{"id":15491,"date":"2023-01-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/?p=15491"},"modified":"2023-09-15T10:40:51","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T14:40:51","slug":"organize-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/organize-books\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Ways to Organize Your Books"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"15<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Do you want to organize books at work, home, and beyond? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you want some thoughtful tips on how to go about doing so? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From favorite genres, authors, characters, and more, everyone has favorites when it comes to reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s not uncommon for people to feel a bit of overwhelm when they decide to organize a book collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn’t matter if you own a handful of books or an entire room filled with bookcases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what\u2019s the best way to organize your books?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, that\u2019s up to you to decide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, I offer a collection of fifteen different ways to organize books on your shelves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind, there\u2019s no \u201cright\u201d or \u201cwrong\u201d way to organize a book collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s all up to your personal preferences and tastes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, what\u2019s the use of a personal library if you cannot reference, use, and enjoy the titles you\u2019ve so carefully collected?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feel free to use any of the organization methods<\/a> listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also mix and match any combination of methods to create your own unique system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize Books on Shelf: 15 Ways to Organize Your Library at Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A common organization method is to organize books by author last name. We all know we can locate books organized by author in some capacity in public libraries, private libraries, and bookstores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This organization method can be quite useful if you have several books by the same author or a collection of favorite authors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What could be simpler to organize your books in alphabetic order by author\u2019s last name? Simply start with the letter A and end with the letter Z!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by author last name on each shelf.<\/strong> Designate a shelf for author last names starting with the letter A, a shelf for authors last names starting with the letter B, and so on. Keep in mind, this method will be directly influenced by the size of your home, office, bookcases, and book collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by range of author last name.<\/strong> You could organize by author last name, such as A-G, H-L, M-Q, and so on. What\u2019s more, you can create whatever range of author last name you\u2019d like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by author last name starting with the letter Z and ending with the letter A.<\/strong> Sometimes it can help to view a collection through a different organizational style.<\/a> Try rearranging your books by author last name starting with the letter Z and going backwards through the alphabet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by author first name<\/strong>. Do you recall book titles better by author first name? If so, consider this technique a try. Be warned, you must focus on author first name, and not last name (old habits die hard!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book Length<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another book organization method is to organize books by length. This is a hands-on, tactile-based way to track your collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This method is good for two reasons. One, it makes it easy for you to physically hold and store books in a pinch. Second, it makes it easy for you to scan a collection of books and quickly locate titles that are super-skinny or super-chunky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll know exactly where to look for a tome of classic works or for a pocket-sized compact novella.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The premise here is simple: store books with fewer pages with one another and store books with more pages with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize books on different shelves.<\/strong> Try placing thinner books towards the top of a bookcase, and heavier books on the bottom on a bookcase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize books on the same shelf.<\/strong> Balance out a shelf with thicker books interspersed between collections of thinner books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book Measurement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can organize a book collection by book measurement. This method is a useful way to track the physical size of  books. Not only can this method be aesthetically pleasing, but it can be extremely practical, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re visually inclined or enjoy the more tactile approach of handling books, this may be suitable organization method for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by book height.<\/strong> It’s time to line \u2018em up! Gather and organize books of similar height with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by overall book dimensions.<\/strong> This method is oh-so clean and tidy. What do you need to do? It’s as easy as pie! Organize books with similar dimensions to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Color<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do you want a colorful way to display your book collection in your home or office? You may want to organize your books by color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This unique organization approach<\/a> can add instant style and decor to any interior. Similar colors make for a very pretty palette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gather books with similar cover colors and organize the books on a shelf or table. For example, you could organize yellow books with yellow books, purple books with purple books, orange books with orange books, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by the color wheel.<\/strong> Organize books using the ROYGBIV method. This is short-hand for the colors, red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, and violet. You can include books with black and white covers anywhere you see fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by color and black\/white.<\/strong> Do a general sort of your books (see above). Once you’re finished with that, you can organize book covers by color on one side, book covers by black and white on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dewey Decimal System<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Are you a fan of the book classification system used in libraries? If so, you may want to organize books according to the Dewey Decimal System.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a nutshell, this system organizes books by subject, followed by author last name. The general classes of the Dewey Decimal System are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

000 \u2013 Computer science, information & general works<\/p>\n\n\n\n

100 \u2013 Philosophy and Psychology<\/p>\n\n\n\n

200 \u2013 Religion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

300 \u2013 Social Sciences<\/p>\n\n\n\n

400 \u2013 Language<\/p>\n\n\n\n

500 \u2013 Natural Sciences<\/p>\n\n\n\n

600 \u2013 Applied Sciences and Technology<\/p>\n\n\n\n

700 \u2013 Arts and Recreation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

