How to Organize Your Bookshelves

In this age of changing media where you can download audio books,
print out electronic books and find reference materials on virtually
anything online, what is the purpose of owning a book? Truth is, books
are still valuable, no matter how fast the digital world moves--or perhaps
because of it. Pare down the literary mountain in your home and
keep only those books you want.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Mull over the role books play in your life. Do piles of books make you feel cozy and literate? Are your shelves rich with volumes of literature, drama and history that you know would make you a better person if you read them--but that you also know you never will? To some people, books are sacred and not to be thrown away: Are your old college textbooks collecting dust? Do you still have a shelf of Encyclopedia Britannica volumes? Once you understand why you have the books you do, you can begin to figure out what to do with them.

2. Set aside a day, pick up several cardboard boxes and start the purge. Take your time (because you will leaf through old favorites) and sort your books into piles: those you're ready to give up; keepers; maybes; and those you probably won't ever read but think you should. Now get tough with yourself and go back through the maybes and probablys. Remind yourself that selling Finnegan's Wake does not mean you're not an intelligent person. Box up the discards for resale or donation. See 1 Get Organized and 12 Get Rid of What You Don't Want.

3. Decide what else you want to put on the shelves besides books, such as photo albums, magazines, videos, DVDs, cassettes and CDs. See 137 Organize Movies, Music and Other Media.

4. Stack the books and other items you would like to store and take a linear measurement of the piles, then compare that number to your available shelf space. If you're short on shelves, cull your "keep" pile or put up more shelves.

5. Separate books into categories according to your tastes: fiction, new literature, everything golf, the Civil War, cheap mysteries and cookbooks, for example. Sort movies into kids' and adult films (comedy, drama, action), CDs and tapes into genres.

6. Start putting everything back on the shelves. Reserve the most easily reached shelves for books, movies and music you enjoy frequently. Keep different categories of books on separate shelves or even in other rooms (unless you're lucky enough to have a library): atlas and reference books in the study, kids' books and videos in an easily accessed shelf in their room, new fiction on your bedside table and so on. Alphabetize extensive collections and sort by genre.

7. Shelve magazines and periodicals in stand-up files labeled by publication and time period, for example, "Gourmet 2004." See 52 Categorize Newspaper and Magazine Clippings.

8. Set up a log on the computer if you have an extensive collection. Arrange titles alphabetically for each category and note the shelf or room the book is kept, and any that are on loan to a friend. Place a copy of the log in a binder on the bookshelf and keep the master log in your filing system. See 3 Write an Effective To-Do LIst.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid wasting your shelves on just a few very tall coffeetable books--instead, lay them flat in a stack of three or four on a shorter shelf. Place an objet d'art on the stack as a design accent. See 56 End Collection Chaos.
• Label your shelves if you have a large collection and need to constantly refer to various volumes. See 57 Live Better Through Labeling.
• See 300 Organize Recipes and Cookbooks.
• Store cassettes, CDs, videos and DVDs away from any heat sources that may be close to the bookshelf.
• Don't fill every available inch of shelf space. Allow for growth, especially if you're a bookstore addict. Wean yourself, if you're turning over a new leaf (see 227 Get Out of Debt and 228 Design a Savings Plan) with frequent visits to the library. Or, wait to buy books until they come out in paperback. See 15 Live With Less.
• If you're in an earthquakeprone area, secure freestanding bookshelves to the wall. See 105 Prepare Your Home for Nature's Worst and 73 Make Your House Safe for Small Children.

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on 2/27/2009 I get a ton of personal mailing labels sent to me by non-profit groups looking for donations. I use them on the inside jacket of my books, in case I lend them out or take them to work.

on 6/30/2006 Keep your books cataloged in an online site in case something bad happens to your home. It will be really good for the insurance to figure out what you own.

on 11/22/2005 If you are a bookworm, sort your books into different sections. I have favorites; religious, classics, and mysteries (to name a few). If people like to borrow your books, put your name in every book and write down who borrowed the book and the book's title. This really helps me keep track of all my books.