[MrsFrazzled]

I am in desperate need of a bookcase. I was hoping to get one from some teachers that were retiring but they either took theirs or gave them away to someone else.

I would need a sturdy one becuase it will mainly hold thick textbooks and binders with all my lesson stuff for my different classes.

Have any of you bought one and it did the job? I have looked on Amazon and IKEA. I have read a lot of bad reviews and I know that some people are never happy with products. And I don’t want to spend a fortune.

So if someone could suggest a brand, that would be a tremendous help.

[Tarague]

I always check thrift stores first. Go with an open mind and you may be surprised at what you find. I have found solid wood book shelves many times, usually around 10 dollars. A can of paint later, they are perfect and long lasting!

[ABC]

I have this shelf from IKEA. I can actually stand up my binders and have put books on other shelves too. There is no back to it, so I do have it against a wall. I have had it for 3 years now and it's held up well...no sagging, etc.

[Queenie Peavy]

I have found my best buys at yard sales...

[Lottalove]

talk to the Janitors in your building. They know all the different storage areas where an unused bookcase might be.

We have a primary storage that anyone can access but there are a few other places where stuff is stashed then never moved.

[Keltikmom]

My best ones came from a used office furniture store. See if you have one nearby. Or if you want to pay for quality and durability go to Scandinavian Designs.

[pausebutton]

I'm on the hunt for a bookcase also because I expanded my classroom library collection this year. I have been looking on freecycle.org in my area. A handful of bookshelves have been posted recently, but they were all too tall for my first graders. I found one that is the perfect height through public surplus for my county. I only bid $1!

[Love-Teach]

I built mine and built 4 more for other teachers who wanted one after everything I looked found at different stores seemed cheap and flimsy. I wanted something that could take the abuse of kids for years to come.

[Gromit]

For my class library, I have a bunch of these: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40258045/

and a bunch of these:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays...olors/21997599

I also Billy shelves from Ikea. I don't keep textbooks on them, but they seem sturdy enough to do so.


All have held up well for 2 years, and I don't see why they won't hold up well in the future.

[owl98]

I second what Lottalove said. Talk to every custodian... they know where everything is. If that is a bust, ikea shelving is pretty good.

[Ali'a]

I always buy sold shelves at thrift stores or garage sales. It's the way to go.

[teacher342]

In the past I have found a friend with a son in the scouts looking for a project.

[Queenie Peavy]

I just saw on fb that our local university is having a yard sale of sorts....they are selling dorm cast-offs, including book shelves. Perhaps there is something similar in your neck of the woods.....

[Czechgirl]

Have to ever considered asking your district's maintenance department if they have one for you to use? Sometimes someone in the district will build you one. Summer is a great time for those requests.

[MrsCroak]

I would highly consider a metal bookshelf before an MDF wood bookshelf if textbook storage is involved. Perhaps something like this.

[Ima Teacher]

Get a heavy-duty metal one from an office supply store for textbooks.

[pausebutton]

I agree with getting a metal bookcase, but please don't spend $170 of your own money. Yesterday I got a bookcase for my classroom and it cost me a whopping $2.06 through Public Surplus. When there's a will, there's a way

[HavFunTchn]

Try thrift stores, Habitat for Humanity ReStore sites, garage sales, etc.

[klarabelle]

ABC said her bookcase had no back, I [my dad] put up 2x4's on the back, 1 per self. It worked well for giving support to the bookcase and helped keep things on the shelf. Just an Idea.