Wednesday, February 3, 2016

I Heart My Classroom Library!!!



Updated:  You can now see/hear me talk about my library on IGTV.


My library makes my heart happy!  There's no other way to say it!  The collection is current yet has lots of old-time favorites, varied with all types of genres, levels, and publishers, a reflection of the kids' interests in my class THIS year, forever changing, and FUN! 


I so wish I could have all the cute accessories I see online: lamps, seats, benches, bathtubs, tree houses...the list goes on...but I can't.  My room is so small!  Too small.  But I digress!  Although small, it packs a lot of punch and is filled with books that the kids read all throughout the day...and night...and summer!  Yes, I let them check out books nightly (just write title in book with name and return when done!) and DURING THE SUMMER.  The thought of these awesome books just sitting on my covered shelves all summer makes me queasy.  I rather the books go home with eager readers than stay in my room.  Do I lose some?  Yep.  Some get lost, get left behind on planes, are forgotten at "the other house" from time to time when visiting divorced parents.  It happens.  If you really can't live without a book, don't lend it.  (Autographed books!  I have a big collection and lend them during the year but not over the summer.)  


A Book Hospital is a must.  Before I started using one, the books piled up on my desk.  I got these cute signs at Campbells Soup-er Store on TpT for FREE! 


I have some bins up on tops of a cabinet that are just for me to access.  Holidays, books I need for units, and some read-alouds that I want to read before putting back into "general population!  I had holidays mixed in originally but I simply ran out of room and needed the bins for other topics.  What happens when I need another bin spot?  Last year, one of my students realized we had a lot of Grace Lin's books and thought we should gather them up and give her a bin.  So, I added a "2" to each one of her books and placed them in #2 David Shannon bin.  Sometimes I cross off old numbers and write the new number but Nail Polish remover also works fine!




***Why don't I use pictures on bins?  If I had to upkeep pics and add to them, I'd never do it!  And bins are shared so it would be hard to have 2-3 pics on one bin. 

***Those top bins are so sturdy and awesome!  They are DISHPANS from Walmart and Target.  I paid $1.69 for each one.  The ones on the bottom were about $6.  

***Is EVERY book labeled in my classroom?  Yes.  With a number on back.  Quick.  Easy.  Not sure where a book belongs?  Have kids help you decide.  Vote.  When all else fails, I put in FABO FAVORITES.  (I have 4 bins that all have SAME number on it.  This way, the FABO FAVORITE book can go in any one of them.  I also have more than one bin for Chapter Books and HA HA Funny.  

***Most chapter books are in specific bins.  For example, I have Capital Mystery, A-Z Mysteries, and Andrew Lost all is SAME bin.  So all those books have same numbers on them.  When kids return them to the bin, they place with the others in series.  But like I said above, some random chapter books not part of series just go in CHAPTER BOOK bins.

Everyone has a different way of running their library.  I don't have time/patience for pockets and computerized lists but I know of teachers who have those things down to a science.  Kudos to them and kudos to all of us who have rockin' libraries!

Happy reading!

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