Organizing Your Child's Library: How to Shelve Your Baby's Books

The experts tell you to read to your child every day. Unless you don't mind reading them the same five books over and over and over, you've probably acquired quite a little library of picture books, cardboard books and maybe even a few chapter books.

I bet, if you looked at your kid's bookshelf right now, you'd find a mess awaiting you. It seems inevitable - a child is going to have a messy bookshelf. There's nothing you really can do about that...or is there?

Well, let me set you straight - yes, your kids can have a nice-looking and organized bookcase full of books with out a lot of hassle on your part. How can that be? Follow these simple steps to book shelf organizing:

Equipment Needed:

A bookshelf: If you don't have one, go shopping for a bookcase. The size and shape will depend on the space available in your home. A short, wide shelf is my choice - It should be more stable, in case your kid is a climber, and all shelves will be reachable by your little one. Also, if you need to safeguard the books from a visiting "page ripper", you can always turn a small bookcase around to face the wall.

A box or plastic crate (for those pesky cardboard books).

Steps:

1) Assemble and place the bookcase where you want it to be. Even if you're not in an earthquake-prone area, make sure to secure it to the bookcase to the wall. Kids are known to climb and you don't want the bookshelf to overturn on top of them.

2) Gather all of your kids' books in one place. This may be harder than it sounds. Kids are known for spreading and hiding, so make sure you check out all of their "favorite hiding places" for stray books.

3) Sort the books. You may need a lot of room for this step, so plan accordingly.

Real Life Example:
I sort my books into 5 categories:
Cardboard books,
Picture books I cherish,
Books the kids cherish,
Picture books I don't mind if they get ripped up
Chapter (older kids) books.

4) Place books on shelf. Placement depends on your family and your kids. Don't get too anal about this - kids, especially young ones, aren't going to put the books back exactly where they belong

Real Life Example:
For my children's books, I bought a short but sturdy bookcase made for a child's room. It sits in the corner of the playroom for easy access and cleanup. Cardboard books are in a plastic crate on the floor, so little hands can reach them easily. It also makes cleanup a snap - I carry the crate with me. Picture books I don't mind ripped up or ruined go on the two shelves on the unit. Picture books I cherish go on the top of the bookcase, where my youngest can't reach them (yet). My oldest child's favorite books go in her room, on a shelf her brother can't reach (yet!). When he gets older and discovers his favorite books, I will do the same for him.

Your child's library will change over time. Not only do they grow out of books, but also their likes and dislikes will change. Also, you may find that some books are more of a hassle.

For example, my youngest LOVES paper and has been known to eat the covers off of the paperback kids books. After discovering two books eaten in this way, I boxed up every soft-cover book in their library and put them in a safe place, to only be taken out for "Mama Reading Time". When he gets older and learns not to eat books, they'll reappear in their library.