Keeping Your Classroom Library Fresh!

I am a lover of books, a bibliophile, a bookworm extraordinaire. Books make me happy. Books give me an escape. Books are a central part of my life.

It wasn't always like this for me. As a child, I was never read to. I went to elementary school with no knowledge of how to read and the wonders that books held. Words alluded me, until one day - they didn't. It all clicked. From then on, I couldn't get enough. I devoured them by the dozens, eating the words, drinking in the air of other worlds, times, and places.

My love of literature is the main reason I chose to be an English teacher and one of the biggest joys I have in teaching is getting students to fall in love with books. To me, the best way to achieve this is to show my students how important books are to me. One of the ways I try to share my love of books with my students is by having an extensive classroom library. My classroom is relatively small compared to others in my building, yet it holds 30 books shelves and over 1,700 titles! They literally surround my students when they are in my class, the perimeter of the entire room lined with shelves holding books of all genres, waiting to be read.

Corner view of the wall of shelves

Despite the vast number of books I have amassed, it never seems to be enough. I am always looking for new titles to add to the library, keeping myself up to date with the latest young adult books, and of course, asking my students for titles they would like to read.

Books alphabetized by title and separated by genre

But let's be real here - books are expensive. I would have to earn a lot more than a teacher's salary to have been able to get so many books into my room if I purchased every single one through Barnes and Nobles. So how did I manage to get some many?

My back wall of shelving

If you are looking to expand your classroom library on a teacher's budget, there's several avenues you can take.

1.  Library Sales - this is the main way I have managed to amass so many titles. Booksalefinder.com is an amazing website that allows you to see all of the library sales that are happening in your state. I regularly scour this website, marking down the dates of sales in my area. Depending on the library, books are priced for as little as .25 cents to $2.00! Most sales are over the course of a week or several days, and usually on the last day the libraries host a bag sale. During bag sales, you pay one price for a bag and whatever you manage to fit in the bag is yours! I have been to bag sales that sell bags for as little as $1.00 but can range usually up to $10.00. Despite the overall price you pay for the bag, you'd be surprised at how much you can fit in the bag, so either way it is a bargain. On top of the already discounted price of books at library sale, I have been to several sales where they also offer teacher discounts. If you're really looking to expand your library the most, the quickest, and the cheapest - library book sales are your best bet!
2.  Student Donations - Sometimes certain books just don't click with students, so they aren't attached to them. I always tell my students that I am open to accept any donations of books they no longer want (so long as it's OK with their parents). You could go one step beyond and send a letter home asking for donations to parents. Finally, lurk and be on the lookout during locker clean-out. My school does locker clean out at least twice a year. I am usually walking up and down the halls with a crate, taking donations of any unused school supplies that student's don't want, but inevitably I also manage to get at least three novels each time my students purge the black hole of their lockers. I have even had students that I don't even teach bring me books they don't want during locker clean out!
3. BookCase.Club - This is my latest discovery, and so far I haven't been disappointed. Do you love getting packages in the mail? Do you love surprises? Do you love books? Then this is an avenue you need to look into! BookCase.Club is a monthly subscription box of books! What could be better? This is my third month receiving the box and so far I love it. The website allows you to choose a genre that fits your reading interest. They have a "Teenage Dreams" case which focuses solely on Young Adult books, perfect for my middle school students, but also great for high schoolers. Each month I look forward to "unboxing" and sharing the newest additions to the library with the students. This service has given me the opportunity to share the excitement of a monthly book surprise with my students and give a book talk about our newest reads. By far, this subscription box has the best price with only $9.99 a month for two books (usually both hardcover). So far I haven't had one book that was a duplicate of something I already own in my classroom library. I have found that this is a great way to monthly add to, refresh, and share my love of books with my students. Below you will see the last three boxes I have received in January, February, and March (today!)

January's Box

February's Box

March's Box

The moral of the story is, if we want our students to be readers and if we want to build a community of reading, we need to show our students that books are something that is important to us. My library is something I am proud of and the best way I show my students how much books and reading are important to me. Check back late for future posts about the best ways I have found to organize my library. Happy reading until then!