Last Updated on May 1, 2023 by Ellen Christian
In my perfect home, I would have a huge library with floor to ceiling bookcases that covered every wall. Sadly, I don’t live in my ideal home. I live in a small 1865 farmhouse that doesn’t have a lot of room. Since I love books, you’ll find them scattered throughout the house. That would be enough of a problem if I were the only one in the house that loved books. However, my husband and both kids love to read, so there are books everywhere. It was time for me to starting thinking about how to organize books.
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How to Organize Books
The first step in learning how to organize books is to take a realistic look at whether or not you NEED to keep the book. Will you ever read it again? Just because the series has 37 books doesn’t mean you need to keep them all if you’ll never read them again. Do you have 19 gardening books and do most of them have the same information in them? I know I am guilty of this one. Maybe you only need to keep eight of them?
- Take all of the books in your home and remove them from the bookshelves, coffee table, bedside table, under the bed or anywhere else you have them stashed. Bring all the books to one central location.
- Hold each book and ask yourself whether or not it brings joy to your life. Not whether you liked the story. Not whether you may read it again. Not how much it cost. Does the book make you happy? Box up the books that do not bring joy to your life.
- Now get rid of them. Drop them at the thrift store, donate them to your library, sell them or give them to a friend. Remove them from the house.
- Separate the remaining books into types. Place the books in a central location per person. Cookbooks go in the kitchen. Your child’s books go in their room or bookcase. Your books go in your room, etc. It’s easy to lose track of how much you have when it’s scattered all over the house.
- Next you can get creative stacking the books. If you stand your average fiction book up on its’ end, chances are it will take up more room than if you lay it flat and make a stack. Move things around so that you can use the space you have in the most efficient way. Break things up by placing a small vase of flowers or figurine near a stack of books.
- Make sure that when you get a new book, you get rid of one that you currently have so everything can stay in one place. Ask yourself if the book is one you need to own. If not, consider the local library or download it as an ebook.
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Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
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