TOG - Organizing Books

[Tracy]

I know I have read threads about how to organize your books. I have been accumulating books for all levels, and I need to get them organized so that I know what I have and can find them easily.

 

I think I have read about a color-coding system. Can anyone tell me about that? Or link me to a thread?

[Ecclecticmum]

For the moment, we just have labeled shelves, and a basket thats like a library cart..everyone just plonks there books in the basket and I put them back.

 

Sonlight uses coloured stickers for there books, so I got the appropriate colour sticker dots from our office supply store.

 

Next year we will have more shelves and copious amounts of books, so I will probably use the labeled shelves plus the sticker dots idea, AND librarything and the Cat Scanner, so I don't re-purchase books I already have, and can have a list of need to gets ready.

 

There will be a coloured dot on the labeled shelf, so that everyone can put there own books back next year.

 

I am thinking since I will have many resources that I will also tag them in librarything according to what I am using them for, so that I dont sell/donate books I need for a certain curriculum.

 

It would be nice to have a scan out option too, with a scanner and server or something in the library room, so that I know whats officially "missing" from the room, but I think thats taking extravegence a bit too far lol..

 

I hope I have helped somewhat

xxxx

[plain jane]

I'm interested in this too as my TOG books are slowly trickling in. I'm order 3 levels of books, only from the primary reading lists, but it's still quite a bit to keep track of.

 

What would the colored stickers be used for? Different age levels? That's an interesting idea. Anyways- :bigear: here too!

[lcelmer]

I use big & teeny dots on the spine, and shelve by year plan, then unit.

 

Year 1 = Red

Year 2 = Yellow

Year 3 = green

year 4 = Blue

 

Lower Grammar = Red

Upper Grammar = Yellow

Dialectic = Green

Rhetoric= Blue

 

Place large dot of year plan on spine at the bottom

(multiple Years, I just layer with a crescent of each color showing)

 

Stick the smaller dot of the reading level at the top edge of the circle (For Multiple ages, I just layer with a crescent of each color showing)

 

Write the unit number in the large dot, I use M/U for multi unit.

 

Then I add a covering square of book tape over the label area so no dots fall off. :D

 

We have a lot of storage (basement) so I am trying to keep only the current year out on the shelves in the Living Room.. the other year plans & book are supposed to be boxed up in clear plastic tubs ( BIG) labeled with the year plan. ( I'm doing y2 u4, in July, and prepping all of year 3, so its a mix right now in the LR. )

 

Also, having the supplement CDs in a cd insert in the TOG binder has helped me.

 

I'll see if I can find my pic of the dots.. it is really nice to see what goes where. Aha! Found them!

 

OK, that top book is all years book I think, so I put big dots for all the years on it. I left off the level of reading, because I like it as a read aloud together book, so I wrote "ALL r/a" on the dot.

 

The lower book is a year 3, unit 1, upper grammar book. :-)

 

 

This one is a year 2 (yellow big dot) Lower & Upper grammar (little dots) unit 2 (2 written in)

 

I like having the resource lists printed out in sheet protectors & kept in the TOG binder itself. I decided to color code the lists too... Hey, it's pretty right? :tongue_smilie:

 

I don't use library thing yet.. I may switch someday, but I do use HStracker plus to mange my library. If I don't keep track somehow, I end up buying doubles.

Edited June 2, 2011 by lcelmer

[Leslie in TN]

I like the colored electrical tape idea. It's cheap (we got 5 colors in a package at the dollar store) and removes perfectly, with no residue. This is great if you mis-label or need to sell the books later.

 

I've done mine according to "year" color ie. Yellow - 1, Red - 2, Green - 3, Blue - 4. The fifth color in the package, white, I've placed on the books that are span more than one year, or are for summer reading too, so they don't get mixed up with the others. I used a skinny sharpie to write the unit number on the spine. There would also be room to write UG or D if you wanted.

 

:)

[Tracy]

Oh, I would love to see pictures! Especially if you are also using something like LibraryThing to label and organize your books.

[Hedgehogs4]

I use big & teeny dots on the spine, and shelve by year plan, then unit.

 

Year 1 = Red

Year 2 = Yellow

Year 3 = green

year 4 = Blue

 

Lower Grammar = Red

Upper Grammar = Yellow

Dialectic = Green

Rhetoric= Blue

 

Place large dot of year plan on spine at the bottom

(multiple Years, I just layer with a crescent of each color showing)

 

Stick the smaller dot of the reading level at the top edge of the circle (For Multiple ages, I just layer with a crescent of each color showing)

 

Write the unit number in the large dot, I use M/U for multi unit.