800 \u2013 Literature<\/p>\n\n\n\n

900 \u2013 History, Geography, and Biography<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the Dewey Decimal System takes a lot more time and effort to catalogue, label, and shelve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, if you\u2019ve got a lot of time on your hands and\/or don\u2019t mind the work, this could be the right system for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Functionality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How do you use your books? That is, how do you interact with your books on a regular basis?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you read intriguing historical fiction, whip up delicious meals with the help of a cookbook, or practice problem sets in a mathematics workbook?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you use certain books or collections of books in specific ways, then you may want to organize books by their functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize books by reading only and interaction level.<\/strong> Not all books are read or referenced equally. You can use this method to clearly distinguish books you use and read on a regular basis. Think of all the ways you build, construct, learn, or refer to books on a regular basis.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by book interaction.<\/strong> Want to take things one step further? You can organize your books by the type of interactions you have with them. Some ideas include: workbooks, reflection books, coloring books, puzzle books, cookbooks, reference, diaries, and notebooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genre<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A great way to keep similar titles among one another is to organize books by genre. Bookstores use this method to conveniently shelve and store books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s drama, fantasy, tall tales, biographies, or nonfiction, you can organize your books by standard genre categories and subcategories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize alphabetically by genre.<\/strong> Make a list of genres in your book collection. Then, place the genre in alphabetical order. This makes it easy to local specific genres in a pinch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by genre preference.<\/strong> Do you prefer certain book genres over others? You can organize genres by order of personal preference. Organize genres from your most to least favorite, least to most favorite, or any combination in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Language<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do you understand, speak, and read more than one language? Lucky you! You’ve got access to an entire world of books to read and enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you own a varied book collection, you may want to organize books by language. This technique makes it easy to locate your favorite Romanian romance or Nepalese non-fiction in a pinch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by language proficiency.<\/strong> Are you more fluent in Mandarin than French? You can organize books by proficiency level in different languages. You can use the Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced designations as a starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by country of origin.<\/strong> Not only can you organize books by language, but you can organize books by country of origin. Remember, many countries recognize more than one official language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by continent.<\/strong> Group your books by continent of origin. This approach makes it easy to locate your favorites from a certain geographic region or area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Are you working on a project<\/a> or a series of projects or assignments for work, home, or school?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you\u2019re working on a marketing project for work, a personal health project at home, and a biology project for school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If so, then you can organize books for a specific project with one another. This makes it easy to find what you need whenever you work on your project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize books by project deadline.<\/strong> At work on a deadline for a particular project? Make sure your books are poised front and center for quick and easy access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize books by project length.<\/strong> Keep books used for smaller projects with one another. Why? Books will be easier to locate when you need them. Store books related to larger projects on a separate bookcase, shelf, or in a different area of your office or home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publication Date<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Books are wonderful barometers of historical, social, political, economic…and even personal change!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, tracking the progress of knowledge<\/a> and learning can be quite an interesting adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re into historical or chronological reference, you may want to organize your books by publication date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by year.<\/strong> Looking for a quick look at your reading habits over the past few years? Organize your books chronologically by publication year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by decade.<\/strong> What happened every ten years? You can get a great historical snapshot when you organize books by decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by century.<\/strong> Have a collection of books that span the centuries? Organize your collection chronologically by century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher or Publishing House<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Are you a diehard fan of specific book publishers or publishing houses? Do you have a favorite graphic design publishing house or a preferred health-based publisher?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If so, you can keep your collection in ship-shape order by organizing your books according to their publisher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize publishers alphabetically. <\/strong>Locate publishers with ease and organize your books in alphabetic order by publishing house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by most-to-least favorite publisher.<\/strong> Keep your favorites books front and center and organize books from your most to least favorite publishing house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purchase Date<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Want an easy way to track recent book purchases? Do you want to read books in a timely manner? It\u2019s as simple as organizing books according to their purchase or acquisition date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to get super-technical or detailed here: organize recently-purchased books with one another. Should you desire, feel free to refine your organization method in future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize books by month.<\/strong> Keep up to date with the latest publications and organize your books by month. This is a smart way to keep your holiday purchases separate from your summertime reading stacks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize books by year.<\/strong> Find yourself eye-to-eye with a massive collection of books from the past several years? Organize by year to get a bird\u2019s eye view of where you stand in your reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Title<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Quick question for you: what\u2019s in a name\u2026or a book title? Plenty!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This organization method works well if you relate well and easily recall books by their titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The method of title organization is completely up to you. Organize alphabetically from A to Z or in any combination in-between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by first letter in title.<\/strong> This setup makes locating titles easy-peasy. If a title starts with the word \u201cA,\u201d organize it underneath the letter \u201cA.\u201d Similarly, if a title starts with \u201cThe,\u201d organize it underneath the letter \u201cT.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by the first noun, verb, adjective, or adverb in title.<\/strong> Skip definite and indefinite articles entirely. This method requires organizing by the first noun, verb, adjective, or adverb in the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Type<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A quick and handy way to organize books is to go by that old industry favorite: paperback and hardcover books. Chances are you\u2019ve got books of each type sitting in your library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why not streamline your collection by organizing items according to their type?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, once you\u2019ve organized books using this method, you can apply any of the organization methods<\/a> described throughout this post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How often do you use that traditional casserole cookbook to plan weekly meals<\/a>? How about that collection of short stories? What about that best-selling self-help book?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you read and interact with books by varying degrees over the course of a day, week, month, or year, you may want to try organizing your books by usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All you have to do is consider how frequently you use a book, or a set of books, and shelve them accordingly for your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some book organization variations to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by frequency of use.<\/strong> You can organize books your interaction with a particular title. This may be daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, biannually, or some other distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by calendar usage.<\/strong> Do you use specific books during different times of the year, say holiday recipe books in the winter or poems in the summer? You may want to organize your collection by calendar usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organize by location.<\/strong> Do you use certain books for work and certain books for bedtime reading? If so, you may want to organize your books by location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How about you? How do you like to organize your books? Which of the above method or methods are you going to introduce to your collection? Are you going to test-drive any of the methods above? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Are you a self-proclaimed bibliophile, or person who loves to collect and read books? Do you want some thoughtful tips on how to organize all those books in your collection?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[190,142,16,1166,45,18,19,130],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15491"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15491"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25788,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15491\/revisions\/25788"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theorderexpert.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}