organizing classroom library

[Unregistered]

I will be teaching 4th grade this fall and I need some ideas for how to organize my classroom library? How should I categorize my books? I got a lot of books from retired teachers, so I have yet to read some of them. Do I organize by author, genre...? What other suggestions does anybody else have?

[BigDaddyTeacher]

An excellent question. Although I am sure there are specific guidelines on this subject, most teachers I have encountered prefer to use their own style.
I prefer a mix of both genre/author and reading level.

I have several buckets devoted to specific genres: fiction, history, biography, science-fiction, etc. Usually, only 1 to 2 copies of a title in there. I also keep several devoted to popular authors for that grade level. Beverly Cleary, Bruce Coville, etc.

I also have a separate bookshelf with books labeled at the DRA/Fountas & Pinnell reading levels. Since ongoing reading evaluation is one of the things we do, I can steer students towards books that are at thier appropriate reading level.

I also keep a book bucket at each group table, just for silent reading time. The kids are free to choose whatever they want to read from there.

good luck!
Dennis

[KatieBee]

One of my teachers had her own library system to teach responsibility. You could check out a book and take it home for a specified period of time, I liked it, but I was a total book worm! Maybe you could have them make their own library cards? You can get lamination cheaply at a crafts store...

[Unregistered]

As a middle school teacher, I think that one of the main reasons students don't read so much as they get older is that they haven't been given any way to find books about their interests. For your library, certainly have a variety of genres and levels, but more importantly, I would suggest bookmarking the site www.bookadventure.org. This site has a book finder that allows students to find books about their interests and at a level they are comfortable with.
Good luck!!

[KatieBee]

I agree there is not enough emphasis on reading, especially for enjoyment.

What about having some sort of classroom tracker for reading? It could be by book so that all levels could have a fair go of it? If everyone gets to a certain attainable level by the end of the year or semester you get a pizza party or some small reward on that level?

[Unregistered]

I wouldn't spend the time organizing those books. The kids are going to mess them all up anyway. Just put them on a shelf and let this issue go. If you are so worried about something so trivial, you scare me! Is that really going to make you a better teacher? Hello!

[teachermg]

I have about 500 books in my classroom library. I sort the books according to genre and use colored stickers on the front cover for idenitfication. I also draw or write on the stickers to create sub categories. For example, a red sticker is fiction and a red sticker with an "H" is historical fiction.

Books are kept in plastic baskets from the dollar store. I like to keep the baskets and books displayed with front cover towards the reader.

Delcious Company <http://www.delicious-monster.com/company.php> has a great and inexpensive ($40) software program for inventory and check-out. It's easy to use even by students, automatically downloads book information and book jackets from a major bookstore chain, and the kids love it.

[Unregistered]

First, thank you for recognizing how important it is to have a well-organized library. Organization is a skill that many young students need experiences with, and your library will be an excellent way for them to learn it. I arranged my library by genre for the non-fiction, and alphabetical order by the author's last name for my 5th grade classroom. Although books became out of order, I didn't sweat it because I made one classroom job "librarian" and another "library assistant." My students practiced learning how to alphabetize and recognize genre through the job and also through beginning of the year library centers. I also had a "Best Book Shelf" that students could promote books to if they loved the book and wrote a recommendation for another student. They loved 'promoting' books and the recommendations went into the library card pocket.

Another idea: One of my team teachers divided his books into four boxes for the four tables in his room, and through his leadership allowed the students to choose their organization for the library.

Note to the nasty person who said organizing a library was a waste of time. Rather than wondering if this new teacher will waste time by being organized and prepared for students to love reading, why don't you look at your own library methods and consider that students are more likely to choose books that they enjoy in a neat, organized library. I had a student who claimed to hate reading until he found my "Cars, Trucks, and BIG machines" genre.

Best wishes!
Ash

[Unregistered]

I wouldn't spend the time organizing those books. The kids are going to mess them all up anyway. Just put them on a shelf and let this issue go. If you are so worried about something so trivial, you scare me! Is that really going to make you a better teacher? Hello!

I completely disagree! A well organized library is key to a successful classroom. It teaches children about genre types, and how important it is to take care of books, especially putting them back properly. You wouldn't walk into a regular library or bookstore and find all the books thrown onto shelves because the customers will "mess them up anyway," would you?? It's not trivial at all, and I am appalled that you would say that teacher "scared you." Good for her for organizing her library.

[bethbeth81]

seems to me your a real geeeeeeeeekkkkkkkk. God how many books do you have, doont you know you are wasting trees. just let the kids clean up they should do everything

luv always

Are you even a teacher? We need all of the support we can get at this time of year..not some idiot spreading negativity. Move along.

[Unregistered]

You know I agree with the negativity. Cut it out and grow-up! You all may need to find another profession and that scares me that one of you could be teaching my child, my niece or nephew. We as teachers are a big part of these students lives. We teach them a lot that they may not get at home. We sepend the majority of the day and months with them, so we should be concerned on how well our classroom is organized. Wouldn't we be the same for our house, our finances, etc. Why not show the students how to organize as well as teach them responsibility. Teaching is a gift that was given to special people. If you don't take the time to do certain things. When the bigger projects come that's when you will get frustrated. All the positive ideas were great! I learned something and I have been teaching 12 years.
I would introduce different genre's to the students as well as the different prize winners. Caldecott, Newberry, Pulitzer etc. Have the kids label the books humor,fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi etc. They will take pride and know where things are. Good luc.

[Unregistered]

You know there is to much negativity. Cut it out and grow-up! You all may need to find another profession and that scares me that one of you could be teaching my child, my niece or nephew. We as teachers are a big part of these students lives. We teach them a lot that they may not get at home. We sepend the majority of the day and months with them, so we should be concerned on how well our classroom is organized. Wouldn't we be the same for our house, our finances, etc. Why not show the students how to organize as well as teach them responsibility. Teaching is a gift that was given to special people. If you don't take the time to do certain things. When the bigger projects come that's when you will get frustrated. All the positive ideas were great! I learned something and I have been teaching 12 years.
I would introduce different genre's to the students as well as the different prize winners. Caldecott, Newberry, Pulitzer etc. Have the kids label the books humor,fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi etc. They will take pride and know where things are. Good luc.[/QUOTE]

[Unregistered]

I wouldn't spend the time organizing those books. The kids are going to mess them all up anyway. Just put them on a shelf and let this issue go. If you are so worried about something so trivial, you scare me! Is that really going to make you a better teacher? Hello!

WOW! SETTLE DOWN! ITS CALLED BEING ORGANIZED!