[LM_NET] Big HIT (part 2): Separate section for beginning chapter books??

["Bechard, Staci" <sbechard@MSDB.MT.GOV>]

PART II...

WOW - what a great group with great responses! I wrote: "Does anyone
have a separate section in their library for beginning chapter/reader
books?...My library is small enough that I could set up the section
without much difficulty, but I'm just not sure it's "good practice" - so
I wanted to see if anyone else out there has done it."  The responses
were overwhelmingly positive. Thanks to all of you, I now have the
confidence to know that this idea can work well - and plan to get on it
right away. Below are your wonderful ideas for separating out the
beginning chapter books (please excuse that I took out some spacing and
just used names. With so many replies, it seemed to be the most
manageable read)...

Staci Bechard 
MT School for the Deaf and the Blind
sbechard@msdb.mt.gov


I do keep my easy chapter books in a separate section. I only started
this last year and it really has increased the circulation and
encouraged young readers to select chapter books. They would get lost
among those big picture books. (Jo)


I don't have this level, but our public library has been placing all the
Beginning Chapter Books together and arranging them on top of low
shelves and in a special section.   The sign even says "Chapter Books".
And they seem to be doing a brisk check-out business. Toni Koontz


They are so popular that last year I decided to put them on a couple of
bright red carts. I use labeled dividers to break up the series. We put
clear red tape over the spine labels to identify the books. I have
children who come in early in the morning and "shelve" the books that go
on the carts. It has worked out well for us. Janice S. Levetan 


We moved ours to make for easier access. Good practice is what gets
books into the hands of patrons. I'm sure Mr. Dewey would understand as
that was his intention in the first place. And as my esteemed colleague
across the street maintains: 'There should be no secrets in the
library.' (Chuck)

I have a table with several bins of books.  These books have a blue dot
on them (to help Junior Librarians put them away correctly).  The bins
are labelled: Mystery, Fantasy, Junie B. Jones, Magic Treehouse, and two
Miscellaneous bins.  Students do use these frequently to select books.
Would you post a hit of your replies, I am always on the lookout for new
and better ideas. Donna Baker


I put my  2/3 grade series in a separate fiction section. You know,
Magic Tree House, A to Z mysteries, etc. The kids like them there, and I
am glad I did it (though really it was because we just had this little
corner away from the other fiction section and were out of space in
fiction.) Connie W. Welch, Librarian


I don't know if it's "good practice" either, and I'm not yet a librarian
so I'd be interested in the responses you get, but speaking as a reading
specialist with 26 years experience I think it would be a great idea.
These are the kids who have trouble finding these books if they're in
with the regular fiction, and I don't blame them for steering away from
the picture book section.  They really need all the reading practice
they can get, and some of the beginning chapter books such as the Magic
Tree House books are wonderful for them.  Let's make it easy for them to
be found!  I'm willing to bet some of the kids would read through the
whole section if they were all together somewhere. Peg Merkley


We catalog these books as "bridge books".  We don't separate them just
for the reasons you give. They are interfiled in fiction. I do pull out
a selection when I have kids in this range visiting the library. Lisa


We have a separate section for beginning chapter books - we call them
ECB (Everybody Chapter Books).  Most of the elementary schools in our
district do the same thing. I have found the biggest problem is
determining which books belong in that section.  I have come to the
conclusion that it has to do with format.  If the book is organized as
chapters, with text taking up at least half the page - then it goes into
the ECB section.  It is put in the fiction section when the reading
level reaches upper 3rd grade. Since so many of these books are part of
series, I use basket to hold each series. (A basket for all of the Junie
B books - actually we have about three basket for Junie B!)  These
baskets (the small kind - you can get at department stores for about 3
for $2.00.  They are about 5x8 in size) You can put the books in the
basket so the cover faces out - Looks attractive and inviting.  Marianne
Greenley


Yes...I have separate beginning chapter books section in my library. I
assigned the call number CH and have an orange label over the spine
label to designate special shelving for these books. We are a Preschool
to Grade 8 school and it has been a big help for the first and second
grade, and even third grade, to know there is a special place for them
in the library. Don't worry about "good practice." There's no Dewey
Police ;-) Do what works for your school. You really aren't going to far
afield of Dewey. I'm sure he would have eventually thought up a CH
section ;-)  Rosanne Zajko


I have a section called EC (easy chapter books) The children will look
there because it is near the F section and away from the E section. Good
luck, Jean


We do have a separate section for beginning chapter books.  Horrible
Harry, Cam Jansen, Magic Tree House, Junie B. Jones Nate the Great, A to
Z Mysteries are just some of the books in that section.  It's good for
the second graders and third graders who are intimidated by the "big"
chapter books and also for the older students who are struggling
readers.  I have lots of older students (4th and 5th graders) who check
out from that area.  I have never heard anyone comment about those being
"for the little kids."  It works well for us. Diana Perkins


