How do you organize your bookcases?

[rafiki]

.

[rowan25]

:lurk5::bigear:

[Pink Fairy]

My biggest problem was that I would organize books in a way that worked well for us, but my kids would put them back in the wrong spots. The best hint I ever got (and it came from someone on the board) was to use colored dots on the books. I have mine divided into historical fiction (blue dots), readers (red dots), reference (orange dots), etc. Each shelf has a dot on the side to remind the kids which books go where. It's worked like a dream!

[MamaT]

I have a 12 ft. long, 8 ft. high bookcase in our basement. All of our curriculum goes there. We have sections for General Reference, World History, US History, Geography, Science, Math, Logic/Thinking Skills, Latin, Writing, Grammar, Spelling, Bible, Literature Guides, etc. We also converted a bedroom into a library that is upstairs. We have all our fiction here. The more adult fiction is on the higher shelves, and our historical fiction is arranged chronologically. The other fiction is arranged more by size than anything else.

 

The books I am using for the current/upcoming year we keep in our sunroom, which is our schoolroom. Right now they are spread out everywhere, but I'm working on getting organized in there for next year.

 

Our kids do have some of their own books in their room as well.

[Tammy]

I find it easier to locate the books I need....that way.

 

.

[Willow]

I have a whole bookshelf we use for the 'current' stuff including books, binders of work, workbooks, boxes for stuff like MUS rods etc etc. Then the rest go where they fit! For example the kitchen dresser (we use for books rather than plates ;)) has deep tall shelves so deep tall books go there. I do try to keep reference books together. Cores I only keep together if we are actually using them, but i do put stickers on the spines so i can retrieve them.

The kids have their own bookshelves for their own books, the older ones are putting them on 2 books deep now. I also have a tall shelf by the sofa, this has all the eyewitness guides and similar on it so kids can grab without getting up!

 

So, 1 bookshelf for current stuff, and the rest where it fits!

[SheWillFly]

Shelf by shelf:

top shelf (1) -teacher's manuals, curriculum guides and workbooks for future use

2 - Literature organized by author's last name

3 - Currently in use books for lessons

4 - magazine boxes with children's independent work and current independent readers

5- Free reading

6 - Reference books, field guides and other science materials

 

We have small bookcases in the kid's rooms. I don't make any attempt to organize them other than keeping the books neat in the space. Those are all books that the kids have free access too and are not part of our actual schooling.

[HeatherInWI]

We just did a purge and resort of our books -- think an entire basement full of bookshelves. We did them by subject, and then did some arrangement within the subjects. For example, the young adult-adult fiction is alphabetical by author, the travel/geography section is sorted by region, the science section as astronomy, meteorology, geology, etc. I sorted the infant, preschool, and childrens books into separate sections, and textbooks as yet another one.

[Hoggirl]

:tongue_smilie:

[Colleen in NS]

A late night response....I've given up.

 

I've had them organized by author's last name, by subject, etc.. It just got too frustrating trying to keep it all straightened up and it wasn't worth me trying to teach the kids my system. So for now, it's the "grab a book and put it back anywhere" method. My FIL commented the other day, "Your bookshelves are obviously well used...":lol: (he made the shelves for us)

[Dirtroad]

Classics (like Wuthering Heights) are in our bedroom. Politics and biographies are in our room. Same for relegion, baby/child rearing, and science (evol/creation) books. Typical stuff that you won't read or want to read until High school or adulthood.

 

Kids books that are very "girl friendly" are in DD room on her small shelf. She confiscates those. She also like very old looking books and trys to select those too.

 

Reference books and current school year readers and texts are on shelves in dining room/school area.

 

All other youth books are on large shelf in DS room. They are grouped by subject & somewhat chronological within the subject.

 

I have also made a card catalog (of sorts) of all books involved with school (kids rooms & dining room shelves). Next task it our books. We even have about 20 boxes stored at my Moms (our house is for sale & we needed to open up some space). The are baby/juvenile books, textbooks, and select histories/relegion. I have to get those recorded too.

 

The "card catalog" was to help me. I am beginning to buy duplicates & that is wasteful. So, now I have a big long list.

