How to Get Books for Your Classroom Library

Buying books is a good time…until you take a peek at your receipt. There is no doubt you’ll experience sticker shock. As an ELA teacher, you probably get excited to add new titles to your classroom library and look forward to your students’ reactions when they see the newest addition. Even though this part is a blast, it can really add up. Let’s chat about how to get cheap books for teachers.

Classroom libraries are one of my favorite tools as a teacher, and I loved building a classroom library. They allow us to expose our students to a greater variety of books, fill the gap when your school library is lacking (or nonexistent), and give you an opportunity to tie independent reading to ELA skills authentically. If you want to read more of my thoughts on why classroom libraries are a must, you can check out this blog post!

Ready to stock your classroom library but don’t want to break the bank? Here are a few ways to get cheap books for teachers!

#1 Scholastic Points

When students buy books through Scholastic, you can earn points. Those points can then be used to buy more books. Honestly, there is no better feeling than opening up a box of brand-new books you didn’t have to pay for.

To earn points, encourage your students and their families to purchase their books through Scholastic, and let them know that every single order results in points that will be used to purchase more books for the classroom library. Keep families involved in the process by adding a picture in your weekly newsletter of the newest titles you snag through Scholastic points.

Also, keep an eye out for Scholastic deals and coupons, too. Sometimes they run a dollar deals promo, and they often have discounted books that teachers can grab for super cheap. You do have to be a little more diligent with this method, but it’s worth it.

#2 Second-Hand Books

We all know that once books are in the classroom library, they’ll be…well-loved. As long as the books are clean and in readable condition, there’s no need to have brand-new books.

Shopping at second-hand stores like Goodwill or a local thrift store is also another way to find cheap books for teachers. I’ve hit the cheap book jackpot a yard sales as well, so keep your eyes peeled for those on the weekends. There are also second-hand stores specific to books, like Half Price Books.

If you live in a neighborhood with an active social media page, you could even post a request for donated books. People love to help teachers and classrooms, and often don’t know the best way to do so.

#3 Donors Choose

If you do want brand new books for your class, but don’t want to break the bank, Donor’s Choose is a great option. Create a project, and add books to the list of things you would love for your class.

This is a fantastic opportunity to allow students to participate. Let them come up with a list of books to put on the project list! Then, have students and their families share about the project with their extended family and friends. You can even have your school post about it on social media.

A word of caution with the Donors Choose route – anything purchased through Donors Choose is the school’s property rather than the teacher’s, so if you think you might move schools, this may not be the best way to build up your personal classroom library.

#4 Buy a Little Overtime

A less fun but practical tip for teachers to build their classroom library without spending too much money is to buy books slowly over time. This makes a lot of sense especially if you’re trying to buy a class set of novels or a new release that may be more expensive.

If you want to spend your own money on books for your classroom, but don’t want to feel the impact of that expense, add one book to your cart each time you check out at Target, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. A little over time hurts less than one big purchase.

#5 Ask Friends and Family

Friends and family are a great support for classroom libraries. Oftentimes, people have book clutter they want to clear from their house. I mean, you might actually be doing them a favor. Saves them a trip to a donation center. Make it easy for them by offering to pick the books up, and I bet you’ll have a lot of takers!

If you want a really crafty way to get cheap books for teachers, offer to take any books off your family’s hands, even the ones that aren’t age-appropriate for your students. You could sell them to the second-hand bookstore and use your credits to buy books your students would actually enjoy reading.

If you have long-distance friends or family that want to support your classroom, you can send them to an Amazon wishlist of books your class would enjoy. They can send it to you in just a couple of easy clicks.

#6 Check Your School budget

Lastly, before you spend a bunch of money on books for your classroom, make sure your school doesn’t already have a budget set aside for this. Communicating budgets for various teacher supplies often falls through the cracks, so if you don’t know of a budget, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

I hope these ideas help. I know building a classroom library can be a challenge, especially when it comes to finding cheap books for teachers. However, you don’t need to build it overnight. In time, you’ll have shelves full of books your students will love.

Want to know WHY you should have a classroom library? Check out my 5 reasons to have a classroom library blog po

Other helpful resources for classroom libraries: