5 Tips To Organizing Your Classroom Library

Over the years I have organized my classroom library in many different ways.  I’ve tried baskets and magazine holders.  I’m always attempting to make my life easier!  Most of these organizing systems have worked just fine, but I ran across another way that might work even better.

Tip #1  Finding a System That Works For Your Family

There are so many ways to set up your library.  Some things to keep in mind are how many books you have, the ages of your kids, and how you use them in your homeschool.  

Do you want a leveled library?  You may want to divide the books up by their reading levels and store on different shelves or in bins or baskets.

Do you want your kids to have their own bins?  I tried this last year and it worked fairly well.  After a trip to the library, the kids sorted their books out and placed what they wanted to read in their own magazine box.

Tip #2 Invest in Sturdy Bins, Tubs, or Boxes

I’ve used all three of these organizational items throughout the years.  All three work just fine.  It’s really all about how accessible you want your books to be.  This year I’m going to try these wire locker baskets from Target.  

#3 The Sorting Process

Don’t make it too difficult.  One thing I did was to go through ALL of our books.  I made sure to block off a couple of hours for this process.  I just pulled them all onto the floor one afternoon and started sorting them the way I wanted them.  

You can sort them by author, unit studies, fiction, nonfiction, chapter books, picture books, the choices are endless.  

#4 It Must Make Sense To YOU

The way you sort your books should make sense to YOU!  You are the teacher, you are the one who has to make sure everything gets taught in a day.  However, your kids are going to have to know the method to your madness.  So thanks to Amy from Stepping Into 2nd Grade, I decided to number code my books to match the basket.

# 5 Make Room For More Books

I’m slowly adding more baskets to our classroom.  I love these wire baskets because they’re very roomy.  This means we can add more books! Plus, with this system in place, I think book clean up is going to be quick and easy! 

Do you have any tips or pictures to show of your classroom library?  I’d love to see your library system! 

Christa

Christa is a former classroom teacher turned homeschooling mama to three precious angels! She runs a cottage school for other homeschooled families two days a week and teaches music/history at a tutorial school. When she’s not teaching, she spends her time as a curriculum designer, freelance writer, and blogger at Little Log Cottage School. She’s passionate about quiet time in the morning, cooking meals from scratch, and making learning fun! You can find her on Little Cottage School.