Rethinking Middle School Classroom Libraries

I have been doing a “study” of classroom libraries on the web this summer. I inherited a minuscule library (we’re talking about a half-dozen books) from the former eighth grade ELA teacher because he didn’t believe that middle schoolers needed a library in their classroom when there was a great resource just down the hall. Although I agree that we do have one of the best young adult collections I’ve ever seen in our secondary library, I also believe there is great value to having a collection of books in the classroom. There is nothing like saying to a student during a reading conference, “Wait, I have the perfect book for you” and then walking over to pull it off the shelf. When students say, “I forgot my book today,” I can send them over to the classroom library to find something to read during independent reading time. So I have been buying young adult books at the used book sales to add to my shelves. I also have about 50 new books coming from Booksource this fall to add to my classroom library. I believe they have an important place in a middle school literacy classroom.

Here is my dilemma. I have never seen pictures of or read articles specifically about middle school classroom libraries. I have seen lots of pictures of elementary libraries; in fact, Choice Literacy posted pictures of attractive elementary classroom libraries on their Facebook page all during the month of May. Here are a couple of examples. I saw shelves filled with plastic baskets labeled by genre, series, or author. I saw select books displayed on stands. I saw rugs and rocking chairs and floor lamps and houseplants and bright colors. Choice Literacy also published several articles about classroom libraries: organizing, types of books, categorizing, leveling, etc. Again, the examples were all elementary age.

So I am wondering: What would an eighth grade classroom look like? My students love my reading corner outfitted with beanbag chairs, throw pillows, overstuffed chair, and traditional Arab majli cushion set. I like displaying five or six books that connect with the genre we’re focused on or titles I think they would like on the top of the bookshelf. The setting works. What should my library selves look like? Should I have plastic baskets of books labeled “Nonfiction”, “Walter Dean Myers”, “Twilight”, and “Books About Girls Who Don’t Fit In”? Should I alphabetize the shelves by author for fiction and assign Dewy Decimals for the nonfiction like the “real” library? Should I randomly throw them onto the shelf? Should I take time out of class to have the kids figure it out?

Middle school students draw a fine line between what is “babyish” and “cool”. Sometimes I’m shooting in the dark trying to figure it out. Last year I learned that they definitely think sitting on the cushions to read or work on laptops is cool. But sitting on the floor during the mini-lesson is babyish. Would they think plastic baskets too babyish? Or would they direct readers to easily find books to read, and thus they would be cool? What other organizational container would be “cooler” than plastic baskets? I think I’ll go to the dollar store and see what I can find.