OK, let me try this again...
Shelley Stietzel, librarian
Belmont ES
Woodbridge, VA
stietzsr@pwcs.edu
I have an Easy nonfiction section for the younger students. Older =
students may use that section as well, but usually after 5th grade they =
don't care to. (I am in a K-8 Catholic school.) I also sometimes take =
chapter books that are cataloged as Fiction and change them to Easy if the =
reading level is 3 or below. These books are then filed with the Easy =
picture books but I put a small green dot on the bottom indicating =
"chapter book." My 1st and 2nd graders are restricted to the Easy section =
most of the time. I know that this goes against free access and what I =
learned in library school, but when you have fiction and nonfiction for =
such a wide range of readers (since we go up to 8th grade) it is really =
hard for little ones to find appropriate materials. Think of it like =
this: we are like an elementary school AND a middle school all in one. =
Of, course sometimes I feel guilty for not providing more open access, but =
guilt is a part of life if you are Irish Catholic and a certain age! ;-)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In our school district, all of the elementary school libraries have a red
line that runs around the library on the shelf. The two shelves below it
are reserved for the "E" fiction and "E Nonfiction" books. We call these
"Everybody" books because they are for everybody (Picture Books). It is
much easier to encourage the younger children check these out because they
are closer to their eye level and their size makes it more appropriate for
them. We also use AR and of the lower levels are found in picture books
with the "E". However, 4th and 5th graders check them out too because many
of these books are written on their level, they just contain more
pictures. There is no stigma attached because "Everybody" books are for
preK-5.
--------------------------------------------------------------
We began doing that here because of the number of ELL/ TESOL/ and =
Language=20
Academy students. We also have AR books shelved seperately (for =
political=20
reaons-building politics). We have found this helps the younger =
students=20
and those less able to finf materials for their projects.
-------------------------------------------------------
When I came to this school 20 years, the nonfiction was divided into =
"easy" and "hard" sections. It was a nightmare. Finding books is twice as =
difficult! Duplications showed up during inventory and on and on. I think =
the fewer divisions of the collection the better it is for users to use =
the computer catalog and then find what they want on the shelf. The only =
"chapter books" that we file with the E books are the Easy-to-read or I =
can read books that clearly depend on illustration to tell the story. That =
is by definition a picture book.
------------------------------------------------------------
We do file the easy non-fiction and fiction separate from the harder based
on our demographics. We are a school for the academically bright and find
that after 2nd grade our kids prefer the harder books but the younger ones
find it easier to find books if they are in a different area. I haven't =
run
across anyone who is embarrassed to pull an easy one from the shelves. If
anyone asks them about it in front of me, I always explain that it's =
always
fun to be able to sit down and quickly read a short book if you know you
won't have the time for a long one. =20
----------------------------------------------------------------
I started an easy fiction (basically 3rd grade level) and an easy =
non-fiction section a few years ago. I identify them with clear yellow =
tape and have special shelves. I really debated about this, but started it =
when we were K-8. This is the first year we have a new middle school and =
so we are now K-6. I still like it even with older kids gone. My theory is =
to make it easy for students to locate materials on their level.=20
--------------------------------------------------------------
One of the first things I did when I started last year was to make a
separate nonfiction area for grades K-2. I put a special yellow sticker
under the spine label that says primary and have them shelved near my
Everybody section. The primary kids absolutely love the nonfiction
books and the circulation of these are very high. I don't let the K-1
kids in the regular nonfiction area as the books are way too hard and
they'd take too long to choose a book, so this special area allows them
to get nonfiction, which they love, at their level.
-------------------------------------------------------------
I actually started doing it late last year more out of space considerations=
than anything else. My regular non-fiction area was running out of space
and the only space available was in the picture book area. I thought I
would try putting the K-2 level non-fiction there. At first it didn't =
make
much difference but I now find that the K-2 students like having a section
for themselves with interesting "fact" books at their level. Because it =
is
a smaller area physically for them they are less intimidated by looking =
for
the right number. Also, by separating them I find it quicker to choose
books for their teachers to use in the classroom.
--------------------------------------------------------------
When I was hired as the full-time librarian in my k-5 elementary school 7
years ago, I inherited a collection that had the easy and harder non-fictio=
n
shelved separately. At first I thought I would integrate the materials
since separating materials was NOT what I was taught at library school! =
But
after teaching in this library for 7 years and seeing how the separated
non-fiction helps all of my students find appropriate materials, I would =
not
go back to the traditional shelving.
