Hi Martha,

I'm in a middle school and we have the same problem. During Covid, I placed a bin, labeled books to return to the library, in each of the English classrooms. Students can return their library books in these bins if they can't make it to the library. I run to each of these classrooms a couple times a week to empty the bins. Teachers send students down with them if they get full before I get there. 

When our eighth graders leave, we put any overdue books into Powerschool, as an obligation. They are unable to do things in high school unless all obligations are met. So, we sometimes get payments or returned books a year or two after they leave here. 

We make announcements on our morning news show, too. I also email lists of students, with books that are more than one month overdue, to their homeroom teachers and they ask them for them, too.

We still have some students who ignore the bins and the announcements. Once a month or so, I walk to homerooms and talk to the kids who have books that are way overdue. Many times, it's sitting in their locker. 

I do send home email notices to parents, as well....usually. However, it doesn't seem to be working correctly because I have been getting many emails not being delivered. 

Kim