Classroom Library Labels

Hello everyone! I am super excited to share my library organization with all of you.
This will be my eighth year teaching, all of which have been in K. I feel very lucky to be able to teach at the same school as my mom. She teachers second grade. Although I barely get to see her at school (we teach in a very large and still growing elementary school in northern Florida) I am still excited to be able to share our teaching experiences together.
I absolutely love teaching Kindergarten and could not see myself teaching any other grade-level. My heart definitely belongs to K! I love watching my students grow as readers &  writers.

Since I  have a passion for instilling a love of reading in my students, I thought I would share some tips/ideas with all of you on how to organize your classroom library. Having a well-organized library that is not only easily accessible but also kid friendly is essential for young Kinders just learning to read. An organized and inviting classroom library leads to a love of reading books!

I spend quite a bit of time at the beginning of the school year going over the rules for our classroom library; how to pick "just right" books, proper book care, returning books to their correct basket, etc. It is very important to have a system put in place that will ensure the classroom library stays organized. Here are some excellent books for teaching book care.
A SNAPSHOT OF MY CLASSROOM LIBRARY:
A NEW CARPET- PETE THE CAT!



SORTING BOOKS:
I believe it is a personal preference on sorting books. I will share with you how I sort mine. I have leveled baskets A-K all in one section of my library. I also have various baskets throughout that are sorted by either author or theme. Within each author or themed basket, I try to have the reading level listed on each book.

I have chosen to NOT separate my books by fiction & non-fiction. Since I do have a large library this would be somewhat difficult for me. I also like for my students to know that texts on the same topic, such as Fire Safety can be fiction as well as informational. I do however, label all of my non-fiction texts with a label that my students can easily see when choosing books. You can snag these non-fiction sticker labels
here!




I do not contain books to just the classroom library. I have various sections around the classroom where books are readily available to students. I place Kindergarten readers (levels A-E) in baskets above their individual book boxes, books at their table seats and books in an additional reading space located in the middle of our classroom. I also store monthly themed books and books on CD in storage bins.







GETTING ORGANIZED:
I am fortunate to have a large built-in bookcase in my classroom. I also purchased stand-alone bookcases to house additional books. These bookcases were purchased from Staples- There is usually a half off sale on bookcases during the summer. Many of my co-workers have similar bookcases that were purchased inexpensively at Target.








But..who says you need a built in bookcase and a large classroom to have an amazing organized library? Here are some pictures of my mom's 2nd grade library. Her classroom is in a portable (which she loves) and she has a pretty snazzy library for such a small space. She purchased her bookcases inexpensively from a church.



BOOK BASKETS:
Ahhhhhh....So many choices. I often get asked the question "Where did you get your book baskets from"? I actually purchased them from the Dollar Tree six years ago when I first started teaching. Every now and again I will see them pop back up in the store. These bins have lasted me for years and are the perfect size for all of my books. I did purchase my students individual book boxes from Really Good Stuff. All of my mom's book bins were purchased from Target in their dollar deal section during the summer months.


BOOK LABELING:
Every book basket with the exception of the table seat baskets contain a colorful kid-friendly label on it. These book basket labels help make book shopping faster and easier! Each individual book contains a smaller label that matches its basket label (printed on small mailing labels). I believe that this is a key component to any organized classroom library. This is essential, especially in Kindergarten. These small sticker labels have been a time saver for sure! My students know just the right basket to return their books to. If you are interested in learning more about these classroom library basket labels and stickers a link will be provided at the end of this post.



ATTACHING LABELS:
To stay organized, it is important to have labels that will stick! I often get the question "How do you attach your labels"? I simply use the tape that can be purchased at the teacher store. I have had these library labels on for the past few years and they are still "sticking" strong! Other ideas to attach labels are using double sided tape, using hot glue, metal rings, and Velcro.


TOOLS FOR ORGANIZATION:



GETTING STARTED:
Ready to start organizing your library? I made a variety of labels in different colors and themes that can help you do just that! I have included 220 labels. These labels are a great way to spice up your classroom library. It is also a great way to keep your library neat and organized. Matching Book bin stickers are also available. There are many other options available on my TPT store. Click here to see all available options for Set 1. Click here to see all available options for Set 2.  Check out Set One and Set Two below:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Danielle-Mastandrea/Category/Library-Labels-SET-1-54804/Order:Most-Recently-Posted

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Danielle-Mastandrea/Category/Library-Labels-SET-2-249219/Order:Most-Recently-Posted

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Library-Book-Bin-STICKERS-SET-2-Corresponds-wLibrary-Labels-2632773




17 comments:

  1. Your classroom library and your labels are absolutely gorgeous! I am literally drooling over your pictures!
    Lori
    Teaching With Love and Laughter
    luvyorkies@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Lori! I love my built in bookcase. If I ever change schools I will surely miss that!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Holy moly....you do own a lot of books!!! Thanks for stopping by my blog and donating to my giveaway! I am your newest follower :)

    Katie
    Mind Sparks

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your library looks fantastic! I am going to use it for inspiration to get my books under control!
    Kay
    Sommer Pride

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am so jealous of your classroom library! It looks AMAZING! I am your newest follower!
    Amber
    Mrs. Laue's Littles

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your classroom is so cute! I LOVE all your products! I am going to be broke BEFORE school starts :-) Thanks!
    Question: Where did you get your bin for your book labels?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow!! I'm in awe. You're library look amazing! So, so cute, colorful and organized. One day I'll be there too.

    ✰Janine
    Kindergarten Corps

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love these!!!!

    Erica
    Sprinkles to Kindergarten
    erica_crowder0612@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just what I was looking for! Will you have an owl theme?
    thralvr@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love your library! I am about to purchase your labels now! I LOVE primary colors! Where did you find your baskets? They are perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your library is beautiful and colorful. Thanks for sharing!

    missiontoteach.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. How did you organize your library? Some books are by theme and others by level. I am still trying to figure out how to organize mine. Also I would love the animal print version, how soon will it be up?
    Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Where did you get your baskets?

    ReplyDelete
  14. I just purchased your labels on TPT. Love them! Where did you get your baskets from?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Is there a Pete the Cat label?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Can someone point me in the right direction for 2 shelf bookcases? I love yours and I know the post says staples but everything I see online with staples and Target is in the $200-300 range and that’s just not in my budget! Any ideas?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your Pre- K room is amazing! �� I fell in love with the Pete The Cat carpet one of my favorite books. Definitely going to look into a book case for my toddlers room. I too enjoy reading and currently teach toddler 1 yr olds and enjoy enjoy emphasizing in books right now they are enjoying the famous Brown Bear Brown Bear �� I love how they see me walking to my stash of books and as soon as I grab the book they all rush to the carpet and sit patiently to read the book together. Any tips you can share as to how I can add more books to my library without having them gettin nibbled on ? sandramorin19@gmail.com any tips or pointers would greatly be appreciated. Thank you Inn advance!

    ReplyDelete