If you would like to join in, click here.Today's question: This week’s question is suggested by Kat:
I recently got new bookshelves for my room, and I’m just loving them. Spent the afternoon putting up my books and sharing it on my blog. One of my friends asked a question, and I thought it would be a great BTT question. So from Tina and myself, we’d like to know “How do you arrange your books on your shelves? Is it by author, by genre, or you just put it where it falls?”
My Response:
I love organization! I have more books than shelves, and so I have arranged them in the following fashion. On the top shelf of one bookcase, I have books I have purchased or had given to me that are waiting to be read. To the left are Christian fiction, and to the right are secular books--arranged by copyright date, from oldest to newest. I review every book I read, but some are sent to me expressly for review. Those are on the next shelf, stacked on their side by date needed, with next-to-be-read on top. (I keep them organized by sticking a Post-it on each book as it comes into the house. I write the date the review is needed and the organization/author sending the book. (I later use that same Post-it as a bookmark.) Other books on lower shelves are those I keep. I have them separated by author. On the bottom shelf, I have reference books.
On my desk, I have two stacks of books. These are books that I am planning to list on eBay. Once listed, they move to another bookcase, to wait for shipping. On the shelf below, I have books that failed to sell. They are my problem books. I may donate them to the local library. I'd happily send them to you, but postage...
In addition, I have a closet with built-in shelves for books, filled with several versions of the Bible along with Bible study books (concordance, dictionary, atlas) and books for my work such as classics, poetry, operas, plays, and textbooks. Even though I am retired, I cannot dispose of them. In the kitchen pantry, I have a stack of cookbooks--not used much these days!
Where do you keep your books?
42 comments:
Sally~
I have never heard such elaborate organization for books in my life! Come to my house...PLEASE! LOL! I have two bookcases in our office and that's where I keep the books I've read...in no particular order...I organized them according to size. I know, impressive, huh? :)
I have two tall bookshelves in my office - the 1st one..tope shelf all my Bibles 2nd shelf commentaries etc 3rd shelf music books, prayer books and books that help me arrange services 4th shelf Reading books which are group together in authors - The other book shelf house mainly my degree course books and more Christian books on various subjects again arrange by author.
It sounds like you have your books organized perfectly. Mine are just in my bookshelf in no particular order....oh wait. Hardbacks are together and paperbacks are together.♥
Goodness Gracious, Sweet Sally,
How in the world you do have time to have a blog? All the reading and organization of this many books would have me buried so deep I wouldn't ever see the light of day. I sure wish i was that organized but.......I'm afraid I am one that "lets them fall where they may". Shame on me. But, remember...I am working with a wall paper border...nuff said!
xo bj
WOW, you are organized, I only have a couple booksheleves, so it's easy.
Hugs,
Chris
Oh my goodness, Sallyness! I can't believe your book organizational skills! You're something else. I am impressed, though! lol Yes, dear, the cookie is in the mail! lol
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
Wow Sal what an organized book shelf... I thought I had a lot of books but you make me look like a novice... I love to read too... Right now they are all in storage except the ones in here ready that need to be read... Oh just a quick note... I cut off my tube in my soap dispenser and a miracle... it works now with any soap... Thanks for your post and to whoever came up with that... It made me feel DUH but it worked... LOL LOL
(((HUGS)))
Donna
Sally, that's amazing! You are the most organized reader I know!
I was a library assistant in Jr. High, so my book arrangement is of concern to me. But my mind works a little differently than the Dewey Decimal System. I don't have room for all of my books, but the ones I have displayed are arranged in several different ways.
Size dictates that some of them be on the large bottom shelves. So all of my art books are grouped there, and they are grouped alphabetically according to artist. Then I have art anthologies, and then next, photographers. Antiques go there, too. In the middle section of the bottom are heavy reference books (Black's Law Dictionary, World Books, the Yale Shakespeare etc.) and on the rest of the bottom shelves are large coffee table type books that are miscellaneous. I try to group them topically as much as possible. And I always look for a pleasing aesthetic. ;-)
I group Southern authors together. Then women authors are in a group. I have forgein authors together. I group a single author's books together.
Then I have literary biographies together. I have books about England together (biographies and histories). I have books at U.S. History together (biographies and histories). I have books of poetry and short stories together. And I have the Harvard Classics together. In the groupings, I look for pleasing colors/sizes/etc., and I work around that, too. But there is method to my madness. :-)
XO,
Sheila... hope I didn't bore you sensless!
