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I store all of my literature circle sets that I have purchased in my basement. I used to store them at school, but since they do not get used every day all year I found it hard to justify the amount of space they took up. I have used a few different organizational systems since I started teaching – each system is an evolution of the previous system.
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System 1: Stacking all the books on a shelf in piles by title
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This system works well if you have lots of shelf space to spare and have room in your classroom. The benefits of this method is that you always have access to the books and do not have to bring them to/from school. It is also free.Â
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System 2: Store books spine side up in a large bin
I love these large bins which are actually brand new cat litter pans from my local dollar store. They allow me to see the book titles, and freely move them because they are in bins with handles. Â Storing items in bins makes them so much easier to work with because you don’t have to constantly just move a handful of something. These bins cost me $2.50 each at the dollar store, and can be used for many other purposes should you choose to store your books in another way.Â
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The downside to this system is that your books are not covered so in case of flood, dust, etc your expensive books are not protected.
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System 3: Cloth Zipper Boxes from Ikea
I got this idea from a fellow teacher who loves that these boxes zip shut to keep dust, mold, bugs out of the books. They also have a clear pocket at the front so you can write a label of what is in box to help with ease of access. They also stack quite easily, which is a great bonus because teachers cannot devote their entire storage to books!Â
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I switched from this system because middle school novels are quite heavy and felt that I was overloading the boxes. I also wanted something that allowed me to see inside at a faster glance.
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System 4: Plastic Storage Boxes with Snap Lids
This is my favourite system of all that I have tried. I keep my book boxes in my basement so this system keeps them dry in case of water, the bugs can’t get in and no more dusty books. I love that I can see in the boxes from all sides because they are clear, and the closure by snap lid ensures all the books stay in the boxes during transport. Nothing is more frustrating then to have your box full of supplies empty in your car, the school parking lot or right in front of your classroom door.Â
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The plastic boxes are strong enough to withhold being stacked on top of each other, making for ease of storage. The books will not get bent if they are in these tough boxes. It is worth the extra money to buy a brand name plastic boxes at your local store. I got mine at Walmart and Target, but have seen them at Canadian Tire and hardware stores.
I may be crazy, but i always keep mine on the bookshelf with the rest of the books. I encourage my students to do book clubs (less formal literature circles) and want them to be able to select any book that is interesting to their group. If there's a specific book I need for a specific group, I would just make sure to snag it first. It's never been a problem for me.
I agree that I had a hard organizing my books as well! But I finally cleaned out two of my overhead cabinets so I can organize all my book club books… I'm working on getting a chart and spreadsheet so I can keep track of them by unit but right now they at least all "fit" up there. Thanks for sharing those bins, if I run out of space, I might need to go to Target get some 🙂
Amanda
My Shoe String Life
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Kristy –
I really like your organization here!! I think I am stealing this for my own Lit Circle sets! 🙂
Lauren
Life In Middle School
Thanks for the fun little freebie! I like your organization tips, too!
Rebecca
Teaching First
Hey Miss Lifesaver – you are not crazy and I like your idea. I keep my hidden to make them seem very special when I pull them out. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Thanks for sharing where you store your books. I find storage to be a continuous battle in teaching. Thanks for the ideas.
Hey Lauren, no stealing required! That is the awesomeness of bloggers. We all just want to share. Kristy
So happy you enjoyed the freebie. I think kids really enjoy having choice in their seating arrangement.