Checking Out Books

I have a fairly obsessively large assortment of books in my classroom and my students enjoy "checking them out"  to read at home. A couple of years ago I had a volunteer put the old-school library pockets in my chapter books and I purchased a chart from Really Good Stuff (they seem to no longer have?!?) and my 1500+ chapter books suddenly had a system.

What to do about all of my trade books, though!? You know, the ones that I don't read aloud in class but still set out for the kiddos to browse on their own?! The ones that are used by early finishers!? The ones that I have so many of I can't possibly remember until I need them?! The ones kids read for AR!? The ones kids read day after day after day because they are just so flipping' funny!? Yeah, I had a problem. Kiddos wanted to take these home and I didn't have a way to keep track of them. I thought about labeling them, I thought about spending tons of money to create some sort of system, but then, I thought of something better. Something free.

Enter: the iPhone. When a child says "Mrs. Lynch, can I take Knuffle Bunny home to read to my little sister tonight?" instead of panicking about my $15 hardcover going home with a 7-year-old I simply pull out my phone and say, "Sure!" Then I take a quick picture and remind her to bring it back tomorrow.

The next morning she'll come in and let me know she's putting it back on the shelf and all my worries are gone. Or she'll forget and a couple days later when I happen to browse through my phone's photos I'll remember to ask her about it.

Since I've been using this system, every.single.book. has been returned. Every one of them. I don't have to keep a log on paper or a reminder in my head of who took what book- it's on film! And the best part might be the impromptu glamour shots my kids giggle their heads off about when I take a shot of them holding their book. "Can I see myself!?" Never gets old.