the librarian is usually not #1 on the list. It's hectic it is to shop for tons of people and when you start adding others, the list just gets longer and longer because you don't want to leave anyone out!
However, there are people who might be looking for gift ideas for librarians, including students, parents, significant others, etc. This list has been categorized by price, from free to dream gifts. If you're a librarian, share it to give others ideas of what to get you. If you're shopping for a librarian, maybe you'll find the perfect gift to give.
(Almost) Free Gift Ideas for Librarians
- A handmade bookmark. I can't think of much that would bring me more joy than receiving one of these from any of my students. This is an idea that's sure to make any librarian smile.
- A hand drawn poster advertising a favorite book or one of the library's rules. I had my students make some posters about library rules this year and they turned out great! I was so proud to display them in my library.
- A student-created book about the library. So creative, and it would be cherished for years.
- A card with a heartfelt note describing what the library means to you. Need I say more?
Inexpensive Gift Ideas for Librarians (under $10)
How about a book light? This is one of those simple and super handy gifts any librarian would love!
Another great librarian gift idea is a cool bookmark. I like this one, because it comes with a book light and a reading timer built in!
Librarian mugs or other themed merchandise may be appreciated as well. They really don't even need to be librarian themed, for that matter. One of my students brought me an insulated cup like this one a few weeks ago, and I've used it almost every day!
Is there a Christmas tree in your library? How about a book themed ornament like this one?
More Gift Ideas ($10-$50)
No librarian gift ideas list would be complete without a book or two. This book, Librarian's Night Before Christmas would be a fun read aloud!
Along those lines, any librarian would love to receive one of Robert Sabuda's magnificent pop-up creations. I own several of these books, and they never cease to amaze me. I even use these in my library lesson plans for the month of December.
Ok, this is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while. It's a librarian USB drive! I love it. This would be an amazing librarian gift.
Door hangers like these are all the rage in my district right now. There's a librarian in my district who has a bookworm door hanger and it is super cute. There are also lots of people in my building with special wreaths on their classroom doors like these, which I'm sure any librarian would love. These vary in price, of course, depending on what you're looking for.
Librarian Gift Ideas for Big Spenders ($50+)
How about gifting the Kindle Fire HD to a lucky librarian in your life? I still love to hold a book in my hands from time to time, but nothing beats the convenience of downloading books to an e-reader like the Kindle. Does your favorite librarian already own a Kindle? How about giving an Amazon gift card for downloading books?
Better yet, how about a tablet like the Motorola Xoom? This is the tablet that I own, but there are tons of others out there. I like this one because it's powerful and easy to customize.
When you have cool gadgets, you need cool accessories to go with them. This is one of my favorites - a bluetooth detachable keyboard and case. This is the one I have, which goes with the Motorola Xoom tablet. It's not quite the same as a laptop, but it's the next best thing.
One must have item for all elementary libraries is a digital camera. I have this DSLR camera (the Canon T3i) in my library and I really like it. It's a great camera for people who want to take good pictures but don't really know much about cameras.
There you have it! A list of gift ideas for librarians. What's the best gift you've ever received as a librarian? What have I left off of my list that should be on there? Do you give gifts to your students? Share with us in the comments!
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One of the BEST gifts ever was a treasure chest hand painted by a parent and filled with "love" notes from ALL of the students. I cherish this box and kept every note. I cried for hours reading the sweet notes from my students!
For parent volunteers, the best gift I made for them (all 30!!). I took a photo of their student(s) and printed it in black and white (every photo looks great in b/w). I bought the $1.00 wooden frames from Michael's that I painted black. I wrapped the frame in a tulle bow with the .19 photo! They loved it, it was cheap and years later, they still thank me for it!
Good luck!!
Awesome! I love it!
What kind of gifts would you suggest for library volunteers. I have many, and I couldn't do my job without them. The problem is, I have many and not much money 🙂
Kim, I'm assuming you're talking about parent volunteers? How about a nice breakfast one morning? If that's not feasible, maybe a gift certificate for an upcoming book fair (you just subtract the amount from your profits) or a nice ornament.