My library

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Home : 2009 : June : 6

My library
By NIUTeach

* What works best for you? Book bins or shelves?

Book baskets on shelves!

* How do you categorize your books (Dewey or other system)?

By theme: Picture books are yellow baskets and then have categories
within that: animals, kids, school, family, animal characters, etc.

I also have different colors for chapter books, non-fiction, picture book series (magic school bus, etc.) and then leveled readers.

* How do you determine reading levels?

I also used Scholastic.

* Do you post library rules, or guidelines?

No, but we spend the first month going

over procedures, picking out just-right books, picking spots to read (this is not the time to be close to a friend because it is too tempting to talk)... we do have a library check out list posted (kids pick out new books every week, but only 5 kids a day).

* Do you have a library 'corner' for reading or some other designated area, or does that cause too much noise/traffic?

I have a library area and it worked out that the kids who were picking out books for the day got to be in the library area (up to 5 kids).

I have a book nook chart like Beth Newingham -- the clips get changed everyday and there is a new place to sit. The fire marshall is our new BFF this year and at the end of the year I had to get rid of all my pillows, but I will be on the look out for items for my kids to use (Plastic chairs, etc.) to still have special reading spots.

If they are not in the library then they are somewhere else in the classroom.

Here are some pics of my library -- baskets are a bit empty, but this was the beginning of the school year and I don't put books in the baskets until we discuss the types of books that go in there.

Then I am also posting a pic of my book bins. This is where the kids keep their books they read each day. They also keep their reading tools: notebook, pencils, post-its.

When the kids turn their books in for the week, they but it in the basket labeled "Book Beach Book Return." I usually ask a couple of kids to help out and I just tell them where the book goes and they return it to the right basket... they are really good at this.

http://s698.photobucket.com/albums/vv344/NIUteach/?action=view¤t=library1.jpg