 

Then I add a covering square of book tape over the label area so no dots fall off. :D

 

We have a lot of storage (basement) so I am trying to keep only the current year out on the shelves in the Living Room.. the other year plans & book are supposed to be boxed up in clear plastic tubs ( BIG) labeled with the year plan. ( I'm doing y2 u4, in July, and prepping all of year 3, so its a mix right now in the LR. )

 

Also, having the supplement CDs in a cd insert in the TOG binder has helped me.

 

I'll see if I can find my pic of the dots.. it is really nice to see what goes where. Aha! Found them!

 

OK, that top book is all years book I think, so I put big dots for all the years on it. I left off the level of reading, because I like it as a read aloud together book, so I wrote "ALL r/a" on the dot.

 

The lower book is a year 3, unit 1, upper grammar book. :-)

 

 

This one is a year 2 (yellow big dot) Lower & Upper grammar (little dots) unit 2 (2 written in)

 

I like having the resource lists printed out in sheet protectors & kept in the TOG binder itself. I decided to color code the lists too... Hey, it's pretty right? :tongue_smilie:

 

I don't use library thing yet.. I may switch someday, but I do use HStracker plus to mange my library. If I don't keep track somehow, I end up buying doubles.

 

when i grow up i want to be just like you...

thanks! I may be borrowing your idea!

[Tracy]

I don't use library thing yet.. I may switch someday, but I do use HStracker plus to mange my library. If I don't keep track somehow, I end up buying doubles.

 

I am already using HST. Maybe I should just use that. Hmmmm. . . . I smell a new thread on the horizon.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Love the colored dots idea!

 

I use return address labels from the office supply store.

 

I then use a colored pen or sharpie to label each book (the color matches the color for the level ie red for LG or green for D).

 

The label says TOG vertically (to be placed on spine) and then the rest says Yx Ux Wx-x (for year, unit and weeks used) and then an indicator of level ie LG, UG, D or R. I will then write this information in pencil inside the book just in case the sticker goes missing. (Although the book tape may be what I was missing...)

 

Then I put books on the shelf in the order used. I do have a space for general resources-I keep books that are used over long period of time there such as SOTW, TCoO, Our Island Story, president's books, Gift of Music etc.

 

The toughest part is to get the kids to put books back where they found them. I recommend using shelf markers-it helps.

 

{Shelf markers are as simple as an overly large book mark-ideally longer than your shelf is deep-that you put in where you have removed a book so that it can be replaced easily. Easy to make your own just be sure to use sturdy paper/cardstock/file folder or laminate.}

[Tracy]

So does everyone keep their TOG books in a separate place location from the rest of their library? I was envisioning keeping them with the rest of my books and just pulling the ones that we need for a particular unit or year plan.

[melmichigan]

I started with SL so I just moved off of their system. Most books seem to fall with SL Cores 1-4 lining up with TOG 1-4 LG, UG, and SL Cores 6, 7, and 100 line up with TOG 1-4 D. I kept the colors and just add a second dot for the few books that would cross levels (a few SL read alouds are higher level in TOG as readers and vice a versa so I know those books could go either place.) I'm thinking of adding to dstinguish where Core 100 falls in the TOG D. I don't like as many dots on my books, so they are the hole punch size with max of two per book. :) Those that were SL are already marked within the dot if they were readers, since we still use SL Readers with TOG.

 

I have bookshelves dedicated to school work, so books used in any of the subjects go there.

[bluemongoose]

Well, I do not have the nifty dot stickers (I might have to copy that idea!), but here is what I do:

 

I have 3 of the cheapy bookshelves from Ikea dedicated to TOG. Each year gets 3 shelves. I put file folders in between the levels so that they stick out further than the bookends. This gives me a visual for the levels and since the shelves are labeled by year, I know the year as well. So it looks like this

 

Year 1: LG (divider) UG (divider) D (divider) R

 

On the fourth shelf starts Year 2... and so on.

 

I also have the bookcollecterz software with a scanner (just got it for mothers day:)) and it is helping me a ton! I like to help people by loaning books, and I love that the software has a lending feature. And it helps me find duplicates so that I can get rid of them and purchase books I do need. Also, I can put category "tags" on the books. So now I can search for TOG LG Year 1 and it will show me a picture of all the covers of the LG Year 1 books! I love this! Also, when you enter in an ISBN, it already brings up cataloging information. So you can search your collection for Egypt, and it will know which books talk about Egypt.

 

Having a dedicated shelf and a way to log by books in was the only way to keep sanity when the TOG books started rolling in!

[TracyP]

So does everyone keep their TOG books in a separate place location from the rest of their library? I was envisioning keeping them with the rest of my books and just pulling the ones that we need for a particular unit or year plan.

 

 

I have my TOG books separated with year on its own shelf in my storage cabinet. This won't work on my next cycle through but it does now since I don't have too many books yet.

