How to adopt a shelf in the Knowles Elementary Library

1. Adopt-A-Shelf
Knowles Elementary
2014-2015

2. What is Adopt-A-Shelf?
• A way for you to take responsibility in your school
library
• A way for you to earn credit to shop at the book fair
• A way for you to discover and share books you might
have never noticed before

3. Who can participate?
• 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students
•You are not required to participate, but Mrs. Sharp will
appreciate the help of those who give it!

4. How Adopt-A-Shelf Works
• You will choose a shelf to adopt in the section
assigned by Mrs. Sharp
• The shelf will be labeled with your name
• You will maintain that shelf on library days, or at
other times when you have permission (before
school when the library opens)

5. How do I maintain my shelf?
• Make sure all books are pulled to the front evenly,
all spines are facing out, and all call numbers are
at the bottom
• Check the reshelving carts for books that belong
on your shelf and properly shelve them
• Neatly display recommended books on your shelf
for other students in the school

6. When can I maintain my shelf?
• Before school starts from 7:20 am- 7:45 am (if
you don’t need to eat breakfast)
• First 15-20 minutes of library time, after you’re
finished getting new library books

7. Shelf of the Week Award
• Each week, Mrs. Sharp
will choose one shelf
from each section to be
Shelf of the Week
• Those shelf adopters
will receive a Book
Fair Buck!
Shelf of the Week!

8. How can I win?
• Keep your shelf neat
• Make sure all books on your shelf belong there
• If not, return them to the proper shelf or place
them on the book cart
• Regularly check the reshelving carts for books
that live on your shelf and put them away neatly

9. Adopt-A-Shelf Rules
1. Shelves may only be maintained at appropriate times.
• Before school between 7:20 am and 7:45 am (if you do not
need to eat breakfast)
• During library class with permission
1. Maintain your shelf and your shelf only.
2. Do not purposely make a mess on someone else’s shelf.
• If you are caught doing this, your shelf will automatically be
disqualified that week and you will lose any Book Fair Bucks
previously earned.

10. Everybody Shelves – 3rd Grade
• Books are shelved according
to the first 3 letters of the
author’s last name
• Use the white labels on the
shelves to help you
• Look closely at the shelves-books
might be out of order
The E stands for
Everybody. This
tells me the book
belongs in the
Everybody (or
picture book)
section.
DON is the first 3
letters of the
author’s last name.
This tells me the
book belongs on the
DEA-DOR shelf in
alphabetical order.

11. Everybody Shelf Quiz
Which shelf would win Shelf of the Week?
Neat shelf! All books pulled to front, all on the
correct shelf!
Messy shelf! Books upside down and thrown on
top of the other books.

12. Chapter Book Shelves – 4th Grade
•Books are shelved according to
the first 3 letters of the author’s
last name
•These books have FIC at the
top of their call number
•Look closely at the shelves-books
might be out of order
The letters FIC tell us these are chapter books.
The FIC stands for
Fiction. This tells me
the book belongs in
the Fiction (or
chapter book)
section.
HAD is the first 3
letters of the
author’s last name.
This tells me the
book belongs on the
H shelf in
alphabetical order.

13. Chapter Book Shelf Quiz
What’s wrong with this shelf?
Books leaning over
Books past bookend
Book thrown on shelf
Book lying down
Spine facing in
Spine facing in
Book needs repair

14. Nonfiction Shelves – 5th Grade
•The hardest job – but you can
do it!
•Books are shelved according to
the call number, in number
order.
•Stickers will also have the first
3 letters of the author’s last
name, but we shelve according
to the number first, then the
author’s name if needed.
The book’s Dewey
Decimal number. This
tells us which shelf it
belongs on.
The last 3 letters of the
author’s last name. We
use this if there are
books with the same
numbers (like 636.7
for dog books)

15. To practice:
• Go the LibGuide and click on Library Games & Resources
• In the green box called “Library Skills Games &
Activities”, click on Shelve It
• On the website Mrs. Lodge’s Library, click on Shelver at
the top
• Choose either Fiction or Dewey!

16. What else do I need to know?
• Mrs. Sharp will keep a record of the best shelves each week.
• The 3 people with the most weekly shelf awards will receive 10
extra Book Fair Bucks!
• You can spend your Book Fair Bucks on any book fair item! If you
have 3 Book Fair Bucks, you would get $3 off your total.

17. Questions?
Write them down on a sticky note and leave it for
Mrs. Sharp! Then write your name down in the
notebook to sign up and which shelf you’d like!
Participants will be chosen by your next library
day- 6 students per library group.