My spine labels are all color-coded. The easy non-fiction has a green =
spine
label cover and the regular, harder materials have a plain white spine
label. All of my collection is color-coded by the way (fiction is orange,
reference is grey, picture books are red, easy chapter books are pink, =
etc.)
Not only does this help students find sections easily, but it helps my
parent volunteer shelvers find the correct section in which to shelve an
item, and it makes a misshelved item stand out.
In my PACs we distinguish between easy and harder nonfiction by the =
location
(easy is located in the "easy readers" and the harder nonfiction is =
located
in the "shelves".)
Self-esteem issues don't crop up with any of my students because they know
that different students and different projects require different materials.=
I have trained my intermediate students to pay attention to the location =
of
an item in the catalog so they know where to find something. The primary
students are encouraged to look in the easy non-fiction but aren't
prohibited from looking for materials in the harder books. This system =
also
works well for me due to the physical layout of my library. The easy
materials, picture books and easy chapter books are all located around my
story area so it makes supervision of a primary class much easier than
having them roaming everywhere in the library.
I need to stop and get ready for my kindergartners. Feel free to contact =
me
if you have any questions. One more thought. You may want to consider
color coding your books, but leaving them all shelved in the same area.
Label the easy ones with a green spine label cover and leave the harder
items in white. Tell the students that if they need harder items, look =
for
the white spine labels, and if they need easier books, look for the green
spine labels. This would be a fairly easy way to distinguish easy from =
hard
without having to move the entire collection about.
------------------------------------------------------------------
We are starting to label easier non-fiction with a small red dot
(parallel to the dot in the early reader
-i can read section) and to shelve these books intermingled with the
higher level non-fiction. We are pleased thus far with our
efforts...kids who have limited reading skills browse along with the
others and find their non-fiction materials.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I separate out easy nonfiction items into a separate area that is part of
the library where kinders, first, and second graders usually find books
simply because the kinder classes still come as a group for checkout.
However, I do not pull out the easy chaper books such as Junie B. Jones =
etc.
The E or everybody section has many picture books that are truly 3rd and =
up
reading levels but not chapter books. The second graders start making the
transition to the Fiction section by finding Junie B. Jones and other easy
chapter books. It is not a matter of esteem at Schenck. You select books
to read that you want and then find them wherever they are located within
the library.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
If you read Stephen Krashen's book, The Power of Reading, you would =
probably
decide against this method of shelving. Krashen puts a lot of emphasis on
"self-selected" reading. I think children ought to be able to choose a
book and decide if it is too hard or too easy or to boring or too =
whatever.
This creates a discriminating reader. If the student is only allowed to
choose books within certain area, it eliminates a whole world of books =
from
his choices. Also, if you set up your library this way--and no one else
does--are you developing a life-long library user or only someone that can
use your library? =20
I think that it might be easier for you when helping students with =
selection
but I worry about the kids really making book selection a serious =
decision.
They really are cute when the study the books. Maybe it would be better =
to
teach them how to decide if the book is the right book. Maybe teach them
the "5 finger rule" to guide them. We post them in our libraries to remind
the kids when selecting a book.
I of library recently (true story) that arranged their materials by color
because that is how the patrons looked for them. Interesting.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I have easy non-fiction separated from non-fiction,
primarily
for Kdg and 1st grade. I am not here when Kdg comes in
and it makes it easy for them. Of course, 1st graders may
checkout harder non-fiction with my help. It keeps the
shelves more orderly. I use E and the first three dewey
numbers for those books. I also have a beginning to read
chapter book section with Magic Tree House, Junie B.,
Jenny Archer, etc. shelved together. It doesn't seem to be a
problem for older kids to go to those shelves and makes it
easier for 1st and 2nd grade chapter book readers to find
their favorites. I can also put them on a lower shelf so
they
can reach them.
