Book arranging ideas
12 Clever Ways to Organize Your Book Collection
If you’ve been in the habit of carelessly cramming your books wherever there’s an extra inch of shelf space, it’s time to step up your organization game.
A solid book organization system doesn’t just make it easier to find what you’re looking for — it also makes you more likely to actually pick up a book and read.
Organizing your favorite reads doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming, either. We’ve rounded up a list of 12 easy, smart ways to organize your books — no professional librarian experience is necessary.
Pro Tip: Before you organize your books, you may want to declutter. Here’s how to decide which books to keep or get rid of.
1. Separate your hardcovers and paperbacks
Flickr/Colby Gutierrez-KraybillDivide your hardbacks and paperbacks for a cleaner, more streamlined look on your bookshelves. It’s also a great way to organize if you’re a visual person.
2. Arrange your books by color
Honey We’re HomeThis organization strategy is ideal if you’re the type of reader who tends to associate certain stories with their covers, or if you’re just really into the idea of statement bookshelves.
The best part about this method is that you can get super creative — stack your colors, try an ombré pattern, or opt for a rainbow look.
Pro Tip: If you like color-coordinating your books, try doing it to your wardrobe, too.
3. Don’t be afraid to stack books
Flickr/EvelynGigglesKeeping all your books in neat rows is a thing of the past. If you want a handful of select books to stand out, stack ‘em. You can stack by theme, cover, or size, and keep stacks on their own or use them to break up a row. There’s no wrong way to do it.
4. Organize books by genre or subject
Flickr/Alan LevineGroup your mysteries together, your travel memoirs, your 18-century English literature novels, your cookbooks, and so on.
Organizing by genre and subject makes it a cinch to find the right book for your current mood and interests, so you’ll know exactly where to look when you need to satisfy your World War II curiosity or want a little romance story to spice up your Saturday night.
5. Display your favorite books front and center
Flickr/Dan Taylor-WattInstead of lumping your favorite books in with all their mediocre peers (then frantically scanning the shelves every time you want to reread them), display them front and center where they can shine.
Free Bonus: Having trouble fitting your books on your shelves? Check out these 9 creative book storage hacks for small apartments
6. Organize your books alphabetically
Flickr/Sarah J.Alphabetical organization works best if you remember book titles and author names more than genres and plot points. It’s also ideal if your collection of books is so massive it’s basically a mini library.
Even better than the sense of accomplishment you’ll get from organizing your books alphabetically?
The satisfaction you’ll feel when your friends stop by to borrow a book and know exactly where to find it.
7. Organize your books according to how they made you feel
Maybe some books made you weep with sadness, while others had you laughing aloud to yourself at two in the morning.
Maybe you read books so gripping you didn’t leave your couch for hours at a time. Maybe some books inspired you to pursue your passions, while others shattered your innocence. Maybe you read books that changed your life, and others that made no impression at all.
If you tend to have strong emotional responses to books, this organization method is an awesome way to categorize and distinguish what you’ve read.
8. Group together the books you haven’t read yet
Flickr/Brittany StevensGather all the books you haven’t read yet and place them in their own special TBR (To Be Read) section so they don’t get lost among the other titles.
The best part?
You always have a book or two (or maybe five) to reach for when you need a fresh new read.
9. Arrange your books by height and size
Keep books of similar size and height together to give your collection a clean, uncluttered feel. The goal here is to create straight, even lines with the tops of your books — no staggered mountaintop rows allowed.
10. Separate your books by author: contemporary or classic
Ciao DomenicaThis method works best if you have a diverse collection of old and new books. We’re talking Stephen King and Toni Morrison types, plus your Fitzgeralds, Austens, and Hemingways.
You can define contemporary and classic however it suits you: living and deceased authors, books written before and after a certain date, or books published in specific time periods.
11. Organize books by the condition of their covers
Flickr/Alan LevineThis is another way to limit visual clutter on your bookshelves. Keep your torn, tattered, and weather-faded books all in one place, and your books with beautiful, well-kept covers in another.