Oh, and I have religious literature together! But some of that is not displayed because it is paperback. But books by Billy Graham and CS Lewis share space with Bibles and Bible reference books along with other Biblical writers, too.
First edition signed are under lock and key.
XO,
Sheila :-)
I usually put my books on the shelf by author, then by publishing date left to right... which is usually how they've been read by me... As you may know, I've recently taken to organizing and covering my books...(which I hope to finish this weekend)... So I think I'll be stealing some of your organizing ideas Miss Sally... I have to admit that I keep the 2 or 3 books I'm currently reading scattered here and there throughout the house so I have one to read where ever I land. Blessings to you today Miss Sally. Dixie
I need me some Smiling Sally organization!!
Seriously tho... a I am very organized about some things. Why it doesn't spill out into all of my life, I don't know.
Have a good day!
So organized! I'm envious.
Sally, I'm afraid you might faint dead away if you saw my "organizations system" for my books. I do have one shelf dedicated to crafts and all of the decorating books are in the family room but as for the rest of it...
Bridget
I'm always rearranging mine and have never been satisfied with any one system. It's an ongoing battle.
LOL! Sally, I think I know where you were going with the comment on Ashley and her growing older...ONLY her, not me! NEVER! LOL! ...unfortunately that's not true! LOL!
I store my books in several different places, but store them by genre and then group authors from there. I can stand them all mixed and scattered! LOL!
Thanks for the encouraging comment on yesterday's post! You are such a dear friend! ~hugs, Rhonda :)
I wasn't going to answer today, since the short response would be "by subject." But your answer and Janet's led me to elaborate. :-)
That's just too organized for me and I LOVE organization. I just have my books mostly organized by size!
take care,
Dawn
your house sounds better than going to the library...and easier to find a book! Can I come over?!
I keep them everywhere. I have a place for Bibles and study books in my Scrap room and I cannot tell you why except there was shelf space there. My decorating books and how to keep a nice home live in the sewing room. The cookbooks live on shelves in the kitchen. I have two baskets where I keep my books with uplifting thoughts and quotes and then one where I keep what I am reading. I also have two shelves of still to read books. I tend to get rid of most books after I read them by giving them away. On my shelves I keep them by size from tallest to smallest. Less problems with storage than with finding time to read. Great post.
Roberta Anne
I have two bookshelves. One for Stephen King and one for everything else. Stephen King isn't allowed to play with the other books :) The SK bookshelf is arranged by date of publication. The other shelf is arranged by author or type of book and then each section is arranged by the height of each book. lol Sounds like we have ours very similar to each others. I hope you have a nice Thursday Sally ♥
Oh Sally, We have lots of books but are not as organized as you are. Our whole laundry room is wall-to-all bookshelves. We started out with JUST books in there. NOW--we have bird food, extra boxed foods which we don't have room for in the kitchen, and who knows what else.. I'm afraid that that room is turning into a 'catch-all' room.. We do have shelves in the back office for books and old slides, etc. AND--we have shelves in the Great Room and in our computer room --which contain books and other things. There's not much organization to it all, but so far, we can find what we are looking for!!!! ha
About your question on my post today: I've never said soda or pop.... Since we only drink Diet Mtn. Dew---I call it a 'dew.' ha.... Guess if I referred to all of the soft drinks, I'd still use the word, coke (even though I don't drink coke)... ha ha
Hugs,
Betsy
I'm impressed - you are very organized. Can you send a little organization fairy dust my way. :)
Sally,
I gleaned a lot of interesting ideas for organizing books from your answer and the comments. I can see that you have to be organized since your work revolves around books, so I am impressed but not surprised!
Space is at a premium in my little old house so we do not have bookcases. We do have shelves in every room. In the bedroom my husband has all of his books. He enjoys everything historical, from early American civilization to the history of various religions. He loves to learn from his reading. Most of my books are in the den; I have all my non-fiction on shelves grouped by category and size and then all my fiction grouped by author. I buy a lot of softcover but not paperbacks, so I mix these in as well. I also mix in a few little treasures such as pictures, trinkets etc., to keep it welcoming (and beckoning, I love to re-read books!) The girls have their shelves in their rooms, they are big readers and then in the family room we have quite a mix. I keep all of the coffee table books in there as well as sports-type of books that the husband & boys have accumulated and all reference books. We also keep reference books and manuals in the office for schoolwork and the like.
