How to: Organize Your Bookcases
How to: Organize a Bookcase—by Jan Hayner
Most of us think that if we just straighten everything up on the bookcase and maybe arrange the books according to size that this is organizing. Well, in some instances it is, however what happens if your bookcase is full of books of various sizes and shapes, authors and titles, or if the books are of various subjects? Wouldn't you rather have all of your books categorized so that you can find them easier and so can other people? Sure you would and this will tell you how to go about achieving that goal.
Step 1
Go through your books and de-clutter, by this I mean, get rid of all of those books that are no longer of interest to you or that aren't used. Donate these to someone that can use them, a nursing home, doctor's office or a charitable organization. Anything that is tattered or torn, should be discarded, preferably in the garbage. Then get rid of them immediately either by taking them to a donating place or the garbage.
Step 2
Decide if you would like to categorize them according to size, author or subject. If you can, think about how a library is designed, it will give you an idea of how your bookcase can look.
Step 3
Arrange these books in the proper sequence.
If you have them by author- arrange them alphabetically according to the authors last name.
If they will be by Subject-arrange them according to 'subject,' first and then arrange each subject alphabetically. When you put these on the shelf, you will see the subject that starts with the letter 'A' and all of the rest of the books under that subject, listed alphabetically.
If they are categorized by author- go through your books and separate your books into piles, starting with the letter 'A' and then add all books that follow suit according to the alphabet.
Step 4
If the bookcase is in your home or in your office, you may want to add small knic-knacs to your bookcase in various places. This is totally up to you, just keep in mind that although they look nice, they are also dust collectors.
Step 5
If you should have oversized books, that don't work in the 'stand up' position, you may want to lay these down 'flat' on a shelf. In that case, I would put the largest of these books on the bottom and stack books on top from the largest to the smallest one. By trying to stack them alphabetically or by subject, it may cause the books to look uneven, unkempt and disorganized.
Jan Hayner is a professional organizer that helps you to get your life in order, the easy way. She offers tips and hints to help you and has written various guides for you to follow. Go to Organizing Your Life THE EASY WAY for more help.