Choosing the Best Book Labels for Your School Library

As someone who is setting up a school library, you’re probably well aware that a school library can quickly turn into a mess. A well thoughtthrough school library labeling approach keeps your shelves organised, which helps your students find titles they’ll enjoy and encourage independent reading.

But knowing the benefits of book labels and deciding which ones are right for your library are two different stories. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to the different types of book labels and how to choose the ones that will work best for your school.

We’ll start by exploring the two main decisions you’ll need to make when labelling your collection, then share real-life examples, and introduce an app that can help you categorise your entire library in just one day.

What to Consider When Labeling Books with or Without School Library Software

No matter how you set up your school library, these two questions are important to consider:

• Which type of reading label should you use? Most librarians choose to use either experience level or reading level, or a combination of the two.
• How will your books be organised on the shelves? You can organise your books by theme or genre, or alphabetically.

When you get your labels right, it positively impacts how easily students can find, borrow, and return each title. It can also help staff and students spot misplaced books and keep the shelves tidy.

Two Steps to Organizing Your School Library

Now, let’s take a look at exactly how you should start the process of labelling each book in your collection.

Step 1: Experience Level vs Reading Level

This is the first label you’ll apply. The goal of the first label is to make it easier for your students to choose the right book. You can base it on either of these guidelines:

• Experience level: typically shown as the student’s age or grade, marking each book as appropriate for a certain range.
• Reading level: refers to the technical difficulty of the text.

Sometimes, experience level and reading level don’t quite line up. For example:

• A strong Year 4 reader may be able to read The Diary of Anne Frank, even though the content is not suitable for their age.
• A struggling Year 8 reader may need simpler books that still reflect the interests of their age group.

Jos Walta, in Open Boek, Handboek Leesbevordering, suggests the following approach:

• Early reading books are labelled by their reading level, as students are just learning to read independently.
• Books for children in year 4 and above are labelled by experience level, allowing motivated readers to challenge themselves within appropriate content areas.

It can also be helpful to label additional categories, such as:

• Informative
• Picture book
• English

Step 2: Theme vs Alphabetical

Once books have a reading or experience label, a second label should be added. This label helps organise the library, so students can find books quickly and return them to their correct bookshelf. You can choose to organise titles by theme or alphabetically.

Thematic labels

Books can cover multiple themes. Therefore we pick the theme that captures the first impression a student might have of a book. This is often based on the title or blurb. Common themes in primary school libraries include:

• School story
• Detective
• Horror
• Friendship
• Fantasy

Alphabetical labels

Books can also be organised by the author’s last name. For example:

• Roald Dah → D
• J.K. Rowling → R

Choosing between the two types of locator labels

It can be challenging to choose between these two options, so remember that one isn’t inherently better than the other. Consider the following points when making your decision:

• Alphabetical: simple, straightforward, and leaves little room for doubt.
• Thematic: engaging and visually appealing, but requires some judgement and allows for flexibility.

No matter how you organise your library, choosing between various library management systems for schools will determine how these labels are tracked digitally. Selecting the right system ensures that your physical labels match your digital inventory.

Practical Labelling Examples from Schools

Every school is different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Here are some examples of what works in practice.

Example 1: Grade + Theme + Reading Level

• Mid Year 2, Fantasy & Magic
• Mid Year 2, Detective
• End Year 2, Horror

Example 2: A/B/C Method (Open Boek)

• A books
• B books
• C books
• Informative books

Example 3: Experience Level + Author’s Last Name

• Year 2, X
• Year 3/4, Y
• Year 5/6, Z

Example 4: Experience Level + Theme + Colour Coding

• Year 3/4, Fantasy & Magic
• Year 3/4, Detective
• Year 5/6, Detective

Make Labelling Easy with School Library Software in the UK

By taking a thoughtful approach to labelling—considering both reading or experience levels and the best way to organise the shelves—you can make your school library an inviting, easy-to-use space that encourages a lifelong love of reading.

When combined with the School Library App, a modern library management systems, these labels can also help you track borrowing trends, spot underused books, and ensure your collection grows in line with students’ interests.

Ready to make your library easier to manage and more engaging? Reach out to our team to learn more about how the School Library App can help today.