Library setup ideas

Forward facing titles are very important for little learners. The massive library I showcased above was from my first and second grade classrooms.

I generally set up about 20 theme related books at a time and keep our other titles stored away from the reading area. This keeps little ones from being overwhelmed by the choices. I love using these labels to keep my stored titles organized so I can get to them quickly and easily. Now, check out these classroom library ideas for shelving. What good is a beautiful reading nook without books to read?

The task of growing your book collection can seem overwhelming at first. I try to check in one weekend a month to find new titles. Be sure to ask your thrift store when they set out new merchandise so you can get first choice! You can even use bonus points you earn through student book orders to help stock your classroom library with FREE books. Parents are always happy to share outgrown titles. Be patient as you try to build your classroom library.

Did any of these brilliant classroom library ideas inspire you? Be sure to pin this post and then comment to let me know which ideas you loved.

Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Access Library Contact. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. TPT Shop. Do you have remote students? Or do you use Google. This can be as simple as placing them in alphabetical order by author, or as complex as using the Library of Congress cataloging system.

When I put together the library for our church, I alphabetized the fiction books and used the Dewey Decimal system for the non-fiction so that people could find books on similar subjects next to each other. You can group materials by subject on the shelves and alphabetize within the subject. A library of more than a hundred items or so should have a catalog to let people know what the library owns. I would also include publication date, publisher name, series, and subjects.

People may search for a book by its title, author, subject, or series, so be sure any computerized database is searchable in these areas. If you are using index cards for the catalog, make a separate card for each and alphabetize them all together. You can prepare materials to add to the library at a relatively low cost with items from an office supply store.

To start our church library, I used address labels, envelopes, index cards, rubber cement, and contact paper. On hardcover books, CDs, videos, and DVDs, I covered the spine label with contact paper; on paperbacks, I covered the entire spine and the vertical cover edges with contact paper to reduce the wear that comes with multiple readings. I then took a small envelope, cut off the top half of the flap side of the envelope, and sealed the bottom half to create a card envelope, which I glued in the back of the book using rubber cement.

I wrote the title of the book on an index card with columns for people to write their names, phone numbers, and due date beneath the title and placed the card in the envelope pocket. Caution: If your library is open to the public, learn about any applicable privacy laws before using cards with personal information on them.

Library users can take out this card and place it in a second box to indicate that the book was checked out. Will you expect them to pay to replace it with an identical item, ask them to donate a similar item, or just tell them to keep it and enjoy it? Think, too, about what you will do if the library grows too big: will you weed out old books or find more storage space?

Each lending library has different needs, and each librarian or library committee which may be just you will have different ways of meeting those needs. As a bonus, you the librarian will often get to be the first person to read any interesting books donated to the cause! Have you started a lending library and have any tips? Share with us in the comments below! Great tips, thank you. I especially enjoyed the budget circulation system!

It might be worth checking out the librarything. Good suggestions. I am church librarian with a good library. Also many libraries are part of interlibraian loan and can borrow from all over US. It works really well. It can be as elaborate or simple as you want. And they have good support when you have a question. Strong suggestion: decide on your subject headings and arrangement before you begin adding information to the online catalog — it saves lots of time going back and changing things later.

Deciding on all those policy things in advance and making sure everyone knows them is important too: who will be allowed to borrow? Even though the emphasis in any library will always be on the books, you have more options when it comes to bringing color into the space than stacks of books arranged by color or painting the shelves.

All of the pieces that you use to furnish and accessorize your space can add to the color story of the room. In this library, it's the pretty pink chaise lounge and colorful Moroccan boucherouite rug that give this room its colorful character. In this space, it's the vibrant red table that takes center stage, accentuated by yet another colorful rug.

Decorate your home library with as much life and vibrancy in the furniture, rugs, and textiles as you would in any other room of your home and you're guaranteed to have a library space you're going to love. If you're big on books but low on space, one option is to keep the reading area separate by using a curtain. In this home, a simple green curtain is all it takes to create a hideaway library that can appear and disappear whenever it's needed. If your collection of books is sufficiently colorful, you can build your bookshelves from floor to ceiling, using your library as a kind of makeshift wallpaper.

Bookshelves don't have to be just for displaying racks of books. Collections of all sorts can find a place in your library. So take a few rows to set aside for showcasing other things that you love. It will make the best use of your storage and give your library some character as well. One of the main reasons why classics remain classics is that they can fit into almost any situation, and when it comes to color palettes, there's nothing more classic than black and white.

This full library space maintains a clean and modern look with a color story that is simplicity itself. Of course if classic and conservative isn't your thing, there's always colorful and bold. The pink, gray, and blue color palette of this space is just the thing for a lively, energetic library where you can read and read and not fall asleep.

This two-story book unit is a marvel of built-in architecture that any book-lover would adore. On the other hand, getting to some of the books on the highest levels might be a little tricky.

Turn your book collection on its ear with beautiful shelves built on a diagonal. With just a slight turn, these bookshelves add a bold geometric pattern to the walls that brings instant interest to the room.

While to some purists mixing a television in amongst the books would be the height of sacrilege, for most of us it's just a fact of life. To address these logistics with a bit of style, mount your television inside your entertainment center to give it the look of framed wall art and the feel of being just one more piece in your collection. Even if your books are not color-coordinated, it's still possible to create layers of color in your space. In this room, just one purple chair is all it takes to make every other purple moment—and even a few of the pink—burst off of the shelves.

Whether it's your book club or a business meeting, a long table in a home library or study is unlikely to go unused. In this space, a bright, lacquered red table provides plenty of space for a group study session or an epic all-nighter.

Sometimes the best way to bring out what you have on your walls is through what you put on the floor. The bar pattern on this black and white rug echoes the pattern of the books on the shelves.

At the same time, the neutral colors of the rug help taper down some of the brighter colors on the shelves. With a bit of art and a few eye-catching accessories thrown in, this is a colorful and stylish place to dive into a good book. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile.

Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Black Shelving. Continue to 2 of 24 below. Built-In Seating.

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