Piles of books got you down? Wondering how to get the most bang for your buck from your classroom library? It’s time to get organized and make your classroom library work for YOU!!

1. Take Inventory of Your Classroom Library

If you are like me, you may have a lot of books and the best intentions ... some might even say I have a book addiction. Yep. I do. There is something so amazing about opening that Scholastic Books box with my students, and getting excited with them about reading! It's like Christmas in October. However, sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all those new books and where to put them ... how to organize and label them ... and how to get my students to keep up with my system once it is in place.

The first thing to do in this situation is to take inventory. What do you have already in your classroom library, and what do you need? Having recently dipped down for a year teaching primary, I realized that my books were very high level for the readers I would have that year, so I needed to focus on making room for lower-level books.

I gave a few boxes of books at the fifth and sixth-grade reading level to newer teachers in my building, to help them get started. Then I focused my energies on researching and purchasing books at the reading and interest level of the students coming into my room.

2. Organize the Piles of Classroom Books

Next, start making the piles. This is when I pull out the sticky notes and the Sharpies, so I can label the piles as I go. The tops of desks and tables seem to make the piling go faster, with the bonus of getting all my steps in for the day, walking back and forth while sorting. Once I have a few books that match (same author, series, genre, topic, etc.) I label the desk with my sticky note. These are so helpful for sorting and determining categories, so I can plan out my bins and organization plan.

I have purchased many bins over the years, but these have been my favorites: picture book bins (IKEA bins), nonfiction bins, and chapter book bins. I tend to find some great options at Big Lots, Dollar Tree, and Target when a trip to IKEA isn’t an option.

3. Decide on Your System for Your Classroom Library

Over the years, I purchased and tried many different labels and systems, and never quite settled on one. There are so many other options! Without organizing my piles, I never knew how many of each bin I needed or the levels of my books.

Looking back at pictures of my library, I cringe at the inconsistency over the years. This made it hard for my students to access the books they needed to read and also made them more dependent on me to help them find books. During small group instruction, I can’t stop my groups and help students look for “just-right” books. The classroom library needs to empower students to find books themselves, with some guidance during the start of the year library mini-lessons. If it isn’t doing that, then it is not doing its job!

Once you can see all of your books and piles, you will be able to find a labeling system that works for you. I mostly like to organize by genre, so I can teach students about genre and help them find their favorites. Next, I look at popular series and authors for my readers, and group those books together. As we find more series we like, I can focus on growing those books enough in my classroom library that they will eventually have their own bin.

After sorting for genre, series, and author, I then sorted for level. My district has no set leveling system anymore (used to be AR/STAR), so I use a combination of Accelerated Reader leveling and Scholastic Book Wizard. I have assigned a color to each grade level (Kindergarten is gray, 1st is red, 2nd is purple, 3rd is yellow, 4th is orange, and 5th is green) that matches the school library leveling colors. For each book, I write the level on a round dot sticker and put it on the cover of the book. I used to tape it to the spine, but have since realized that the front is more visual and doesn’t take the tape to hold the sticker down.

In the past, I also used to attach matching sticker labels to the covers, so students saw my name and knew which genre or collection the books belonged to. I thought doing that would help them put books where they belonged, but honestly, they still struggled with placing them back where they go. Now I have a “Librarian” job, and students can choose to put the books in a “return” bin and have the Librarian help me put them away. This sounds like a lot of work, but honestly, labeling all of those books by genre and collection took MUCH more time, and served no purpose for my 3rd and 4th graders.

I also purchased a stamp with my name on it and just stamped the inside cover of the book. It takes 2 seconds, and it looks much nicer than covering up the cover of the book with a big rectangle label. More importantly, if I do all the sorting and labeling, my students don’t need to think about it, and I WANT THEM TO THINK ABOUT IT. Sorting and categorizing are both higher-level thinking strategies, and I want them to make those connections even while putting books away.

4. Start Labeling Those Library Books!

Now that the piles are organized and you can see what you have, it is time to purchase (or borrow from teachers like me who have TOO MANY EMPTY BINS filling up all the cupboards and closets) your bins. You have them sorted, so taking a picture of your stickies or making a quick list of the labels you need will make the next step easier.

