Do you have one area in your classroom that makes you excited everytime you see it? For me, it is my classroom library.
Your classroom library is where a lifelong love of books begins for children. It should be a place children visit often and bring joy and excitement. But the question is: How do you set up a classroom library that is functional, supports instruction, and makes students excited to read in an elementary classroom? Well…honestly? There is no one right answer. But don’t worry! I’ve pulled together 10 tips to help you create an organized classroom library!
1. Get a Diverse Selection of Books
One of the most important things you need to have a successful classroom library are books your students are interested in! It’s hard to know what books to get, but it’s also difficult to figure out where to get books cheap or free!
When it comes to actually getting books, try going to some thrift shops, asking families who have children who are grown up, or asking current teachers! I got most of my books from thrift shops and through DonorsChoose. But you can also check out First Book, Thrift Books, or make a request on Half Priced Books for a donation. Another popular way to get books is by making an Amazon wishlist and sharing it with your students’ families or on your social media.
2. Sort Books in Easy-to-Navigate Categories
One of the most difficult parts of setting up a classroom library is figuring out how you want to organize your books. There are many different ways to organize your library. You can do it by levels, although there are many debates on that, you can organize by genre, themes, or series.
Personally, I organize by series and fiction or nonfiction. I place labels on all of my bins so students know where to go for their favorite series. I have a few tubs for picture books that aren’t part of a series and a section for biographies and nonfiction texts.
3. Label Books
I made labels that I tape to the back of all my books. They say my name, the AR reading level, and how many AR points the book is worth. My school doesn’t use AR… but it is still nice to have the levels on the back. I print the labels out on blue paper so they all look the same. You could also print your labels in different colors depending on the level of the book.
I also use this customized book stamp for all my books. That way my books are labeled with the blue paper labels I made and stamped on the inside. This helps students remember which books are mine and which are theirs or belong to the school library.
4. Make Your Library Inviting and Cozy
I don’t have a ton of space for my classroom library, but I still want to make it inviting and cozy. I have lots of “reading buddies” in my library that students can actually take to read with. For decoration, I hang up book sleeves as posters to make it colorful and to highlight different books that are in my library.
You could also hang up string lights, add cozy chairs (if you have the room), lay out a cute rug, or grab some cute pillows that students can lean on while they read!
5. Display Featured Books
Sometimes students have a hard time finding a book to read. Adults have the same problem! Think about going into Barnes and Nobles to find a book. There are tons of shelves with hundreds of books on them! Where do you start? Oftentimes I head straight to the different table displays that they set up.
Just like book stores, you need to display books for students! I change my display once a month and do it based on seasonal books (like winter holiday books, snow books, or spring time books). I also have a place for students to write down their 5-star books. If they read a book they love, they can write the title on our “5-star books” chart.
6. How will the books get put back?
Once students are finished with a book, how do they return it to your library? This is a very important question. I don’t have my students return the books to the baskets or shelves. I learned the hard way that putting books back in the correct place is very difficult for many children.
Instead, I have a “book return” milk crate that students place their books in when they are done. At the end of the day (or week) I put away any books that are in the baskets. After a few months I add a “class librarian” to the student job list and train them on where to put books. If they ever don’t know where a book goes, they just leave it in the basket for me!
7. Create Classroom Library Rules
It is important to have some classroom library rules. Without rules, your library will quickly turn from organized and functional to a random pile of books. Save yourself the headache by creating some rules!
I never open my classroom library on the first day of school — I honestly don’t open my classroom library to students until after the first or second week of school. I take quite a bit of time to go over the rules and expectations of my library before allowing students to go in and out.
As stated in tip 6: create a system for returning books. Also, choose a way for students to pick out books. I use the “iPick” method. I go over this method and I have a (free) poster of it in my library.
Designate days for going to the library! Depending on the level your students are reading on, decide if you want students to go every day (like in the morning when they get to school), every other day, or have an assigned day a week for table groups.
8. Have “Reading Tools” Available
I like to have different “reading tools” available for students in my elementary library. They can grab these tools during their independent reading time or during reading stations (sometimes). All tools have to be cleaned (with a Clorox wipe) when they are returned!
Here are some of the tools I have in my classroom thanks to DonorsChoose:
Don’t forget to go over rules before letting students grab everything!
9. Catalog Your Books
Some people use classroom library apps to catalog the books in their library. I originally planned to do this, but decided it was too much for me to keep up with. But don’t let that deter you! What works for some, doesn’t always work for others. Check out Jessica Meacham’s post about classroom library apps if you are interested!
10. Be Patient!
My classroom library did not happen in one day. It took me almost a year to label all my books. And I continue to get more books today! Whenever I get a new book, I immediately label and stamp it, then add it into the correct place in my library. Be patient with yourself and give yourself grace. The first thing I would focus on is categorizing your books (tip 2).
I created a classroom library setup kit if you want some help with book lists, posters, labels, and more! If you are a first year teacher, I know this can be extremely overwhelming. Remember to start out small!