I think we have a grip on it. I keep the books I am reading or have just purchased on my nightstand and in baskets in my bedroom. And of course my journals!! These books in my bedroom are just for me and I feel so fulfilled just having them in my own special place! I hope everyone feels that way. They truly are treasures.
xoxo
Jane
I have books all over. Gardening books are in the basement. Music books as well, but soon to be moved into the house. We have about 7 bookshelves in the den/office in the basement. They are stuffed full of sewing books, Bible research books, Tom Saywer adventure collection, DH's collections, photography books, history books, fiction, non fiction. My Precept materials (from studies I have taken over the years) are on shelves as well. The guest room has a book shelf that is pretty crowded, DD's room has a bookshelf thhat is crowded as well. My night stand is packed.
My paperback fictions usually get donated as soon as I get them read. Most of the time, I buy them 2nd hand or at thrift stores.
I like the way you organize your books.
Wow! You are organized! I'd love to hear about what versions of the Bible you have, I have amassed quite a varied collection myself!
Hi Sally, yes things are back to normal sort of. I am way behind in my visits but what else is new. You would hate the way I arrange my books. For me being a neat freak, you could not say that about our books. I want them arranged by size, color etc. They have to look pleasing to my eye. I hate to admit that but it's true. I do have a special place for my currently reading or planning to read books. That would be in my closet. We still have boxes of books that are still packed. LOL.
One day it will all get done.
Hugs...Jeanne
Hi Sally
Your books are so organized you must have the library beat!
Books really need that kind of care. I don't have that many but those I have are needing more space..hmmmm...how inspiring.
have a great evening
Judi
Wow. Great system. I am kind of all over the place with my books though I do keep most of my TBR and review books on the bookcase in my bedroom.
I, too, love organization; so was fascinated by your methods. I'm not as into books as you are, though; so they aren't as organized. They are just separated into categories, so I can easily find them. Sally
Poor Baba... I have no book shelves in my house!!!I gave many books to the public library when I moved into my house 17 years ago..I keep a few books that I read and give away afterward s.. I love your collection and organization..hugs, Baba
Oh my! You must have alot of books!! Mine goes in the books shelves by size... and looks! :-)
My pride is the encyclopedia!! :-)
(did I spell that right?)
Monica
Mine start out organized by title and end up disorganized by ME!
Goodness, Sally, sounds like you need a library! I don't have that many books, mostly Christian books and then hymnals and music books.
Wow,I agree with April, you have quite system of organizing your books. Mine are usually grouped by author and by size, nothing elaborate.
I think I am going to hire you to organize my kids books! Hey.. we live in the same state! :)
My books are not organized at all...I just have to hunt for the one I want. Guess that is a project that needs to be done.
I have two big book shelves and I am working on a third one.That is if I can get the get and go to work on it. LOL .
How did I miss the fact that you have an ebay acount. My Pay Pay would be smoke'n by now.
I kind of use an esthetic eye, when putting books on the shelves. One day I'll have to post pictures of some of them.
I have three tall bookcases in my study, plus a smaller 3-shelf unit for books I have listed on Amazon Marketplace and Paperback Swap. There is also an etagere where I store large interior design books.
Large art and gardening books are near the living room fireplace. On a dining room corner table are books on entertaining. The kitchen has books on tea. In the hall are cookbooks and more gardening.
I just know that no matter how many bookshelves I buy, they only hold me for a while! ahhhh...it is the curse of the bookie :) I need to re-sell some.
It was interesting to read about your system. I can understand why you would need to be on top of things with all the books you have.
I too wonder how you have time to blog and comment so consistantly. Maybe because you don't cook anymore?
Amazed, Kathy b
I am in the process of trying to downsize our books so I can get rid of at least one of our four big bookcases. The in the bedroom holds mainly hubby's books. Right now books are in a mish mash. But craft related books are near my sewing area. And others in the family room. The fourth bookcase doesn't really have any books in it. Has photo and scrapbooking stuff in it at the moment. We are slowing adding Elfa shelving to our sewing/office room. As a matter of fact my order of two more shelves came today. They go in the computer corner. Guess I should post pictures about it. We get rid of books by donating to the library. Unless they are falling apart so bad then we toss into recylcing bin. I still have boxes of books to go through. I will never run out of anything to read at this point. But if I want something different, then I will go to the library. I am noticing so many interesting authors that I will need to use the library to get acquainted with them.
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