BOOKS, BOOKS, AND MORE BOOKS!
Do you have a stack of books sitting in your room waiting to be read?
Has this stack gathered dust and cobwebs?
Have you purchased a book only to realize you've already read it?
You are not alone! Keeping too many books is one of the most common sources of cutter I see in homes and businesses. Here are some tips to control (or at least tame) this space eating monster.
Gather - Gather up all the books you have around your living space (or office) into one area. Allow yourself a half day to do this.
Sort - Sort through the books and separate them into categories that you define. You can use genre, author, pleasure reading, reference, travel, or whatever categories you want. It helps to think about your categories before you start the sort, but is not absolutely essential. Use sticky notes to identify your piles into categories.
Decide - Ask yourself these questions:
Do I really have the time to read this book? - Decide when you will be able to read the book, make note of it on the cover. Store your books so the ones you plan on reading first are within easy reach. Check the "read" dates periodically. If you don't read it by a certain time, donate the book and move on.
How many books can I realistically read? - Set a realistic goal (one book a week/month/year). Review your bookshelves once a month to keep the number of books to a reasonable quantity.
Can I get the information from this book on the Internet? - Sometimes we hold on to reference books "just in case". This is particularly true in offices. Save only those books that provide you with one-of-a-kind information not available from any other source. Let the Internet (or another colleague) be your reference library.
Contain - Store the books you've decided to keep in a way that keeps similar books together. Keep cooking books near the kitchen, reference books near your desk, pleasure reading in a basket by your bed or chair.
Inventory - Once you've sorted and contained your books you don't have to keep a complex listing of all your collections, but do keep track of any books you lend out, want to read, or need to return. By using simple 3x5 cards in a basket on your shelf, you can easily make note of any book collections or actions. If you want a more detailed listing, you could do this on the computer by creating a BOOK folder that contains separate documents for each of your CATEGORIES. The DOCUMENT is where you can keep track of your collection or special references for that particular category.
Label - If you store different genres of books in one bookcase, separate and define your categories using an identifier such as a world globe for travel books, an old trophy for fitness or health books, red spine dots for mysteries...be creative.
Share - Finally, after you've read a book, ask yourself, "Is there someone else who might enjoy this book?" Pass on books that you will read only once, put them in a bag in your car so you can drop them off at donation or sale sites. Leave your book at the airport, common waiting rooms, coffee shops, or in hotel rooms. See how you can track your book's journey through
Book Crossing - see information below.
Keep - We all have books we will hang on to. Be sure you are keeping only those books you will re-read, or have special meaning to you. Confine your "keepers" to one shelf. When the shelf gets full, say good-bye to past loves when a new one enters your life.
