Organizing the Home Library
Brought to you by Joan Kosmachuk, Professional Organizer
and Personal Life Coach

“Books to the ceiling, Books to the sky, My pile of books are a mile high. How I love them! How I need them! I'll have a long beard by the time I read them." —Arnold Lobel

It is estimated that the average American buys 668 books and 9,000 magazines annually. That is equivalent to a small town library in the U.S. (without the staff to organize and maintain them). As a writer and booklover I have certainly purchased my share of books over the years. However, I’ve noticed that there seems to be an “unspoken” rule that once a book enters our home; it must stay there for life. What should be a beloved hobby can quickly add to household disorganization. The more books you have, the more space and furniture you need to store them and the more housework to maintain them. So, this month let’s take the time to revisit your personal library and get it organized.

1. Gather all your books into one room: The benefit of this step is that it allows you to take stock of just how many books you have. When books are scattered throughout the house it is easy to lose track of how your collection has grown. In addition to removing books from their bookshelves, don’t forget the books in the bathroom, kitchen cupboards, those stored in boxes in the basement or attic or those strewn under the bed or sofa.
   
   
2. Divide your books into categories: An easy division is fiction and non-fiction. However, for larger collections you can break each of these main categories into smaller categories. For fiction you can group books into pulp fiction and literature or by genre (mystery, romance, sci-fi) or by soft/hard cover or by author. For non-fiction you can group books by subject matter such as self-help, cooking, crafts, biography, history, poetry etc.
   
   
3. Choose the books worth keeping:

   - First, select those books you NEED and refer to on a regular basis. This may be a favorite cookbook, a dictionary, a computer manual, a daily devotional or gardening guide. Be sure that these are books you refer to on a routine basis and that if you have several reference books with the same material that you choose the very best one(s) for the keep pile.
   
   - Second, select those books you LOVE and enjoy reading again and again. These may be volumes of poetry, favorite novels, and treasures from your childhood or books that inspire you.
   
   - Third, select those books you highly recommend and LEND. These may not be books you re-read often, but they are ones you like to share with others on a regular basis. Novels, reference, inspiration or self-help books may be some of the books that fall into this category.
   
   - Fourth, select any COLLECTIBLES. These are books of true monetary value. Rare books, first editions, or autographed copies. If you are unsure of a book’s value, have it appraised by a reputable bookseller.
   
   - Fifth, select any books you haven’t read, but still WANT TO READ. Set these aside to put on a “books to read” shelf so they won’t get lost among books already read.
   
   - Sixth, separate out any books that have been BORROWED from others and put them in a “return” pile – make sure you return to the owner.

   “Bookshelves need as much weeding as a garden but the weeds are not so apparent.” Andy Rooney.
   

4. Re-organize your collection: Now that you have the absolute must-keeps, decide how you want to lay out your personal library. Will you create a specific room in your home where all the books will be stored or will you have books in every room of the house? If you aren’t assigning one room as the household library, it is generally helpful if reference books are kept near to the point of use (computer manuals next to the computer, cookbooks in the kitchen, etc.) A guest room can be a great location for books you enjoy sharing with others and a family room can be a great spot for books that you enjoy rereading again and again. Take this opportunity to dust your books and the shelves where you are re-placing them.

   Within a category books can be arranged alphabetically by author or title or if space is limited you may choose to organize them by size. Any rare or collectible books should ideally be stored on a bookshelf away from direct sunlight and with glass doors to keep them dust free.
   

5. Be creative with displaying your books: You may not have space in your home to store all your books on traditional bookshelves. Look for shelving units that work in small or oddly shaped spaces such as The Revolving Book Carrousel from www.levenger.com or the Cadman spine bookcase from www.westelm.com.
   
   Look for book storage that can serve a dual function such as a headboard with built-in bookcase or a coffee table with space for storing oversized books. With the use of bookends, books can also be stored on top of kitchen cupboards or an armoire.
   
   
6. Dealing with the Leftovers: Once you’ve put all your must haves away it’s time to box up the books that didn’t get chosen. These are books that you read once but don’t plan to reread or recommend. They may be reference books for a topic that no longer interests you or for which you now have found better sources. They could be duplicates you discovered or gift books that you would not have chosen yourself. They will likely all be GREAT books, but that does not mean you need to keep them. You’ll appreciate your collection more if it is just the best of the best.
   

   The options for re-distributing leftover books are endless. You can turn current books into cash at your local used bookstore or use one of the on-line book trading services such as www.bookmooch.com or www.paperbackswap.com. Or you can donate your books to any number of worthy recipients. The prison book program donates books to prisoners and books for soldiers sends books overseas to the troops. Reader to Reader provides books to the nation’s poorest communities including inner-city schools, Native American reservations, and poor rural towns. They supply books for all reading levels from elementary to college and universities. And don’t forget about your local library, hospital or senior’s center.
   

7. Relax and Read: Now that your books are organized, make sure you take the time to relax and enjoy them. Turn off the television, go to bed with a book, pack a book for your daily commute or plan to read on your lunch hour. And remember, reading doesn’t have to be a solo activity. Read to your kids or read poetry to your spouse or read out loud to the cat (reading out loud for just 30 min. a day is good for your brain). But make sure you schedule time for reading – otherwise, what are you keeping those books for?
   
   
8. Going Forward: To keep your book collection under control, weed through your books once or twice a year and give some away. Use the library for quick reads and/or treat mass paperbacks like magazines and pass them on to others when you are done. When you do acquire new titles you plan to keep for a long time to come, make sure that you acquire any additional shelving to store them.

And one final tip:

Dealing with musty books: Writer and editor, Esther Lombardi gives these tips for removing musty smells from your books. You will need two plastic containers--one that will fit inside the other one. Pour some kitty litter in the bottom of the larger container. Place your book into the smaller container (without the lid), then put the small plastic container into the larger container. Place the lid on the larger plastic container. You can leave the book in this book de-stinkifier for a month--to remove the odor (and any moisture) from the book. You can also use baking soda or charcoal in place of the kitty litter. And avoid storing your books in damp or musty areas of your home.

If you need help organizing your books, consider getting professional input by hiring a professional organizer. To hire the services of Joan Kosmachuk, please email your request to info@simpleeffects.com or call 617-784-0707.

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