If you are a new teacher, chances are that you’re starting from scratch, trying to build a great learning environment. One of the most important things that every elementary teacher needs is a vast collection of books! Building a high-quality classroom library collection can take a whole career, but you may wonder where to start. How can teachers afford these books, especially new teachers with debt?
Well… you’re in luck because I’m about to reveal all my tips and tricks on how to hunt down books on a budget. Even if you’re a seasoned teacher, you can NEVER have TOO many books. These tips are sure to help you get your hands on more books at a fraction of the price or maybe even FREE.
Check your school first! – The classroom you’re inheriting may already be stocked full of great books. Before spending lots of time and money on new books, be sure to see if it is necessary to purchase lots of books.
IF the classroom you inherit is already filled with books and you are adding your own books to the school collection – I would recommend marking your books in some way so you can easily distinguish your books from the schools’ books if you switch schools or classrooms.
If you don’t want to custom order your own personalized “property stickers” or pricey custom stamps – I have some editable stickers available in my shop that you can print on your own. This makes it easy to print more as you need them. No fancy editing skills are needed – just type your name and they will auto-fill for you. There are a few different options available to choose from. Just click the link below to view all the different options.
Garage Sales – Summer is the PERFECT time to scavenge garage sales. Keep your eyes peeled for signs posted locally, newspaper listings, or friends or family hosting garage sales. I would also recommend joining some sort of yard sale Facebook group for your area. Yard sale dates and locations are often posted in these Facebook groups. Depending on the group rules, you may also be able to post an “in search of” post letting people know you’re looking for books for your classroom (some people may even donate books to you for free after a post like this).
FB Marketplace – Facebook Marketplace has become the next “ebay” making it convenient to shop and sell. What I love about Facebook Marketplace is that you can shop locally. You never know what you might find!
FB Groups – In addition to “local yard sale” Facebook groups, I would recommend joining a “teacher buy, sale, & trade” type of Facebook group. Teachers will often do a classroom cleanout Facebook post and sell LOTS of random teacher items. Books are probably the #1 thing found amongst these Facebook groups listed for sale. You can also post an “in search of” post in most of these groups so people can let you know if they have something you might be interested in. These items sell for VERY cheap and can be shipped affordably thanks to media mail.
Friends, family, or neighbors – This is such a simple idea, but often overlooked. Don’t forget to talk to your friends, family, & neighbors. They are great resources and may just need a little encouragement to purge their books at home to donate to your classroom. It is so easy to just make a Facebook post letting all your friends know. You would be surprised by how many people reach out to help!
Local Library – County libraries will often host a “used book and surplus property sale” every so often. My local library usually hosts one towards the end of summer. This is another great place to stock up on amazing books for your classroom! Doing a quick Google search should help see if any libraries nearby are hosting a sale.
Local Thrift Store – This is the #1 place I have found books. Thrift stores can vary a lot and the product fluctuates a lot for obvious reasons, so I definitely recommend always checking the book section when you’re in a thrift store. You never know what great books you will find.
EBay – If you are looking for a specific book, eBay is a great option because someone is bound to be selling what you’re looking for. I love that there are often used and new options as well. Make sure you check reviews of buyers before purchasing so there are no surprises.
Thriftbook.com – This is another great website where you should be able to search for items more specifically. Many popular children’s books are included on this site and most are $5 and under depending on the condition of the book. You can also purchase in bulk or brand-new books. You can also search books by age level making it super easy to find books for your grade.
Firstbook.com (title 1 schools only) – First Book is very similar to Thrift Book, but the options are limited and often discounted more than Thrift Book. First Book is a nonprofit company which means savings go into your pockets, but it is only available for Title 1 schools. The process is very easy to prove your school’s status. Firstbooks will also often have sales. First book will make new books available every so often, and popular books will go quickly. I recommend subscribing to their emails so you can know when these new book drops happen because they get picked over so quickly.
There are so many great options for building your classroom library so I hope that one or a few of these ideas are helpful for you. If you have any other ideas to add to this list, I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below so we can all benefit and discover new ways to build our classroom libraries.
Also, if you are looking for help when it comes to organizing your classroom library, I have another blog post diving into this topic. Click here to read this blog post all about classroom library organization.