12. Separate fiction and nonfiction
Flickr/George RedgraveEvery bookstore around the world employs this method because it’s simple and classic. Just group fiction books together and store everything else in another spot. Easy.
For all the books you can’t fit on your shelves but don’t want to say goodbye to, use Clutter.
Simply schedule a pickup and pack your stuff. We’ll grab everything from your home and transport it to our secure, temperature-controlled storage facility.
And when you need that box of 1980’s crime novels back, just browse the convenient online photo catalog of your stuff, click the item’s photo, and we’ll deliver it straight to you.
How to Organize Books (Functionally & Aesthetically)
By
Ashley Knierim
Ashley Knierim
Ashley Knierim is a home decor expert and product reviewer of home products for The Spruce. Her design education began at a young age. She has over 10 years of writing and editing experience, formerly holding editorial positions at Time and AOL.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 01/24/23
Reviewed by
Katherine Picott
Reviewed by Katherine Picott
Katherine is a professional home organizer, certified KonMari consultant, and member of The Spruce's Cleaning and Organizing Review Board.
She launched her own professional organizing business, Tidy Milso, in the summer of 2020, to help reorient those feeling overwhelmed with both clutter and disorganization in their homes.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto
This article is part of our series, The 7-Day Spruce Up: Your Ultimate Guide to Home Organizing. The 7-Day Spruce Up is your destination for whole home happiness, curating our very best tips and product recommendations to help you create your tidiest, coziest, most beautiful home yet.
Every bibliophile knows the importance of a well-organized book collection. Not only does a system make it easier for you to find your next read, but it is also much more visually appealing. A well-organized bookshelf can become the centerpiece of any living space, and the good news is there are so many different ways you can organize your books (both aesthetically and for function).
Whether you have a massive library or just a few classics you want to show off, we've found some of the best ways to organize any book collection.
Click through for our favorite ideas.
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01 of 10
Organize by Color
1001kirjaa
One of the most popular ways to organize a bookshelf in your living room is to start by grouping your books together by color. This beautiful glass-fronted library from 1001kirjaa proves that organizing your books by color can be incredibly pleasing to the eye. Some hardcore book lovers may scoff at a bookshelf organized by color, but if you're a reader who tends to memorize covers, this is a great idea.
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02 of 10
Pick Modern Shelves
theliteraturearchive
If you want to display a few of your favorite books but don't have the floor space for a full bookcase, consider installing floating shelves.
These streamlined shelves from theliteraturearchive appear to almost disappear into the wall, but are incredibly useful for organizing a handful of books. This is a great idea for a small living room, in a bedroom, or above a desk. -
03 of 10
Stack Them
hotcocoareads
Don't be afraid of the stack. In a corner or next to a bed, a great book stack can not only add an eclectic, rustic vibe to your space, but it can also allow you to rank books to read next in order. This book stack from hotcocoareads is perfect for lining up your next big reads.
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04 of 10
Fill a Basket
organizing_home
In a similar vein, using baskets to organize books is a great idea. Here, organizing_home displays a few favorite kids books on a shelf. This is a great way to set aside your child's current favorites so it's easy to find them. Once they've been read, put them back on the shelf and refill.
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05 of 10
Play With Horizontal Stacking
jennareadsbooks
Not all books need to be stacked vertically.
We love this corner shelf from jennareadsbooks that features an extensive collection of books, some sitting vertically and others horizontally. This is a great way to create a parquet-like effect to the shelf and break up the rows of books. Add trinkets to the top of the stacks for even more texture. -
06 of 10
Mix Them In
nordde_
You don't have to dedicate an entire shelf to books. A more minimalist approach like this one from nordde_ allows you to mix in a few of your favorite books without creating a full-fledged library. Whether you're a Kindle reader or you just don't have space to store hundreds of books, picking a few and displaying them elegantly is a great idea.
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07 of 10
Try Alphabetical
a1000xbetter
Now, if you have an extensive collection like this from pictured by a1000xbetter, a real organizational system is a better bet. One of the most common ways to organize an extensive book collection is alphabetically by author's last name.