Once you have mapped out the books and the bins, you need to either make or buy labels that work for you and your classroom library. Finding a set that has an editable option is your best bet because no one has all of the labels you will want/need. It is nearly impossible to anticipate the classroom library contents for every teacher at every grade level. I have found that my students are very visual, so I have created a set of labels with a space for the color dots (or a space to add color with a Sharpie or marker before laminating). My labels include fiction genres, series, authors, as well as nonfiction labels based on the Dewey Decimal categories. And yes, there are editable versions included. To purchase my labels, click here for my TPT store link.

Use your planning downtime to help you find/create and print your bin labels. I print on bright white cardstock, then laminate on my personal little laminator at home. Cutting out bin labels while I listen to podcasts or watch teacher YouTube videos makes me feel productive! Then I use packaging tape, roll it into a “donut”, and use it on the back of my labels to tape one to each of my bins. This tape works amazingly well for YEARS at a time. Now put each pile of books in the corresponding bin, and set up your library.

This is a good time to label the levels on the books if you choose to do that. Then you can match the color or number label on the book bin to the books that match it. The levels do take a LONG time to complete if you have as many books as I do (book addicts, you know who you are – join my club!), so give yourself grace and work on it as you can. No students will suffer if you complete a bin a week and finish by the end of the year. It might drive YOU insane, though, LOL 😂

Would you like a matching freebie to go with your labels? Students need a place to put those books that are falling apart or have been loved a little “too” much if you don’t want to be constantly interrupted while you are teaching small groups. Grab my book FREEBIE hospital label here!

5. Manage Expectations for Independent Reading Time

Now that your library is organized, your books have a home, and you are ready to let your students loose and hit the ground (or library) running, it is time to set expectations. There are many anchor chart ideas out there that help you frame the type of agreement you may want to make with your students.

Once students know your expectations, it is a good idea to work on stamina with them. Depending on their age, and reading ability, you may need to start with small increments of time and work your way up. I have used both of these posters as inspiration to make my own time incentive charts.

Finally, I like to have some tools that support my students during independent reading time. Students who struggle to read often can only read in short bursts without getting distracted or bored. To help them understand their reading level and the books they should be choosing from, I have created independent reading-level bookmarks and cards for a visual student tool.

Traditionally, I have printed these out, using their most recent reading assessment data to determine their reading range. Then I conference with each student and talk through the types of books and levels that they might enjoy and understand the best. Sometimes I laminate the cards, but often I just use strapping tape over the top and tape them directly to their desk.

This year, I plan to mix it up and put all of the individual passwords and cards on a binder ring for each student, so they can hang from the side of their desk by a magnetic hook. No more wasted time looking for all those annoying slips of paper! Click here to purchase my reading range desk cards, and click here to see the magnetic hooks I found on Amazon.

Another great tool that is SO motivating to my students is to use independent reading activities and games. Instead of plain old boring reading logs (which I have tried and tried to make work), I give my students a choice of challenges to complete. They can choose a coloring page with a 20-book goal and space to write the title, genre, and a 5-star rating.

Another option is a bingo game, called READO, which encourages them to try different genres. I usually give a small reward for a single READO and a larger reward for a blackout READO. The third challenge is generally another game or activity that focuses on reading various genres.

To try a FREE version of my READO game, click here to download and give it a try. To purchase my independent reading activities, here they are!

BONUS: Let Some of Those Books Go!

The hardest thing to do when organizing my classroom library is to let books go. Some are so outdated that no child reads them anymore. Some are too hard of a reading level for my class. And some were given to me for free (or very cheap) and I have a hard time letting them go. TIME TO LET THEM GO.

There are SO MANY amazing new books being written every day, books that reflect the diverse lives, cultures, experiences, and identities of our students. How can we not want our students to see themselves reflected back in our classroom books? To do that, make room for new books.

At the end of the school year last year, I weeded out some amazing books and offered them up to 4th and 5th-grade teachers and students. So many students left our school smiling with a new (to them) book in hand. I felt good knowing those books would have a second life in someone else’s classroom or home. Out with the old, in with the new! Don’t be afraid to really make your classroom library your own.

Thanks for reading to the end! Please reach out with questions, comments, or any tips for setting up your classroom library that might help another teacher – I LOVE “borrowing” shared teacher ideas from my fellow educators!

Happy Teaching!

Beth

1. 

   Hi Tracey! I got started with buying packs of things at the Dollar Store, like party favors, balloons, etc. Sometimes…

2. 

   Can you please share the cost for the items in your shoe organizer?

3. 

   wow!!