-------------------------------------------------------------
I strongly urge creation of an easy non-fiction section. I have done this
in three schools over the last 20 yrs with great success in all cases. My
older students who needed the easier material did not feeel embarased
largely because some of the most popular books in the collection were
housed in that area (I Spy, the square white shark books, some terrific
sports titles on how to play baseball, football and soccer etc.) We
explained to all kids that there are many reasons for needing materials
and you need to find the most appropriate for your need. Good readers use
the easy non-fiction section when all they needed was an overview or main
points on a topic or an illustration. The resource teacher and
primary grade classroom teachers loved the approach. When I was
interim director of our school system's media department I published a
set of guidelines one of which was for all elems. to establish a distinct
easy non-fiction section for their emergent readers.=20
----------------------------------------------------------------
My personal opinion is that you should keep them altogether because with
today's publishing, the graphics are so good that kids do not even have to
be able to read to absorb stuff they want to know from NF ... and if they
want to know more they get an adult to help them or take on the challenge =
of
trying the text for themselves. MY most avid NF borrowers are my Yr 1
students and they take the most amazing books well beyond their reading
level but not beyond their comprehension level.
If I were to put my "easy" books together, I would have a very thin =
section
because there is not a lot of NF written for that age group yet that is
available in Australia. I tend to rely on buying from reading schemes to
boost the stock.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I shelve my "easy non-fiction" separately because I am a K-8 school and =
the=20
little ones would never venture into the "big bookshelves" to find =
their=20
dog/dinosaur/hamster/lizard/whales (you fill in the blanks!) books.
I remind the "older" grades not to forget about the "easy non-fiction"=20
section (I use correct call numbers, but add a blue dot to the spine) if =
they=20
are interested in a particular topic/animal/etc. I sometimes explain =
that=20
some of those books will give them a snippet of the information they may =
be=20
looking for, or can supplement their other book choices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------
Ten years ago I pulled all the easier nonfiction and created a separate
section for it. I did it mainly because our library is small and we have =
to
use higher shelves all around the walls than my little ones can safely
reach. I put them on a lower section of shelves near the "easy" boosk and
put a neon green label on them. In the automated catalog their material =
type
comes up with EZ in front of it ( EZ 700-799) instead of just 700-799 so
that the students know where to go to find them. My older students have =
no
problem checking them out. They know I had to move some of them to a =
lower
shelving area. They don't seem to have a self-esteem problem with them. =
If
it's a subject that interests them they're going to read it anyway.
Also the green label helps my students reshelve them in the right place =
(or
if not, the green sticks out like a sore thumb on the regular shelves =
making
them easy to locate). I would like to pull my easy first readers or put a
label on them to make them easier to locate. In my 3rd-6th fiction =
section
I've already identified with a purple label easier chapter books to help =
my
better reading 2nd graders.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------- =20
I would not do this because:
*It gives just one more place to incorrectly shelve books/have books lost!
*This means a child who is low level ability and in upper grades would be
going into the "little kid" area to get books.
*Younger children get value out of "reading the pictures" even if the =
child
cannot read the words in the book. What is wrong with taking a book just =
to
enjoy the photos?
*You will have to make some very difficult calls on some books as you =
decide
which area in which to shelve the books. ie: Is this REALLY too difficult
for the younger children, or is it one that is going to be just a little
easy for the older children.
*Children who have a fascination with a specific subject will force
themselves to do better to be able to read about "their subject."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------------
When I started here 5 years ago, I created an Easy Non-Fiction section,
as well as a Junior Fiction section. It's been WONDERFUL!!!
The easy Non fiction is nice because I don't have kindergartners all over
the library looking for books. I have the easy animal books, and sport
books and fairy tales for the K-2 in their own section, so they can find
books that are interesting.
The JF section is great, too. I put all the chapter books that are
leveled at 2.0-3.9. These kids have a hard enough time getting through
their first chapter books, so this makes it easy for htem to find their
own level of books. Also, those kids who need this, don't need to be
trying to weed through my entire collection of Fiction books to find what
they need.
I absolutely love having them separated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------------------------
I'm absolutely opposite in my feelings about shelving nonfiction. I like
all the nonfiction together.
It keeps me, the teachers, and the students from having to search two
places. Since I integrated them 6 years ago in one building, it has =
worked
very well. I am now in two buildings, so after about a month of the two
place searching, I integrated the second building's nonfiction. I have =
had
no complaints and everybody seems to choose what is appropriate for their
level. The library clerk catches it if a first grader picks a 5th grade
level book and helps him or her find something more at her level. We use
the five finger check as well to help the students determine if the book =
is
at their reading level. This has really helped also when you have a fifth
grader who is way below reading level and doesn't want to be seen in the
Easy section of the library.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----------
Those who are interested in the "easy" non-fiction section might be
interested in reading an article I wrote for Library Talk about six
years ago now.
"A New Section for Beginning Readers: J for Junior Nonfiction" by
Sharron L. McElmeel in Library Talk, Jan/Feb 97, Vol. 10, Issue 1, p
7+.
We found the junior nonfiction area to increase readership of
appropriate materials. In the article we included criteria for
actually selecting which books to include in the section. It
actually became a VERY popular area even for the more adept readers
who wanted an introduction to a topic.
Sharron McElmeel
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------------
Shelley -- I'm just about to change my nonfiction to that. I am
only including browsing books in the Easy Nonfic section, and
putting them in browsing bins. I will still catalog them and label
them using Dewey numbers just in case I want to change the system in
the future. Little stars on the cover or spine denote Easy Nonfic.
They are organized loosely by Dewey, but the bins are labeled with
subjects in large letters and Dewey numbers very small (for the
adults, mostly).
I have not experienced problems with older kids worrying about their
reading level when it comes to nonfiction. They like cool, bright
pictures and short blurbs of text.
I also just separated my fic section into two parts, essentially K-2
and 3-5, but made sure to let the kids know that they are welcome to
browse in both sections. (Our school emphasizes Just Right books
(at their level) for kids, but I prefer to let them have freedom to
choose their books.)
The K-2 fiction is shelved by first letter; the 3-5 fic is shelved
by first three letters. I spent 14 hours over break with two
friends relabeling the whole library. It has been two weeks and
already it is sooo worth it! =3D)
Another thing I did that seems to be helpful is to color-code the
spines of the k-2 fiction by genre. Green =3D realistic fic,
red =3D fantasy and SF, blue =3D historical fic and yellow =3D mystery. I
will not be doing this with the 3-5 fic because genre labeling is
something they are learning to do automatically when they browse,
and I do not want them to be constrained by genre. The younger kids
love the colors, though. I used clear plastic colored labels from
Gaylord (#ST-136) and put them right over the spine label.
I am still waffling about sorting the k-2 books by level. I want to
make the easiest readers more accessible to young readers, but not
sure yet how I want to do it. I do not want to stigmatize the
lowest readers, either.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--------
I am at a K-5 elementary school in Georgia. Our=20
picture books and easy chapter books are shelved in our EVERYBODY section, =
and=20
other fiction books (Grades 2-5) are shelved in FICTION. Last year we =
did=20
pull the easier non-fiction out and shelve in EVERYBODY NONFICTION. It =
has=20
increased the circulation of those books tremendously. Our K-2=20
students are the primary users, but the students in the upper grades don't =
seem=20
to care where the books are shelved if they are nonfiction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------
> I like all the nonfiction together.
>I have all of mine integrated, too. Some of my older students need the =
easy
stuff, and there's no reason for them to be embarrassed about having to go =
to
the "baby" section. And I can't keep things like the Zoobooks away from =
the
little ones! Where would you shelve Magic School Bus books?
I have blue labels on the easy reader books, which are shelved wherever =
they
belong. Picture books are not all easy, by any stretch, so they are not
CALLED "easy," but "picture books." I have yellow labels on the early
chapter books.
I guess we learn to work with our patrons in the ways that work best for
them....or our patrons learn to put up with all of OUR idiosyncrasies! =
There
probably is no "best" way, just the way that works for us.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--
I'm in a K-6 school and we have divided our collection up into several =
categories. For non-fiction we have separate areas for K-3 and 4-6. This =
really helps the little ones pick out "fact" books for enjoyment that are =
at their reading level. The junior students are encouraged to use both =
sections as they both have valuable information. This has virtually =
eliminated the self-esteem issue.
For our fiction we have 3 areas: K-2 which has all the basic picture =
books (Franklin, Clifford, etc), an upper primary section for beginning =
chapter books and harder picture books (Arthur chapter, Berenstain bears =
chapter, Pony Pals, etc) and a junior fiction section for 4-6 (Shiloh, =
Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, etc)
This helps us direct our students to the area most appropriate for their =
reading level. We have a very high population of non-English speaking =
students and lower level reading students and students rarely take notice =
of where others are choosing books from. Some of our stronger readers =
even take out the mid range books because sometimes you just need an easy =
read. Our divisions are not aimed so much at segregating students by =
grade but providing them the opportunity to browse through books that are =
at their individual reading level. No one should leave the library empty =
handed because "the books were too hard". Some of our very primary =
students are strong enough readers to go up one step. No one is "challenge=
d" on their choice of reading level. We're just happy to have them =
reading!
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