Setting Up The Classroom: Library

Hey y'all!

Boy, I am pooped.  I have been super busy in my classroom.  I spent some of Tuesday, most of Wednesday, and all of Thursday and today working on my classroom library.  This is a picture heavy post so be warned!

Here's a picture from last year so you can see how it was organized.

Not terrible.  It was organized by genre.  I used stickers to distinguish between the different genres.

However, I was never super pleased with my library.

Well, I finally decided this year, I would tackle it.

So, the first thing I did was use child labor have my sweet adorable niece unpack ALL of my books.  It looked like this when she was done:

Sorry, that's the only picture I have of the before.  This was after I requested she even out the books.  

Then, on Tuesday, I sorted through every single basket of books and sorted them into categories.  I didn't take any pictures of this, but I'm sure you can mentally picture just piles and piles of books on the floor and on desks.  

Then, I came home and made my labels.  I bought a pack of labels at Wal-Mart and started typing away.  My original idea was to use a large label that would wrap around the spine of the book (partially onto the back).  Kind of like this:

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Then on Wednesday, I had the great idea to just use a smaller label and put it on the front of the book.  DUH!  Plus, it would be much cheaper since Costco sells the smaller labels.  

So, while I was running errands, I picked up the labels from Costco and Wednesday evening I spent the entire night making all of my labels & printing them.  It took forever!

Thursday I spent the entire day putting labels on all of my books.  I got about 1/3 of the way through and I realized the labels peel off rather easily.  Obviously I should have known that, but I was trying to save some time.  So, I went back and put a layer of packing tape on every single book.

Hard to tell, but here is the label with the tape on top.  The pictures on the labels match the pictures on the bin.

I also took this time to make sure each book was labeled with my name.  A lot of books had my maiden name in them.  However, no one knows that name since I was married before I came to my current school.  Dare I show you the books that needed to be labeled with my name?  This is what it all looked like when I left for the weekend on Thursday.

Yup...every single one of these books either has no name or my maiden name.

These are my books that are actually labeled with my name...those are some sorry bins.

I forgot to make the History labels :/

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I ran out of labels for all of these books.

Shelf eagerly awaiting to be filled.

So that brings me to today.  I finished labeling all of the remaining books and that took me until about lunchtime.  When I came back, I stamped all of my books that needed it using my awesome stamp that I won from Miss Nelson!

Isn't it puuurrrty?

So, I stamped all of the books, put them in their appropriate bin and arranged all of the bins how I wanted them.  I grouped like bins together (Science related, History related, etc.).  Here's how it looked with old labels.

These would always fall off...

Bye-Bye 4 year old labels!  Siyonara :)

Here we are with our brand new library labels courtesy of Teaching in Flip Flops.  I did add color to them and I am in love!

S

Labels falling off?  Problem solved!  I love Velcro :)

I am SO happy with how it all turned out.  I honestly feel so good about my library now.  How do you organize your library?  

Call Me a Clutter Buster

I'm hooking up with Jodi over at the Clutter Free Classroom again.  This week, we need a plan for how we're going to declutter.  I really like Ms. M's rules.  If you haven't seen them, check them out!

Here is my plan:
1.  Organize my flash drive.  I kind of started this, but it needs to be arranged.  Here's what I'm currently working with (probably hard to see)

2.  Move or make most files in filing cabinet electronic.  I would really like to use binders to organize units, but I just think it will be easier for me to do it electronically.

3.  If I keep a paper copy, only keep 1.  I'm real good at keeping extra copies of things for next year.  The only problem?  Next year, I don't think to look and see if I've already got it. 

4.  Anything that is recyclable, gets recycled.  Anything I think someone else might like, goes in our workroom.  We have lots of student teachers in our building this semester so hopefully they'll get some goods.  I gave away lots today!

5.  Take care of papers as I get them!  I am so good at piling, but I need to take care of them ASAP. 

Those are my rules, give or take.  However, I am proud to show you all of the work and progress I made in my room the past two days!  Thursday was a PD day (only half day) and today was a workday.  I LIVE for these days!  I get so much done!  Check it out :)

I am exhausted!  But, I feel so much better.  Plus, it's a 3 day weekend...whoop whoop!

I hope you head over to the Clutter Free Classroom and link up!