Where Do You Store Your Library Books?

I was inspired to write about storing library books after reading this post at one of my favorite blogs, I'm An Organizing Junkie.  I can totally relate, because in addition to homeschooling, blogging and working with youth, I too am a professional organizer.  Why is it important to have a place to store your library books? Because nothing spoils library visits more than lost books and fines.  If you teach your children to follow the rule, "everything has a place and everything is put in it's place," keeping up with your library books shouldn't be difficult.  I like to turn our library book storage area into a mini-home library.  What's the point of going to the library to get 1 or 2 books.  You can't put a dent in the summer reading programs with those numbers.  Besides, weekly or bi-weekly visits to the library can motivate your children to finish up all the books in your home library before heading back the next week.

Rachel, at Useful Beautiful Home, has installed low shelves so that library books can be on display and easily accessible for children.  Books are so much more inviting when you can see the cover and not just the spine.  In my children's bedroom, the shelves are up high and used more as a decorative element.  Many of my favorite artists are children's illustrations, like Kadir Nelson and Bryan Collier, so I love to put their books on the shelves.

I check out 25-30 books at a time so crates work better for us.  I also set up our summer reading logs near the books so that we will remember to complete the summer reading logs as we read.  Both are participating in our library's summer reading program.  LionHeart is working toward the children's author luncheon prize and KingMan is vying for the Beats headphones prize.

However, I'm so inspired by Rachel's idea that I plan to put some low shelves next to my children's bed - a shelf for each child so that I can highlight what's on the menu for our bedtime reading.