Shelf Label Lesson (1st)
Introduce how to find books in the library with the first graders:
This year, you will be able to choose books from all over the library. We are going to review
where books are and next week we will talk about choosing a book that is just right for you.
 E Section
o These are your books that you can finish in a week. Don’t skip this section
because you think it is just for Kindergarteners…some of my favorite books in the
library are in this section, and we add new ones each year.
o On the spine label, these books will have an E at the top, then the first three
letters of the author’s last name underneath. It is arranged in ABC order by
these three letters in the shelves. Caldecott books are on the mobile unit, as are
sets of books and oversize books.
 F Section
o These are your chapter books. They are made-up stories the author created
from his/her imagination. Some of these will be too long or too hard for you,
because we have books on this shelf for first, second, and third graders, and
there is a BIG difference in how well you can read at first grade compared to how
well you can read at third grade. If you want to try one of these books this week,
come see one of us to help you make a selection.
o These books are organized by who wrote them (the author) – the first three
letters of their last name are on the spine labels underneath the “F”, and then
they are put into alphabetical order. If you ask one of us where a book is, and
we say the “L” section, that means you need to look for the shelf label with the
letter L and look in the books after it.
 NF Section
o These are your books with information in them. We went over this area at the
end of the year last year. Remember to find books here that are not too long,
not too many words on the page, and not too big for you to carry.
o These books are organized by topic, and the number on the spine label is what
we use to shelve them. If you ask where a book is and we tell you to look on the
top shelf of the 700s, you go to the section with the 700, and look on the top
shelf. Underneath the number is the first three letters of the author’s last name,
but you will find the book by the number first.
o Biographies are shelved more like fiction books – they will all have 92 at the top,
then the first three letters of the last name of the person they are about are
under that. We organize it by those three letters.