 

Note:I am very envious of the shelves on the other thread about the school room. I have wanted that for so long. I printed those pictures for inspiration & a constant subtle reminder to DH.

[DawnM]

I have MY books upstairs because there isn't room in the schoolroom (it is a sunroom really and limited wall space.) So all teacher manuals, books I read, etc...are up there.

 

Downstairs we have 2 tall bookshelves. Each child has his own shelf for his books/supplies. Then I have the bottom shelves all as teacher guides and large/heavy books.

 

I have each shelf labeled:

 

Science

Bible

History

Language Arts

SL Core K

SL Core 3

SL Core 4

Math

Art

 

Then I have a tall/thin case with 6 shelves. I use that for our "workboxes" which is really heavy folders. Each shelf is labeled with a child's name and each child gets a "to do" shelf and a "completed" shelf to help with the day's list.

 

Dawn

[blessed3x]

We have three bookshelves for our schooling, and others in the house.

These three are somewhat organized, though I cannot say how long they will stay that way. (smile)

The first has: top shelf - reference; 2nd & 3rd shelves - curriculum we are using this year; 4th & 5th shelves, curriculum for upcoming years. I do buy in advance when I find things at a good price.

The other two are our readers and are organized fiction and nonfiction, by authors last names. Historical biographies are by last names, but other historical books (ex: Landmarks) are by historical year. I also have a shelf for science organized by the days of creation, a section for art & music and a small section for math (ex: math dictionary and sir cumference books).

Sounds a little crazy when I put it down in writing but it works for us.

Another idea that was shared with me. We have done a lot of painting over the years and have a lot of the wooden paint stirrers. Have your children use them for book marks on the shelf! When they remove a book, the paint sticks easily slip into the books place on the shelf and is easy to find when they come back to put it away. Simple, and a good use for all the wooden sticks. (smile)

I hope this helps!

[Nestof3]

I am finally finished. Here are photos of the bookcases in our living area.

 

The boys have picture books, favorite chapter books and audio books on the bookshelf in their room.

 

I have craft magazines, homeschool and my personal non-fiction books (parenting, marriage, etc) in the bookshelf in our room.

 

 

By subject, approximate grade level or other (please explain)? subject

 

Do you have part of the bookcase a kid free zone, or enourage them to use it like a library? I'm thinking of putting my teachers stuff up high, teachers manuals, next years materials, etc. and just putting all the SL and extra books I've bought together for them to flip through. I never had a problem with my boys taking books off that they weren't going to look at. When they were young, they had their own little shelf with their board books and picture books. They still do in their bedroom. They now know to either book the book back according to the subject (they know the basic system) or ask me.

 

If I had Sonlight, I would probably have a shelf for the current year's core. I do actually have a shelf in our office that has the things we are currently using. I pull history and science books as we go and place them in a canvas bin next to the sofa. So, we're doing the Renaissance and birds, so the Ren. and bird books we'll use go in the bin.

 

 

 

How do you remember what you have for younger kids and not forget items that would work really well with a specific unit? I just look each time I start a new topic.

 

Our kids also have bookcases in their rooms, do you bother trying to keep certain things together or just go looking for it when you get to that period? They have their picture books, fav. chapter books they read over and over again, and audio books in their bedroom bookshelf. You can see pictures here:

http://ournestof3.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-wonderful-husband-part-2.html

Edited June 15, 2009 by nestof3

[jentancalann]

OMG Dawn- you are my hero.

[LeslieP]

I have a system, but only I know what it is :001_smile:! Mostly arranged by subject, but then I have groupings of classics together, reference together, and all current in-use books in one specific area.

[specialmama]

Now, if Annabelle could only find the cookbook....

[DebonLI]

then by era for history and topics i.e. birds, mammals, etc. for science.

[mcconnellboys]

I used to keep younger kid books separate from older kid books. Now that mine are growing up, I'm culling out younger kid books.

 

I have a five foot tall bookcase filled with all American history and literature.

 

I have two shelves full of biology related books, a shelf of physical science, two shelves of earth and space science. I use a label maker to label the fronts of my shelves so that I can remember where things are and other can find them quickly.

