Teaching your Collections

Find different ways to introduce your students to the different collections in your library. Teaching students about the these collections and how to find books in your library will help them independently choose their library books.

Sticks and Stones

Practice finding Everybody books

Give each group a set of stones that are labelled A-Z and set of sticks with author's names.
Students are to work cooperatively to arrange the rocks in alphabetical order.
To the right of the stones students need to match up the author sticks to the correct rock.
Remind students that books are arranged according to author's LAST name.

Extension

Have each student choose one of the sticks, a shelf marker and go and find one of the books written by the author on the stick.

Adapted from Stretchy Library Lessons: Research Skills, Upstart Books, 2003

Collection Roll

Practice finding where the different collections in the library are housed

Divide students into small groups and give them a Collection Cube
Students roll the Collection Cube
Remove the collection code rolled
Take the collection code and drop

it off in the basket where the rolled

collection is housed

Call Number Sort

Practice recognizing a collections call number and finding books according to the call number

Divide students into groups
Have students sort the sticks into the different collections
Arrange each collections' sticks in shelving order
Have each student in the group take a different collections stick and go and find the book

Call Number and Cover Match Up

Practice recognizing a collections call number and matching it to its cover

Give each student a card, either a call number or a cover
Have students match up the call number with the correct cover, thus making partners
Have partners pick up a shelf marker and go and find their book on the shelf

Dewey Search

Practicing reading the signs and the non-fiction shelves to learn more about the Dewey Decimal System.

Each student takes a Dewey Search card
Reading the shelves, signs and using the H.I.P. catalogue students write down the appropriate dewey decimal number for each category

Shelf Finder

Practice reading a call number and finding the book on the shelf

Each student takes a Shelf Finder card
You could have students sort themselves according to the different collections
Have students put themselves in order according to the call number
Have students go and find their book on the shelf

Library Commons