If You Build It, They Will Read It: Essentials for Building a Classroom Library
Every classroom should have a class library. Libraries promote a love of reading, and research shows that having access to diverse books leads to increased reading achievement. When building your library, representation matters; students need to see themselves in book selections. Visibility, students seeing people that look like them in books will increase their interest in reading. A diverse classroom library should provide “window and mirror books” for students. Window books show students how others live, and mirror books illuminate students’ own worlds.
Available classroom space, the number of books, and other resources will factor in the size of the library setup. This school year, I have the largest classroom I’ve ever had, so my library is sizable, allowing comfortable space for students to sit and read—a space for students to develop a love of reading.
Here are a few suggestions to help you develop a classroom library and help your students find themselves and learn about others through reading.
Collect Books - There are books in your school, I guarantee it. You can find books by looking in closets (with permission) and speaking with your colleagues. Many teachers are willing to donate books, and you can borrow books from your school library if you have one. Another way to acquire books is through crowd souring organizations such as Donors Choose.
Ask community partners and school administration for donations - You do not have to spend money to build your library. Talk to your school administrator or reading leader to find available resources. Does the school have bookshelves, book bins, money for books, or recommendations for acquiring materials? Public libraries and yard sales are great resources for cheap books outside the school. Once you acquire used books, check them out before sharing them with your students. Are they a good fit for your students? If not, discard. Consider asking friends, posting messages on social media asking for books, asking civic organizations, and hosting a library-building party with literacy or literary games such as Trivial Pursuit. All of these are ways to invite community partners to help you.
Designated Place - Once you have gathered materials, designate a place for your library and start to set up the books so that students can get reading. Placing books in bins, boxes, or baskets can make organizing them easier. Books can be organized by genre or theme or in any way that works for you and your students.
Face Books Forward - Highlight books by placing books so students can see the covers. It is also nice to group books by subject or author to make books easier to locate and draw students' attention to selected titles. Allow students time to explore and consider “book talking” by telling the students about a few books. Consider creating a 'Book Recommendation' corner for students to recommend books to each other. Student can share their thoughts on the book on slips of paper inside a pocket on the book or post them on a bulletin board. To make posting easy, you could provide a template for students to fill in their name, book title, author, and why they enjoyed the book (favorite part, etc.).
Make Time and Encourage Exploration - Having a library that does not get used is a waste of space. Make sure you have time for students to read so that they develop a love of reading. Possible reading times could be a few minutes before or after a lesson, or consider having a designated reading time on chosen days.
Library maintenance is a part of having a reading space. I change the books in my classroom library around once a month. Usually, I display books based on a theme like holidays or designated months like Women’s History Month (March). My library has “table boxes” (on the carpet in the picture) that I update biweekly. Each basket has at least 12 books of various reading levels. During Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), a group independent reading time, one student from each table goes to the library and takes one box to their table for students to read. I’ve found the table boxes helpful when everyone is reading independently. I also provide opportunities for students to read in the library during center time.
Other essential elements of my library are a small carpet and seating. I want the students to feel comfortable while reading. I also include decorative items such as the letter R E A D (pictured) to make the space inviting. No matter what I use to decorate the space, the essential element in every great library is the books. Find great books on various topics with varying reading levels and provide time for students to read. After all, access to books leads to increased reading achievement, and isn't that what every educator wants?
