We all have them, some more than others…Books!  Books are an integral part of our culture: we studied them as we were educated, we use them as leisure activities, they serve as family heirlooms, and even sterile hotel rooms have at least one.  Whether we reread them or simply keep them for informational or reference purposes, what in the world should we do with all of these precious books?

How your books are organized should be in line with your personal thinking style.  Mind you, if more than one person reads the books, use the thinking style of the person primarily in charge of them.  You can sort by genre, alphabetically, color, or chronologically.  Utilize bookcases whenever possible. 

If you have more books than storage space there are a few options.  You can convert some to an eReader like Kindle, Nook or iBooks.  Select one category to read exclusively on the eReader, I read fiction exclusively on my Kindle.  I do this because I seldom re-read fiction.  Another example would be to convert all business reference books to iBooks so they can easily be accessed on your iPhone or iPad.

Another option would be to move precious, yet seldom used books to long-term storage.  Treasured children’s books, textbooks, or family heirlooms can be stored in sealed plastic containers in a storage area.  Some beautiful books can be used in decorating or even used as wall ledges.  You can find some amazing inspiration for decorating with books at Pinterest.com. 

A special note on decorating with books: if you remove the jackets to give a more elegant look to your bookcases, be sure to place all of the jackets in a large plastic storage bag then store the bag near the books.  I personally keep mine behind the books on the shelf but have seen them stored in a lower cabinet or drawer in a nearby bureau.

After moving out the books that are seldom accessed, place an index card inside the jacket of those kept to remind yourself why it is still in your immediate space.  Make a note on your calendar to revisit the “Keep” books and check the cards at that time.  If the reason for keeping the book is no longer relevant then move it to its new appropriate home. 

Remember that there are millions of people and thousands of charities in need of a variety of books.  Conscious sharing (read: donating) makes you feel good and significantly contributes to the quality of life of someone less fortunate. 

Happy reading and have a Neat day! 

Jennifer Snyder
Neat as a Pin Organizing Experts
www.neatasapin.net