Book Displays

[Preschool/daycare teacher]

How do you display your books for your daycare? I don't like using a regular bookcase because they can't see which book is which until they've already pulled it off the shelf. Usually there's just a big pile of books strewn everywhere in the book center after they've pulled them off the shelves. I'd like to find something that displays the front of each book and that only holds a few books at a time. I thought the sling bookcase would be perfect, but they're so expensive! I need something really really inexpensive. Also, I can't hang anything on the wall for books because it's a rented building and plus, I re-arrange the centers so often that one week the book center might be on one side of the room, and the next week I'll have it across the room in a new spot Pictures of your book centers would be very helpful, and if you have ideas for book displays that are really inexpensive (as in less than $20), I'm all ears

[nothingwithoutjoy]

I keep books in large baskets on the floor. The books face forwards, so they can flip through and see them before they pull them out. When I arrange the baskets (each evening, and whenever it's bugging me), I arrange them so the tallest are in the back and the shortest in the front, so they can see a bit of each. The kids get used to that as they get older, and learn to rearrange them that way, too.

I have thousands of books stored on bookshelves out of the kids' sight. I rotate what's available in the baskets according to season, age groups, current interests, etc.

[daycarediva]

I have this:

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/product/productDet.jsp?productItemID=1%2C689%2C949%2C371%2C927%2C437&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181113&bmUID=1367946840595

[daycarediva]

Just saw the inexpensive thing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IHJF60/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000IHJF60&linkCode=as2&tag=daycarecom-20&linkId=YXCAWKXOM5QZMNNQ

$30 with free shipping.

[crazydaycarelady]

Do you do mixed age groups? I have babies -6yos and the babies would be getting those books everywhere. They spread them on the floor then they get walked on and the pages rip. I have resorted to keeping board books available all the time and the other books are up and the kids have to ask for them.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

Do you do mixed age groups? I have babies -6yos and the babies would be getting those books everywhere. They spread them on the floor then they get walked on and the pages rip. I have resorted to keeping board books available all the time and the other books are up and the kids have to ask for them.

When I first opened, my group was infants to 3-year-olds, and then most of the available-all-the-time books were board books. I'd pull out other books to read, but not leave them in the floor baskets.

Later, when the group was mostly older, I put out other books, and by then they'd learned to put them back (mostly), and I'd also pick up any left out. If a baby wanted books, I'd put a board-book basket nearby for them to rifle through (and toss all over the floor). Lots of modeling and asking the older kids for help kept my books pretty much safe (they do, of course, show signs of wear, and on occasion, a book would get torn and have to be mended. Sad, but I tried to focus on the learning opportunity rather than my gut anger.) You learn very fast in my house that we DO NOT walk on books. Books are sacred! :-)

[williams2008]

Just saw the inexpensive thing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IHJF60/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000IHJF60&linkCode=as2&tag=daycarecom-20&linkId=YXCAWKXOM5QZMNNQ

$30 with free shipping.

This is what I have. I purchased mine from Walmart for $15

[SilverSabre25]

Do you do mixed age groups? I have babies -6yos and the babies would be getting those books everywhere. They spread them on the floor then they get walked on and the pages rip. I have resorted to keeping board books available all the time and the other books are up and the kids have to ask for them.

This is what I do.

I also go ahead and buy board book versions of "big kid" books (that have too many words for most babies/toddlers to really be interested in) to have out all the time.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

Do you do mixed age groups? I have babies -6yos and the babies would be getting those books everywhere. They spread them on the floor then they get walked on and the pages rip. I have resorted to keeping board books available all the time and the other books are up and the kids have to ask for them.

This I keep the board books in a plastic bin. The other books are in a bin up so I can offer them when requested.

[Blackcat31]

Mine are all on the rain gutter type shelving.

Easy access for EVERYONE. Paper books on the higher shelf and board books on the lower shelf.

Plus using the raingutter as a shelf makes it super simple for the little kids to put the books back.

Two rain gutters (each 8 ft long) for a total cost of less than $20.

Paintable too!

[MarinaVanessa]

I have the Kidcraft sling bookshelf. I used to have the colored one but instead of canvas it was like a plasticy feeling canvas which tore after about a year or so and I replaced it with this same one but the sling is made of better quality canvas (picture below).



When I get a bigger house and more DC space I want to use Ikea spice racks for the books for my Book Nook.
I like that they are smaller and eye pleasing...


But I plan on getting a preschool sturdy version of my sling bookcase anyway. I just like how many books you can keep in them and they're easy for little hands to take books out of and put back in.

[AmyKidsCo]

I have this:

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/product/productDet.jsp?productItemID=1%2C689%2C949%2C371%2C927%2C437&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181113&bmUID=1367946840595

Me too. I generally only put board books in it, but I have a HUGE library of board books I rotate from. If I only have older children for a while I'll put out "paper" books but even the older ones bend and rip them, so I'm selective about which ones I put out.

[mema]

I have a shelf, but would really like to do the gutters or spice racks. Something that is off the floor to give a little more space. I have my plastic and board books in a basket in the baby area. They usually stay away from the shelf.

[luv2teach]

I have this:

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/product/productDet.jsp?productItemID=1%2C689%2C949%2C371%2C927%2C437&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181113&bmUID=1367946840595

I have this, too. Also, I occasionally put special themed books in a basket or other plastic container.

[Little Star75]

Just saw the inexpensive thing.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IHJF60/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000IHJF60&linkCode=as2&tag=daycarecom-20&linkId=YXCAWKXOM5QZMNNQ

$30 with free shipping.

I have this exact one, I bought off of CL for $10