Library Game

This library game turns real library skills into a short, cozy puzzle. Returned books pile up on the cart, and your job is to put each one back in exactly the right place on the shelf, then help patrons track down the books they ask for. It is free to play in your browser on a computer, Chromebook, tablet or phone, with no download or sign-up, and it works well for library lessons, centers and early finishers.

How to play

There are 12 levels in three groups. Pick up a book from the cart by tapping it or dragging it, then drop it into its spot on the shelf. If the spot is wrong, the book goes back on the cart, it counts as a mistake, and a hint tells you which way to look.

• Fiction shelving (levels 1–4): fiction is shelved A to Z by the author’s last name. The spine label shows FIC and the first three letters of the last name, such as FIC SMI. When two books share a label, compare the full last name, then the first name, then the title, skipping a leading A, An or The.
• Nonfiction shelving (levels 5–8): nonfiction goes in Dewey Decimal call number order, smallest number first. The spine shows the call number and the first three letters of the author’s last name. Decimals are compared digit by digit, so 597.9 comes before 598, and 598 comes before 598.07. Books with the same call number are sorted by the author letters.
• Find the book (levels 9–12): a patron asks for a call number, a topic such as volcanoes, or a novel by a named author. Read the signs at the end of each aisle, walk to the right section and tap the book to pull it. Every step along the aisle adds time, so plan your route.

A reference card with the sorting rules and the 10 Dewey Decimal classes is always one tap away (the Guide button, or G on a keyboard), and the timer stops while it is open.

Stars and progress

Finish a level with no mistakes and under the 3-star time to earn three stars. One or two mistakes, or a slow time, gives two stars, and more mistakes gives one. Five mistakes on one level means the shelf check fails and you try again. Clearing a level unlocks the next one, and your best stars are saved in your browser, so students can pick up where they left off.

The Dewey Decimal classes

The nonfiction levels use the 10 main classes of the Dewey Decimal Classification, the system most school and public libraries use to shelve nonfiction:

• 000 Computer science, information & general works
• 100 Philosophy & psychology
• 200 Religion
• 300 Social sciences
• 400 Language
• 500 Science
• 600 Technology
• 700 Arts & recreation
• 800 Literature
• 900 History & geography

Tips

• Read every letter of the label. MBA comes before MOR, and HAD comes before HAL. The first letter is only the start.
• Treat decimals like a dictionary, not like big numbers. 641.59 comes before 641.815 because 5 is smaller than 8, even though 815 looks bigger than 59.
• Whole numbers first. Anything starting 597 comes before 598, no matter how long its decimal is. 597.92 still sits before 598.
• Use the topic to pick the class. In find mode, volcanoes are Science (500s), comics are Arts & recreation (700s), and ancient Egypt is History & geography (900s). Open the reference card if you are unsure.
• Walk once. Each aisle step costs time. Work out the right section from the signs before you move.

FAQ

Is this library game free?

Yes. It is completely free, with no account and no install. Your stars are saved in your browser on that device.

Does it work on phones, tablets and Chromebooks?

Yes. On a touch screen you can tap a book and then tap its spot, or drag it straight to the shelf. On a keyboard, Up and Down pick a book, Left and Right move the shelf cursor and Enter shelves it.

Are these real books?

No. Every title and author in the game is made up, so students practice the rules rather than memorizing a real collection. The call numbers match the subjects, though: the bird books sit in the 598s and the cookbooks in the 641s.

What age is it for?

The early fiction levels suit younger students who are learning alphabetical order. The decimal and find levels are a good stretch for upper elementary and middle school students learning to use the library on their own.

Looking for more learning games? Try our reading game or practice words with the spelling game.