We have a separate section with the prefix "R" for "Reader.  The
librarian before me started an "ER" section for all the easy readers,
but I found that kids mixed up Easy Fiction and Easy Reader--and were
inclined to turn up their noses at anything that started with "Easy." It
was a pain to re-label and re-catalog several hundred books, but it was
worth it. We've also marked all the "Readers" with a piece of bright
yellow tape, so we can spot them more easily when sorting books for
shelving.  (In fact, we've labeled all the non-fiction easy readers with
tape too. This helps when teachers ask their students to find at least
one book they can read by themselves:  they can choose one from the
Reader shelf, or a non-fiction book with yellow tape.  I have quite a
few first graders who only want "true" books.)  As for good practice, I
think if it helps students locate materials, it's good practice.  I have
special shelves for Cinderella tales, Mother Goose books, and Magic Tree
House books, among others. Anne-Marie Gordon


My school is k-5, so I suspect I have different issues than you, but I
separate my beginning chapter books and give them the call number prefix
ER (for Easy Reader).   Maybe you could come up with something less
stigmatic, like Chapter Lite or Express Reads.  Good luck. Lynda Martin,
MLIS


Yes, and we have a red label on the binder!  I tell the kids it stands
for strength!  They don't believe a word of it, but the books do
circulate!! Sandy Lubert


I do have my beginning to read chapter books separated out. They are in
a section near the E books, but also near the fairy tales. I find that
the kids are used to looking in the E books and it makes a nice
transition for them to the chapter books. They circulate there more than
mixed in with the rest of the fiction. We are a K-12 school too. Good
luck. Carole


I am the librarian in a small K-8 school in NYC. 
I have: 
Picture book - E  SEU
Easy chapter book - CB  - E
Easy fiction book - CB - F
Regular fiction - F RYL
I use CB (chapter book) for fiction K-3. Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, and
Junie B. Jones are CB - E. Marvin Redpost, Amber Brown and the Bailey
Street Kids are CB - F. Hope this helps! Rachelle Duncan


Some libraries do this.  They usually call it the "+" section.  We are
PK-12, but actually are divided into 2 sections for PK-5 and 6-12,
though students can get things from the other collections if needed.  On
the elementary side, we keep everything from Junie B Jones to Harry
Potter in the F section.  When in doubt, I call it F for the reasons you
described about how the E section gets ignored by the older kids. Lauri
Cahoon-Draus PK-12


How about a spine label sticker to ID these books?  I know I have a
separate section for my picture books from the fiction.  I am a PK-6
library and students always want to be in a different section.  I know
there is not a perfect answer, but I think it is more important not to
limit students to a certain type of book.  After all who wants to be the
only kid in the Easy section?  At least that's how they picture it.
Donnette Mickelson


I finally cleared a three-shelf double-sided bookshelf unit to the end
of the stacks nearest the E section. On one side of the unit I've placed
several series books such as Berenstain bears, Dr. Seuss, Disney, etc.
as well as a few other beginning chapter books that used to be in the E
section. On the other side, I've placed other series such as Bailey
Street Kids, Magic Tree House, etc. as well as other books that seem to
suit students in grades 2 and 3. This works pretty well, and all these
books are in heavy demand.  I purposefully include both easier and more
advanced books on both sides to try to prevent students thinking they
are in the "wrong" section as well as to subtly encourage them to
attempt "harder" books while ensuring all of them can find something
they can read. The only problem I've had is in reshelving the books. The
books' call numbers were not changed when they were relocated, and my
volunteers frequently reshelve them back into the E or F sections. I try
to intercept these books as they come in and reshelve them myself. I
hope to get around to changing their call numbers eventually...   Connie
Harrison, Librarian


Good practice is what works for you and your students.  When I was in a
tiny library I put all my beginning chapter books in baskets.  I had
separate baskets for series i.e.: Junie B, Magic Tree House, etc.  and
then I had two baskets for all the other non-series easy chapter books.
Now that I am in a much larger space I still have these books separate.
It's partly, to make it easier for the kids to find what they want, and
partly because the shelves stay neater that way.  My students reshelve
their own books (I have no help) and it is easier for them just to go to
the A-Z Mystery shelf and put the book back where it belongs.  The kids
know where to easily find the favorite books and they seem to like it.
Karen Walstein, Teacher-Librarian


I set up a Ready for Chapters section in my K-5 library because I had
1st & 2nd graders reading very well, the average 3rd grader and the
lower 4th & 5th graders looking for the same books. I have Magic
Treehouse, Bailey School, etc. on those shelves. I put anything that is
a Novel type fiction book with a reading level 3.5 and below on those
shelves. It has helped those students locate their favorite books and
directed the reluctant reader to try something with more length. The
down side is not getting some of the kids to move beyond the skinny
chapter books. -- Pam Gelbmann





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