book organization

I shared how I do it here – http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/bookshow-to-organize-bookshelves

Another tip – get a paint stirring stick and paint the end with a different color for each kid. They stick it in the shelf where they remove a book and remove it when they put it back. I don’t do this, but it’s a doable idea.

HTH,

Christie

BTW – I use bookpedia instead of delicious library at this time.

I do use Dewey but I run a homeschool lending library.  That’s still an option, but color-coded stickers work great too.  You can also make labels of general categories on the computer and adhere them to the shelves with putty.  (I do this because it helps my patrons more easily find what they’re looking for.)  Some might include Reptiles/Amphibians, Mammals, Human Body, Ancient Rome, Pilgrims, etc.  For fiction, I shelve alphabetically by author’s last name.  Biographies are shelved by the person the book is about. Picture books are alphabatized by author’s last name.  I tweak Dewey a bit in that I put any picture book or fiction book in its place in history or science and mark those with a yellow sticker.  Easy readers would have a small green sticker.  That way a mom can come in and see all the books on the Revolutionary War together and know at a glance which books are fiction or appropriate for her beginning reader to read.

Valerie Jacobson has an interesting way of organizing her home library here:

http://www.valerieslivingbooks.info/library.htm

HTH

bump

We have done color coding with stickers in the past…I need to update this system a bit!  I keep mine by subject (science, art, history, history readers, etc.).  I’m trying to reorganize many of our books into CM friendly categories (like poetry, nature study, art appreciation, shakespeare, etc.).

 For fiction I have them divided into a few groups, mostly based on reading level:

• series books like Little House or Narnia
• early readers like Frog and Toad
• younger chapter books like Beverly Cleary
• jr high/middle school level books
• high school level books  
• historical fiction is on another shelf sorted by time period

I also have a shelf of books I’d like to read aloud to them in the next year or two…many from the SCM literature modules.  Picture books are on seperate shelves and not really sorted otherwise.  Exceptions to this are our FIAR books and any holiday books.  

Mine aren’t as organized as they could be, but I encourage them to read throughout the day and I want a pretty easy system to keep up with.