In short... Like an actual Library.
Fiction
I like to keep all the fiction together. That is.. all the story books, reading books or just for fun books. At the moment they are kept in the dining room as that is where the shelves are. Eventually they might be moved into the learning room.
I find having them in a main walk way place means they are easier to grab on the way through so we can read in many areas of the home. Having them in a central location means putting books away is faster also. Plus it inspires me to read at the dining table during that time we might be waiting for someone or something before a meal takes place.
Without some kind of book storage a home library really does not work. I used to have them stored in boxes stacked on top of each other and they never got read or even thought about. Get yourself a decent book shelf!!
I keep what ever board books that are found in a cubby hole together (middle hole), they are meant to be in a tray facing outwards but it has disappeared. A shallow tray or box (like a kitty litter box) or basket helps little children put them back, and they are stored facing the toddler which makes it easier to find something or catch their attention. Having them in a small container also means you can take the entire container out and read oh I don't know.. 50 books in a sitting.
Sets of Books
I like to keep 'sets of books' together, such as all the Dr Seuss books together. We know the author of the books which helps find them faster, plus it looks nicer and it is begining to teach children book order. Remember. I have lots of LITTLE kids, so books are not always put back exactly where they started off and not a priority of mine to keep in a specific order.
All Other Fiction Books
All other Fiction books are kept in the other cubby holes in any order. I like it this way because they can practically be dumped back on the shelf and are in the 'right' place.
I do not care to sort them into any sort of order whether it be by author or theme. When we are looking for a reading book there are plenty to choose from.
I do not plan what books we are going to read in advance or for special unit studies so it is not a necessary practice.
Added note
Even though I do not enjoy our local library they keep their children's fiction books in much the same 'order'. None. They get taken out of the boxes and returned to other boxes. If it can work for a library which has more kids checking out books than my home then it can work for us too.
Non-Fiction
Bible Books
Most of our bible books are in sets and have had more money spent on them then the other books. I keep the vast majority of these books in the lounge room on the 'fancy' bookshelf up higher than the baby can reach. Yeah, I do get a bit emotional when a child thoughtlessly ruins one of these books and so I keep them out of reach of the smaller children. Older children will collect a book when they desire.
Keeping the bible books separate from the Fiction books means I know exactly where the book should be that I am looking for and I like it that way.
Non-Fiction books
The book shelf for these books are in the storage room, so out of immediate access but still accessible when we are looking for something specific. Children know where they are.
I know where all the 'learning books' are when the children ask a specific question and I need to find references or pictures to flow on from the information I am presenting (Alternatively, google works too!)
The 'learning books' are then kept together in their subject matter eg science, social studies, and within those categories all the human body books, all the atlases etc are grouped together or on display for children to easily seek themselves, depending on what interests are going on at the time.
Display for Non-Fiction books
Currently I have a 'human biology' area where several human body books sit on display with a few posters and a real life x-ray taken of one of our children. With the impending birth of our baby children are interested in the growing babe and the home it is currently living in.
Having these books on display arouses interest even in children previously not interest.
Parent/Teacher Books
Within our Home School Library I like to keep all the 'parent/teacher' books together, so all the art & craft books are kept together, all the maths books are kept together and all the english books are kept together, same with all the Social studies and science books.
As the library itself continues to grow this will continue to develop.
Cooking Books
In the dining room as a 'feature' I keep all our cooking books. It makes sense for cook books to be within easy reach for kitchen needs, so it is. And because I like things to be kept pretty, that is my aim.
Adult Books
All the adult books are in a separate bookshelf so children or rather babies stay uninterested and leave them alone. Sorry book lovers, there is no reason a toddler needs to be flipping pages of our books!
There you have it.
How do you organise your Home School Library? I would love to know
5 Things I am Thankful for:
1. Book shelves
2. A large home to store and have books in
3. Children who learn through reading and actively seek information through books
4. Growing interest areas in all the children + me
5. The love of books within our family
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