 

I have some general lit scattered around in different places, but most is with history books from various time periods. I have three shelves of medieval history and lit pulled together right now for next year's study.

 

I have a shelf of early modern books, a shelf of modern, and two shelves of ancients. I have a shelf full of religion and cultural books, a shelf full of geography related books, a shelf of art and music related books, and an entire bookcase full of books for high school and reference books.

 

I pull all my books for next year together in another bookcase, with the general stuff all together on one shelf (grammar, math, etc.).

[skaterbabs]

We have two tall (5 ft) and one short bookcase. The first tall one has language arts and history/government. The second has math, logic, languages, and science. The short one contains HS catalogues, teacher books and DD's "busywork" workbooks.

Edited June 17, 2009 by skaterbabs

[aprilinparis]

Everything is in our schoolroom... One wall is bookshelves, filled with SL cores 1-7 (grouped by core, with the color stickers on the spines), the globe, Latin, art, individual workbooks in nice magazine files, and reference books. SL IGs are with the corresponding cores, while my teacher books are on my desk. I have another wall of cabinetry that contains all my MUS, copy, lined, construction, tissue, & card stock paper, science supplies, etc. It holds the copier and tv/dvd player on top. I like having the doors & drawers to close and appear free of clutter! I also have a tall file cabinet for curr. catalogs, report cards, and completed work from previous years. I think I would go nuts trying to find things if we didn't keep it all in one place! We don't do all our work in the room, but it all goes there when the day is done.:D

[Nestof3]

OMG Dawn- you are my hero.

 

Thank you. :D

[Garga]

We keep our books at the library where the helpful librarians sort them for us. :tongue_smilie:

[KidsHappen]

Dewey Decimal system. Non-fiction is shelved by Dewey Decimal number. These shelves are upstairs in my room. My children consult me to get a book and then return it to me when they are through with it and I reshelve it. They are allowed to browse the shelves and take any book they would like as long as they inform me that they are taking it. This allows me to keep track of the books. If I see a book missing from the shelf, I know where it is. I do periodically have to retrieve books.

 

Downstairs is the fiction section which is less closely regulated. I just do a periodic check of the shelves and if something has been missing for awhile then I track it down.

 

We also have one set of shelves in my office where we keep items in use as well as workbooks, catalogs and such.

 

I did previously arrange non-fiction by subject which also worked well. As a matter of fact, when I changed to Dewey there was actually very little rearranging required.

[tricia]

After 23 years of homeschooling and many more to go I found what works perfectly for us. I arrange them in age groups.

 

preschool-7

8-11

12

15

16 and up

 

This way nothing gets skipped, forgotten, or shoved somewhere and doesn't get used.

[ElizabethB]

Every few years they get scrambled around when we move, I haven't done the books the last 2 moves, it's harder to find things when you didn't organize them and they get a new scheme every time. (My dad did them for us 2 moves ago, my husband this move.)

 

They'll get a new scrambling this summer, I might try harder to make sure I do the books this time. Of course, that means something else will be on my husband's organization plan. (Not always bad, he does a better job in the kitchen of figuring out where things should be, but some things, like books, I have preferences that are different than his.)

 

Ours are generally by subject, but current and next year's homeschooling books are on 2 smaller bookcases, the rest are on a bunch of large bookcases.

[funschooler5]

Ours are loosely shelved according to the Dewey Decimal System (I do this by memory with no spine labels...I worked as a library page for six years :tongue_smilie:). I used to have the majority of our books on shelves in the living room, with a small bookshelf in the kids' rooms, but my dad built each grandkid a beautiful (tall) bookscase, so I moved all of the "living" books into their rooms. They each have a bookcase full of age-appropriate books on every subject we have available (math, science, history, fiction, etc). In the living room I have reference books, some classics and "fun" books (things everyone uses). In the basement, I have three shelves of our curriculum (yes, some of it is never used :blushing:) sorted by subject. In my office, I have a few shelves of books about writing and illustrating, and in our bedroom DH and I have our books, a mixture of fiction and non-fiction.

 

Our system is a little scattered, but it works for us. :001_smile: