A few days ago, I posted a photo of my Library Door Dash cart in two Facebook groups for school librarians with a very simple caption:
“My Library Door Dash is a big hit this year! 😃”
I expected a few likes and maybe a comment or two.
Instead, the two posts received hundreds of reactions and dozens of comments.
The most common response?
“Tell me more!”
Librarians wanted to know how students order books, when I make deliveries, whether teachers mind the interruption, how I handle snacks, how students return books, what happens if a student already has several books checked out, and—perhaps most importantly—whether this is something they could replicate at their own schools.
The answer to that last question is an enthusiastic YES.
And here's the best part:
Library Door Dash really isn't complicated.
At its core, the entire program is this:
Students search the library catalog, place a book on hold, and I deliver the checked-out book directly to their classroom.
That's it.
The cart, the cute sign, the stickers, the bookmarks, and the snacks make it fun.
But they aren't the reason Library Door Dash exists.
The reason is access.
The Problem: Students Can't Always Get to the Library
This is my fourth year offering Library Door Dash.
I originally started it because I kept running into a frustrating reality: students wanted books, but actually getting to the library wasn't always easy.
At the high school level, our classes are only about 45 minutes long. Sending a student across the building to browse the library can take a significant chunk out of instructional time.
My role also involves much more than sitting at a circulation desk. I work collaboratively with teachers and students in classrooms, and I do not have an adult library aide who can keep the library open when I'm somewhere else.
I've also worked between multiple campuses.
And now we can add construction to the equation.
This year, our books are housed in two different locations, my job responsibilities have expanded, and physical access to the library is even more limited and unpredictable.
There are mornings when I'm in the library.
There are lunch periods when students can come.
There are also days when the library is reserved for classes or our Somewhat Virtual Book Club, days when I'm co-teaching somewhere else, days when I'm at district meetings, and times when I'm working with confidential student data in a secure location where students cannot be present.
Without an adult library aide, I can't simply leave the library open when I'm somewhere else.
So I had to rethink the problem.
Instead of asking:
How do I get more students into the library?
I started asking:
How do I get more library books into students' hands?
If students can't always come to the library, then sometimes the library needs to go to them.
Enter Library Door Dash.
How Students Order a Book
We use Destiny Discover, so I didn't create another Google Form, app, website, or complicated ordering system.
Students already have access to Destiny.
They simply:
- Open Destiny Discover.
- Search for a book.
- Place the book on hold.
That's their entire part of the process.
 |
| Students can access Library Door Dash through our Student Library Canvas course. The Door Dash link directs them to Destiny Discover, where they search the collection and place books on hold. |
I also provide students with instructions in our Canvas course showing them how to access Destiny Discover and place a hold.
 |
| Students receive simple directions for accessing Destiny Discover, searching the catalog, and placing books on hold. |
No special Door Dash software required.
If your library already allows students to place holds through your catalog, you may already have most of the infrastructure you need.
What Happens After a Student Places a Hold?
That's when the Door Dash magic begins.
I check Destiny for holds throughout the day whenever I have an opportunity.
There is not a guaranteed same-day delivery.
That is important.
Library Door Dash works around my existing responsibilities—not the other way around.
When I see a new hold, I:
- Pull the requested book.
- Write the student's name on a Post-it note.
- Locate the student's ID number.
- Check the book out to the student.
- Look up the student's schedule in our student information system.
- Write the classroom information on the Post-it.
- Add a bookmark.
- Add a sticker.
- Organize the books on my cart by classroom number.
Once everything is ready, I make my delivery run.
 |
| Before heading out, requested books are checked out and organized by classroom. Post-it notes help me keep track of student and delivery information. |
The Post-it system isn't glamorous.
It is, however, highly effective.
And sometimes that's the best kind of library technology. 😂
When Do I Make Deliveries?
Whenever I have time.
Seriously.
I deliver when I'm not working with teachers in classrooms, handling EdTech responsibilities, working with data, attending meetings, or doing one of the approximately 4,872 other things school librarians somehow do during a normal day.
When possible, I prefer delivering later in the day—usually during 8th or 9th period.
Students understand that placing a hold doesn't mean I'm going to appear five minutes later.
Library Door Dash is not Amazon Prime.
There is no guaranteed two-hour shipping window. 😂
But when I have a collection of books ready and a few minutes available, I load the cart and start making my rounds.
Do Teachers Mind You Interrupting Class?
This was one of the questions several librarians asked.
So far?
Not at all.
I've never had a teacher complain.
In fact, teachers seem to genuinely enjoy seeing a student get excited about receiving a library book.
The delivery itself takes seconds.
I pop in, hand the student the book, and move along.
Occasionally a teacher looks at the snack bin and asks:
“Do I get a treat?”
Of course.
Teachers get treats too.
And sometimes a cute sticker.
I'm not a monster. 😂
About Those Snacks...
Judging from the Facebook comments, I may have accidentally created Library Snack Dash Featuring Books.
People had questions.
Every student delivery currently includes:
- 📚 Their checked-out library book
- 🔖 A bookmark
- ✨ A sticker
- 🍬 A snack
I make many of the stickers myself using my Cricut. To start this school year, I've made special Hutto Hippo stickers for students.
 |
| I make many of the Library Door Dash stickers myself using Cricut Design Space. These Hutto Hippo stickers were created especially for students to kick off the new school year. |
Bookmarks and sticker supplies come from my library budget.
The snacks?
Unfortunately, those usually come from the Bank of Dr. G.
I watch for sales.
I snatch up giant bags of holiday candy.
Halloween clearance is my friend.
Costco is dangerous.
You get the idea.
 |
| The extras make deliveries fun, but they aren't required. Students can choose from a variety of snacks, and each book includes a bookmark and sticker. |
I also want to be very clear about something:
You do NOT have to provide snacks.
Please don't look at my cart and think implementing this program requires personally feeding your entire student body.
It doesn't.
Students also don't have to take a snack, and I try to provide different options because students have different needs and preferences.
The snack is a bonus.
The book is the point.
If your version of Library Door Dash consists of a student receiving a library book and a smile, you have successfully implemented Library Door Dash.
You Don't Need a Special Cart
Another misconception I want to clear up:
My Library Door Dash cart is just a regular library book cart.
You know the kind.
The same metal cart librarians everywhere have pushed approximately 6.3 million miles while muttering, “Who put all these books on the wrong shelf?”
I simply repurposed mine.
I've added signage, containers for snacks, and organizational pieces, but the cart itself isn't what makes the program successful.
You could use:
- A library cart
- A rolling crate
- A basket
- A tote bag
- A wagon
- A backpack
The delivery method should fit your building and your situation.
The cart isn't the program.
Access is the program.
What About Students Who Already Have Books Checked Out?
At the high school level, I don't have a specific maximum number of books students can check out.
I would much rather have the problem of a student checking out too many books than the problem of a student being unable to get one.
That said, if I notice someone starting their own unauthorized branch library with half my collection, we have a conversation.
Usually something along the lines of:
“You need to bring some books back before I have to cut you off.”
I've also been known to say:
“Don't be greedy.”
😂
Every library can adapt this part of the process according to its own circulation policies.
How Do Students Return Their Books?
Students do not need to wait until the library is open to return books.
We have a book return drop box outside the second-floor library.
 |
| Students can return books even when the library isn't open for browsing by using the book drop outside the library. |
This is another important piece of access.
Students can request books digitally.
I can deliver them physically.
They can return them independently.
The entire process does not depend on the library doors being open at the exact moment a student has free time.
But Shouldn't Students Come to the Library and Browse?
One librarian raised a thoughtful question in the Facebook discussion:
If we're delivering books directly to students, are students missing opportunities to browse shelves and learn how the library is organized?
It's a fair question.
My answer is:
Library Door Dash is an additional access point—not a replacement for the library.
I absolutely want students in the library.
I want them browsing.
I want them picking up one book and discovering another book sitting next to it.
I want them asking for recommendations.
I want them learning how libraries work.
But the reality is that access isn't always available when students need it.
In my current position as an EdTech, Data, and Media Specialist, I am not physically in the student library all day.
I'm available there in the mornings and during some lunch periods, but even lunch access varies based on programming, classes using the space, meetings, co-teaching responsibilities, and other parts of my job.
So sometimes the choice isn't:
Door Dash OR visiting the library.
Sometimes the actual choice is:
Door Dash OR the student doesn't get the book.
In that situation?
I'm delivering the book.
Every time.
Construction Made Door Dash Even More Important
This year our collection is divided between two locations.
That is inconvenient for me.
It shouldn't have to be inconvenient for students.
From the student's perspective, there is still one library collection.
They search Destiny.
They place a hold.
Then I figure out where the book physically lives.
Students shouldn't need a construction map, GPS coordinates, and a treasure hunt clue to find a library book.
That's my job.
Door Dash makes the physical location of the book almost invisible to the student.
They ask for it.
I find it.
They get it.
