Easy Management of Your Classroom Library!

Throughout the years, I have tried several methods to manage my classroom libraries.  Some created too much work for us while others simply failed.  Except for this one!!  This new system is easy, kid-friendly, and quick!

Visit your local home improvement store.  At the paint section, ask them for enough paint sticks for each child in your classroom.  Label each paint stick at the top with a student number.  After I alphabetize my students' last names, I give each one a number starting with one.  (I write this number on their name tags too).  Every student now has his/her book shopping stick.  Since all of my books in my classroom library are in bins, the students simply place their sticks in the bin in which they want to read one of the books.  The sticks stay in the book tubs until the students have finished reading their books.  When a student is done with his/her book, he/she takes the book back to the library and finds his/her numbered stick, puts the book back, and takes his/her stick.  

Now, I do not have a basket filled with books needing to be reshelved.  This method also saves time.  The students are no longer searching for the baskets to put their books away.  

You could have the students decorate their shopping sticks with images of things they like to read. This would be a great way to gauge what genres your students are reading so you could help them find books they may like to read.