Buried in Books?

Homeschoolers don’t like books, homeschoolers love books! Our book collection grows every year and nearly every room in our house has a pile of books. Organization may seem like a daunting task, but being able to find the precise book you are looking for is a time-saver. With that in mind, here are some tips to  help you organize your personal library.

1. Assess Your Book Collection.

Whether you’ve been collecting books your entire life or are just now building your home library, do an inventory of what’s currently in your book collection. Pile up all of your books and decide which ones you want to keep, and which ones you want to donate. Damaged books should obviously be tossed, while duplicate copies can be given away.

2. Put Books Where You Need Them Most.

I personally suggest keeping books where they are most useful. This means, cookbooks go in the kitchen or pantry, books for bedtime reading go in the bedroom, craft books go in the craft room, school books in the school room, and so on.

3. Categorize Your Book Collection.

When organizing a book collection, it helps to categorize your books. Begin with general categories such as fiction and nonfiction. Fiction can be subdivided according to genre – romance, mystery, literary, and so on – and then alphabetized by author. Nonfiction can be broken down into categories such as history, travel, biographies, art, and more.

4. Try A Cataloging App.

As you begin sorting and categorizing your books, take the time to create a database of your book collection. Library Thing is a free site where you can catalog your personal library online to help you maintain your home library. You’ll find forgotten treasures and also identity gaps in your collection.

Organizing your personal library may take some time, but it is extremely rewarding. After all, you need to be able to find your books easily and, if your collections are anything like ours, this is extremely difficult unless you have organized your home library so you know exactly where to look for them.

Happy Homeschooling!