sweetpea3829 Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 I'm trying to finish up with the organization of my classroom. Everything is done....except for the library section. I'm a bit flummoxed on how to organize it. There's such a range of books! Chapter books, non-fiction, resource, series, books that pertain to a specific curriculum (for example, LLATL books). Any suggestions on how you organized your library? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Michelle* Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 I'm in the midst of reorganizing, but the end result is going to be sorted by subject. There will be sections for readers, for science, for history, for math, and for religion. Each section will be subdivided into fiction, nonfiction, and reference. This is all separate from the books that are my husband's and mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecclecticmum Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 When I had a library, The shelves went a little like this: Bookcase #1 Top Left: Dr Suess Top Right: Poetry Books & Collections 2nd Shelf: Older Teen/Adult Chapter books (Eyre, Scarlet Letter, Gatsby etc) 3rd Shelf: Kids Chapter Books 4th & 5th Shelf: Picture Books 6th Shelf: "Collection" books (like Harper Collins Picture Books collection, 20th century childrens book treasury etc) So this was basically the bookshelf that the kids could choose from. Bookcase #2 Top Shelf: My Binders (I used binders instead of a filing system), Record Binders for each child, RR Catalog & HL Sourcebook 2nd through 5th Shelf: Non Fiction divided by subject (Science, History, Geography etc) Bookcase #3 Top Shelf: Kits (Fun Extras like Science Kits, DIY Models etc) 2nd, 4th & 5th Shelf: Non-Fiction by Subject 3rd Shelf: Bibles, Religious Items, and research papers BookCase #4 This was my bookcase reserved for what we were using in our actual curricula. Although the other bookcases could be touched, touching this bookshelf would be the same as hiding mum's pen & paper.......very bad. Top Shelf: Expensive Items (software etc) that needed protection 2nd Shelf: Readers/Phonics/Language Arts 3rd Shelf: Science & History 4th Shelf: Our Literature/planned Read-Alouds for the year 5th Shelf: Mixed Collection of rest of stuff (math, geography, health etc) I also used the top of the bookshelves to store more "kit" boxes and stuff that would be dangerous at eye level (like packing peanuts, I could imagine the mess the children would of made with those within their grasp). I also had an art cabinet in their as well that was about hip high and held all of our paper, scrap paper & art, craft supplies. On top of it, I had my Home Ed Magazines in a neat pile and a book basket for kids to put their books back into. HTH xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Heh....I gave up on organizing the library too much. It became too frustrating for all involved. I do have a set of shelves that I keep for me. One set is for our read alouds organized by read and unread. The other set are the ones (picture books, readers, etc) that I keep because we're going to need it for the coming year and don't want to get lost. I also put library books here that I need for the same purpose. I have this shelf organized by subject and the chronologically for when we'll be using it. The rest of the books I have released to the kids. My oldest has at one time or another taken it upon himself to organize them in fiction and non-fiction, but presently it's one big jumble. :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I don't over organize, but have found it helpful to group by school subject. I don't own that much fiction, so the fiction is not subdivided. If I did own more fiction I would group it by Clutter-Free Classroom Genre Kit divisions, as that is similar to how our local library subdivides children's books, and how I teach genres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I use good ol' Dewey Decimal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Many4 Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I use the book crawler app on my iPhone and organize by subject on the shelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I'm supposed to organize my homeschool library? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtokea Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 1. buy a bookcase 2. put books on bookcase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Michelle* Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I use good ol' Dewey Decimal. Oh, dear. I have to start over now. ETA. Nope, can't do it. I'm sticking to what's easiest for me to use. Someday, when the kids are all gone and I have my fabulous library, I'll find a vintage card catalog and number all of my books, but not today. :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Oh, dear. I have to start over now. ETA. Nope, can't do it. I'm sticking to what's easiest for me to use. Someday, when the kids are all gone and I have my fabulous library, I'll find a vintage card catalog and number all of my books, but not today. :p Well, I didn't have much choice. I was gifted an entire van full of books from a former homeschooling family. I had to get them catalogued, or I would never know what was there. I used LibraryThing, and a label maker, and it did take me most of the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Well, I didn't have much choice. I was gifted an entire van full of books from a former homeschooling family. I had to get them catalogued, or I would never know what was there. I used LibraryThing, and a label maker, and it did take me most of the summer. I might do that. We have so many books it's embarrassing. My oldest (disabled) daughter is in public school. They didn't have many books on her grade level (they had five books) so I sent in 100 1st/2nd grade readers and books for them to use with her. I encouraged them to share with the other kids in special ed. All of them came back home yesterday since it's the end of the school year. I'm hinting to some of my homeschool friends that if they need to borrow books, I truly have more than our town's public library (kids' section). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Michelle* Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Well, I didn't have much choice. I was gifted an entire van full of books from a former homeschooling family. I had to get them catalogued, or I would never know what was there. I used LibraryThing, and a label maker, and it did take me most of the summer. I've been scanning our books into the Collectorz software, but it seems like some of the numbering is off. I have religious books coming up under applied science numbers. I may manually add the codes as I pack up books for our upcoming move. I think I'll still keep them sorted by subject on the shelves, though. It makes it a little easier to have everything in one spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I've been scanning our books into the Collectorz software, but it seems like some of the numbering is off. I have religious books coming up under applied science numbers. I may manually add the codes as I pack up books for our upcoming move. I think I'll still keep them sorted by subject on the shelves, though. It makes it a little easier to have everything in one spot. Yes, I find that the numbering is often incorrect. But it is usually because the number put on the title page is wrong. I have had to manually change many of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I have them divided by use/subject. 1st shelf: Picture books alphabetical by title(I use stickers I printed on spine with pictures so kiddos could return to right shelf) (with top 2 out of reach shelves reserved for 1 row of history read aloud/assigned reading books and top row for some of my teacher books) 2nd shelf: Top row is for read alouds, next 3 shelves are chapter books, not sorted by any particular order, just sets by same authors together, bottom 3 shelves are themed picture books (sesame street, Bernstein bears, magic school bus, etc) 3rd shelf: top row is teacher books, 2nd-4th row are more upper elem books (chapters, etc) and bottom 3 shelves are board books. Rest of the shelves are puzzles, kits etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Michelle* Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Yes, I find that the numbering is often incorrect. But it is usually because the number put on the title page is wrong. I have had to manually change many of them. Do you just stick to the numbers to the left of the decimal or do you go down further? Is there a site that you use to find the correct numbering? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Do you just stick to the numbers to the left of the decimal or do you go down further? Is there a site that you use to find the correct numbering? LibraryThing gives you some breakdown, more in some areas than in others. But it is enough to organize my 1000 books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 1. buy a bookcase 2. put books on bookcase That's my system, too! :) Though I will say, I also go so far as to put my non-fiction reference type books on their own shelves. But that's about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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