Other Librarians Are Doing This Too—and They Have Great Ideas
One of my favorite parts of sharing Library Door Dash in librarian Facebook groups was discovering how many other librarians have created their own versions of book delivery.
And, as librarians tend to do, they immediately started sharing ideas.
UberReads
Michelle Renae Smith shared that she has operated a similar service for several years called UberReads.
Students contact her, receive the circulation link, choose what they want, and receive their books in a gift bag with extras such as tissue paper, stickers, fidget toys, candy, and bookmarks.
I love the idea of making the delivery itself feel like receiving a gift.
Book Drop
Jennifer Nichols Eldridge shared her version, called Book Drop.
She bags requested books and has student aides deliver them to classrooms.
That is a fantastic adaptation for librarians who have student workers but don't have time to personally make every delivery.
Sometimes All You Need Is a Bag
Ashley Kuch shared that during COVID she delivered books to students in a canvas bag.
She worked on the bottom floor of a four-story building without an elevator, so a giant delivery setup simply wasn't practical.
Her comment reinforced something important:
Do not copy my cart. Copy the concept.
Make it work in your space.
Make the Service Visible
Elizabeth Hadwin shared that she already works with students on placing holds, but they sometimes forget about them after rotating to their next classes.
She loved the idea of using signage and a visible cart to make the service more memorable.
That's a great point.
The cart doesn't just move books.
It advertises reading while it moves through the school.
You May Already Have What You Need
Cynthia Clouse Matheson noted that her library already uses Destiny holds, so implementing something similar seemed completely doable.
Exactly.
You don't necessarily need:
- Another app
- Another form
- Another subscription
- Another platform
You may already have the technology.
You just need a delivery plan.
Want to Start Your Own Library Door Dash?
Start simple.
What You Actually Need
Required:
- A searchable library catalog
- A way for students to request books
- A way to identify the student's location
- A circulation system
- Something to carry the books
That's really it.
Nice to Have
- A catchy program name
- A Canva sign
- A decorated cart
- Bookmarks
- Stickers
- Snacks
- Student aides
- A designated delivery time
Those things add personality.
They aren't what makes the program work.
You could deliver books twice a week.
You could have student aides make deliveries.
You could use lunch periods.
You could create a pickup location.
You could skip snacks entirely.
You could deliver books in grocery bags.
Make the program fit:
your school + your students + your staffing + your schedule.
Doesn't This Create More Work?
Yes.
Absolutely.
Pulling books takes time.
Checking books out takes time.
Looking up student schedules takes time.
Organizing deliveries takes time.
Walking around the building takes time.
But librarians make decisions every day about where our time has the greatest impact.
For me, getting books into students' hands is worth the time.
I don't have three years of beautifully organized spreadsheets proving that Library Door Dash increased circulation by 42.7 percent.
That wasn't why I created it.
My goal was much simpler:
Get books to kids.
The Unexpected Benefit: Door Dash Is Reading Advocacy
Here's something I didn't fully anticipate when I started this.
When you roll a brightly labeled book cart into a classroom and announce:
“I have a Library Door Dash delivery!”
people notice.
The student receiving the book gets excited.
The student sitting next to them looks at the cover.
Someone asks what they ordered.
Someone else asks:
“How do I get one?”
Suddenly, a completely ordinary library transaction becomes visible.
Receiving a book feels a little special.
The delivery becomes a mini reading advertisement every time I walk into a classroom.
That's powerful.
Because sometimes the best way to promote the library isn't waiting for students to walk through the door.
Sometimes it's rolling down the hallway toward them.
The Bigger Idea
Library Door Dash may look like a cute cart filled with books, candy, bookmarks, and stickers.
But that isn't really what it is.
It's an answer to a larger question:
How can we remove barriers between students and books?
Maybe your answer is extended library hours.
Maybe it's flexible scheduling.
Maybe it's eBooks.
Maybe it's classroom collections.
Maybe it's curbside pickup.
Maybe it's student delivery aides.
And maybe...
you put the books on a cart and go find the kids.
Because ultimately, my goal isn't simply getting students through the library door.
My goal is getting books into their hands.
And if I have to Door Dash them there?
I'm happy to make the delivery. 📚🚚
AI Use Disclosure
In the spirit of transparency and responsible AI use, I used ChatGPT to help brainstorm the AI in 10 concept and branding, organize the ideas in this post, and revise portions of the writing for clarity and flow. I reviewed, edited, and approved the final content. The experiences, instructional decisions, examples, and opinions shared here are my own.
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