Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Organizing Books


Tabula Rasa asks, "How do you organize your bookshelf?" The only logical way, of course! I alphabetize by author within subjects. I have separate sections for mystery, science fiction/fantasy/horror, general fiction, travel narratives, religion, natural history, and biography. Actually my religion section isn't organized within that subject; they are just grouped together in a kind of whatever fashion.

I've heard of organizing by size or color, but I can't imagine how you'd ever find a particular book using that system.

The photo above is of some of my shelves. I tend to clutter them with trinkets.

8 comments:

  1. Ahhhh, I like the look of a "living" bookshelf. If you sort books by colour, you kill them, as far as I´m concerned. Trinkets add to the charm. A bookshelf without trinkets is just too... introvert, probably. lol

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    1. i need a place for the trinkets, and this is all the space i have. every once in a while i try to purge the things i don't actively like any more. i keep thinking that as years go by i'll have less room.

      i agree about the sort-by-color system. i talked to a designer once who sold books as design items. i was horrified by the fate of those poor books! never to be read. so sad.

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  2. Other than keeping cookbooks on shelves of their own, I'm afraid I don't organize my books at all. I've been trying to divest myself of books over the past few years. When the dust gets deep I go through and clean them all off and add a couple more to the giveaway pile.

    Darla

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    1. i have to organize them so i can find what i want. every once in a while i go through mine and get rid of some. it's a slow process for me.

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  3. Those look like pretty nice shelves are they part of the house itself or did you set them up. I've been to peoples homes where there is no sign of books at all, heathens.

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    1. the shelves came from one of those unfinished furniture places. we had them finish them because we were trying to move here at the time and just wanted it done already.

      i've been to houses where there are no books. they look so empty somehow.

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  4. Thanks for linking to my post! For me it's easier to organize by size, because the larger hardbacks just won't fit anywhere but at the bottom! But with my collection increasing, I'd prefer rearranging the books according to the author or genre too. Thanks for the idea. The shelves look just great!

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    1. i've heard that organizing by size is better for the books. i do put the oversized books on shelves so they get some support. your post had me thinking lol. i realized how much influence all my time spent in libraries had influenced my book shelving habits.

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