 

I LOVE the sticker idea, Icelmer. That is a great idea for when I have multiple levels going.

[johnandtinagilbert]

I am dreaming of having time to dot them. It's on my list of projects, for sue. I will not have to have year dots, though b/c I already have all the TOG books shelved according to year. I also separated them into: Core, Biography, and general topics. My eventual plan is to dot them and have an active list that shows which weeks are which. Can't wait for the pretty dots! I also shelf the puzzles, kits, games, etc. that go with the time period. That way, when I come around to year 1 again, it's all in one place. START NOW! You don't want my library and then have to go back and mark books for 4 levels!

[lcelmer]

I am already using HST. Maybe I should just use that. Hmmmm. . . . I smell a new thread on the horizon.

 

 

If you have HST plus you just type in the isbn number & it automatically fills in the info from amazon, author, title, picture. :-)

You can also use the custom field to input other useful info, like year plan or reading level... :-) This allows you to sort the library items by that as well.

The Big dots for year plan I saw somewhere once upon a time, but I don't think I've seen the little dots for reading level anywhere else.

I want a cue cat or other scanner, but don't need them really... It is almost as fast to write the isbn of a whole shelf of books, then just suck the info into HST+.

 

I don't usually buy the whole year of books, that's just a bit much $ for me, (we use the library) but I did inherit 2 years of sonlight books that I am almost done weaving into TOG. Since I was trying to get them all into the hst anyhow, and decide when in TOG to use them, it wasn't much more time to add dots. :-)

 

I use page protectors for the READING ASSIGNMENT pages only of the year plan. That way I can use a fine tip sharpie to write in any book substitutions, but I don't ruin the printed page itself. Sharpie is a amazing on page protectors.. wipes right off with rubbing alcohol, but stays put till then.

Edited June 2, 2011 by lcelmer

[T'smom]

Wow. You guys are my heroes. I really wish I was that organized. I just have one little idea to add. You can make those shelf markers out of paint stirrers. They're sturdy and just the right size. They can be color-coded or decorated easily.

[mamato4girls]

If you have HST plus you just type in the isbn number & it automatically fills in the info from amazon, author, title, picture. :-)

 

I didn't know it did this, yay!:)

[AStableBeginning]

What happened to the pretty pictures? Can you repost them, I need a visual. Thanks!

 

I use big & teeny dots on the spine, and shelve by year plan, then unit.

 

Year 1 = Red

Year 2 = Yellow

Year 3 = green

year 4 = Blue

 

Lower Grammar = Red

Upper Grammar = Yellow

Dialectic = Green

Rhetoric= Blue

 

Place large dot of year plan on spine at the bottom

(multiple Years, I just layer with a crescent of each color showing)

 

Stick the smaller dot of the reading level at the top edge of the circle (For Multiple ages, I just layer with a crescent of each color showing)

 

Write the unit number in the large dot, I use M/U for multi unit.

 

Then I add a covering square of book tape over the label area so no dots fall off. :D

 

We have a lot of storage (basement) so I am trying to keep only the current year out on the shelves in the Living Room.. the other year plans & book are supposed to be boxed up in clear plastic tubs ( BIG) labeled with the year plan. ( I'm doing y2 u4, in July, and prepping all of year 3, so its a mix right now in the LR. )

 

Also, having the supplement CDs in a cd insert in the TOG binder has helped me.

 

I'll see if I can find my pic of the dots.. it is really nice to see what goes where. Aha! Found them!

 

OK, that top book is all years book I think, so I put big dots for all the years on it. I left off the level of reading, because I like it as a read aloud together book, so I wrote "ALL r/a" on the dot.

 

The lower book is a year 3, unit 1, upper grammar book. :-)

 

 

This one is a year 2 (yellow big dot) Lower & Upper grammar (little dots) unit 2 (2 written in)

 

I like having the resource lists printed out in sheet protectors & kept in the TOG binder itself. I decided to color code the lists too... Hey, it's pretty right? :tongue_smilie:

 

I don't use library thing yet.. I may switch someday, but I do use HStracker plus to mange my library. If I don't keep track somehow, I end up buying doubles.

[Guest]

What happened to the pretty pictures? Can you repost them, I need a visual. Thanks!

 

This should help :):

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=293599

[lcelmer]

Yup, that link should help.

 

I was stupid & reorganized my snapfish account, so all the links broke. I can't edit old posts here, so yeah... I accidentally left sad empty boxes of broken links. :tongue_smilie:

[AStableBeginning]

Thank you!!!

[FiveOaksAcademy]

when i grow up i want to be just like you...

thanks! I may be borrowing your idea!

 

:lol::lol: Me too!!!!!!!