Empower young readers to find books they love with picture book browsing bins
This past year I began reorganizing my library with picture book browsing bins to make it more child centered. There is nothing like checkout time in an elementary school library when students get excited to find their next treasures to read. Consider it a bonus if they can independently find titles they love. The library can be a magical place when students find books that bring smiles and keep them coming back for more.
Too often there just aren’t enough adults available to assist multiple students in looking up titles and topics in the online catalog, then locating them on the shelf. Chances are, while you help track down those commonly requested titles on the shelf, the impatient line at the circulation desk grows longer and longer.
Wish there was an easier way for students to locate library books more independently?
Does book checkout time stress you out because there are more students needing help locating books while you are running the circulation desk? Have you noticed that some amazing titles just haven’t circulated well because students are too intimidated to dig through the overwhelming book shelves? Do you have some students who just wander the library not knowing where to begin to find a book they like? This was my experience before I started using book browsing bins.
I searched for book bin labels with picture supports of topics that my students ask for most often. When I couldn’t find the child friendly labels I was looking for, I decided to create my own to match the style of my Library Centers for Any Time Makerspace bin labels. I love how these turned out! They are easy to read with picture supports for my youngest readers and are colorful and cheerful without taking away from the beautiful picture book covers. This took way longer than I had planned but it was worth it. Save yourself tons of time by grabbing this set at K3LibraryBuzz on TPT. Editable blank labels are included so you can always add custom topics for your library.
This set includes over 100 topics so there is likely more than you will need. I don’t use all of the labels at once simply because I don’t have the space for that many bins.
The Benefits of Picture Book Browsing Bins
It is no secret that elementary teachers love picture books. I have a hard time turning away a good picture book even if I have nowhere to put it in my library. But crowded bookshelves serve no one if they can’t easily find books that are hidden in a too tight bookshelf.
Picture book browsing bins bring magic that comes with students independently finding books they love based on personal interest. Book bins have also given me a quick and easy way to feature small book collections throughout the year in different parts of the library. With easy to read detachable labels and clear book bins, I can quickly swap out book bins that I know will interest my students.
Tips for Genrefying Your Elementary Library with Book Bins
Seeking to slowly genrefy my library or parts of it, I began with the picture book section. I started with the most often requested topics my K-3 students asked for on a regular basis. Do you know how frustrating it is to search for unicorn books or dragon books or dog story books when they are organized by author and they are all written by different authors?
These most requested topics became my first book bins. After seeing the magic of empowered students in finding their own books by topic, I knew I had to make more bin labels for more topics. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Start small! Think one part of one section. What are the most requested titles or topics your students ask for? Create a bin or labeled section for those first.
- Invest in some sturdy book bins. I found these bins on Amazon and love how they are clear with a dip in the front for easy view and access to books by little hands.
- The name of the product at the time I posted this is “BINO | Plastic Storage Bins, Large – 2 Pack, Clear | THE SOHO COLLECTION | Pantry Organizers and Storage Containers Fridge Organizer Bins Kitchen Cabinet Organizer Medicine Cabinet Organizer Bin.” I purchased these bins in two sizes, the 13.5″ across size fits most larger picture books while the 9.5″ across size fits some of my smaller sized series well.
- Go slow! Plan to tackle one library section per year unless you have plenty of help and time to do more. Reorganizing a library can get overwhelming fast!
- Use hook and loop sticky backed circles like these to attach picture topic labels to the plastic bins.
- To save space and bins, swap some of the labels out as needed for different book displays throughout the year. This really helps when library budgets limit how many plastic bins you can purchase at once.
- It’s okay to do both! In my dream library, each section would be genrefied just like in my favorite book store. The reality is my library has limited space so I have some books organized by author and I have pulled out the most frequently requested topics into book browsing bins. I love that I can do as many or as few bins as I have room for and I can switch them out with different labels as needed throughout the year.
Picture Book Browsing Bins Bring Student Engagement and Support to Library Checkout Time
Book browsing bins have transformed book checkout time in my library! Here’s how:
- Kindergarten check out has never been easier and I don’t have to worry about the crazy mess on the shelves afterwards. The same goes for my older grades. They tend to go to the bins first. I have several browsing bins that have become favorites and are frequently empty. Empty bins means more books are going home with happy readers.
- By creating small collections of books by topic, students who are often unsure of where to begin to find books on the shelf are given direction and focus on books they find interesting.
- Students have become more independent at checkout time, giving me more time to assist students in other ways.
- Picture book browsing bins cater to diverse learning styles and individual preferences. Visual learners can browse through bins labeled with illustrated topics while tactile learners can physically interact with the books, touching each one as they flip through the forward facing bins.
- Returned books are easy to reshelve by matching the topic to the bin.
By providing books in forward facing bins for little hands to explore, we are cultivating curiosity and inviting discovery for books and topics students may not have found by looking at spines on a shelf. Students are empowered to make their own choices, flipping through pages and getting lost in stories that capture their imagination.