This makes it easy to find exactly what you want to read, quickly. -
08 of 10
Organize by Height
sand_between_pages
If you feel a sense of satisfaction from seeing books lined up just right on a shelf, this idea is for you. Here, sand_between_pages arranged books based on height so that books with similar sizes are grouped together. You can also go from largest to smallest, or try largest on the outer ends of the shelf (with the smallest in the middle) for a little more visual interest.
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09 of 10
Arrange by Genre
neatnikdc
Another great way to organize a larger collection is by genre. If you have one similar to this one pictured by neatnikdc, you can give yourself a bookshelf makeover by arranging titles based on category. Group mystery novels with other mystery novels, nonfiction with nonfiction, and so on. This is a great idea if you often pick books based on which genre you are in the mood for.
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10 of 10
Place Large Books Near the Bottom
squid_and_goose
Sometimes heavy, large books up near the top of a bookshelf can feel messy and unkempt. Here, squid_and_goose, uses the lower shelves to store the largest books which, helps to add balance to the overall space.
Book as a gift - 100 photos of packaging and design of the book as a gift
Book as a gift: the best ideas for choosing books and tips on how to make a gift in the form of a book (100 photos + video)
Nowadays, people have become less and less give each other books. Why is this happening? Maybe because it has become much more difficult to find a copy that is really suitable for the gifted person. In this case, be sure to read this article. In it you will find useful recommendations that will help you choose the best gift in the form of a book to give to a relative, girlfriend, colleague.
Characteristics to consider when choosing
Contents:
If you decide to choose a book as a birthday present, it is important to take into account the tastes and hobbies of the recipient.
Remember, perhaps, once in a conversation with the person you plan to congratulate, the topic of preferences regarding paper publications slipped through. If this is the case, then you will quickly have a clear idea in your head of what you have to look for. Otherwise, you should focus on collector's editions or useful mini-collections designed to please the eye with pictures.
Another way is to study new books in major online stores or look for ideas from book bloggers. You can also visit the websites of the most famous publishers in search of literature recommended by them.
The first step before you go shopping should be the following - decide on the subject. There are many currents. Detectives, science fiction, fantasy, novels, dramas, biographies, travel, various tutorials, professional literature are just a small part of the existing genres. Thanks to such a variety, there should be no problems in choosing the right option.
In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to accepted norms when choosing a book in which the emphasis is on the inside.
When buying a present for a book lover, the following points should be taken into account:
- Will the chosen edition be intended for reading at home and decorating a home library, or does a person have a habit of taking their favorite books with them (reading in the subway or in the park). Depending on this, you should choose the type of binding (soft or hard) and dimensions (compact or bulky).
- An important role is given to information about the author. Most often, people read those writers whose biography and way of thinking are pleasant to them. After reviewing the information, you can understand how successful the author is.
- Be sure to read the annotation. Reading it will help to guess whether it is in the circle of interests of the gifted person.
- The font is given an important place in the age case. If you are going to present a book to a baby or an elderly person, stop at the option where the font is large enough.
When creating your book gift, you don't have to be afraid of mischief and experimentation.
The main thing is to observe the measure.
List of gift options for hostesses
For a hostess or a young mother with a passion for household chores, you can look for a gift from books of several different genres. An example would be cooking. This direction is suitable not only for beginners in the kitchen, but also for women who have many years of experience in cooking. Especially if they strive to constantly surprise their loved ones with culinary masterpieces and delights. Below are the most popular options for books as a gift to a young housewife:
- Published by Vicki Baker. There are many interesting recipes for pastries, cakes and pastries. Another advantage is the beautiful design.
- "Gastronomic Encyclopedia". The author is P. Montagne. Consists of 12 volumes. It is considered one of the oldest publications in the field of cooking. Such a gift will undoubtedly delight connoisseurs of European cuisine.
- "The best day of the year" by N.
Ganich. This is the perfect gift for the New Year celebration. Here are not only recipes, but also options for serving the festive table, as well as games that you can entertain guests with.
Another woman can pick up an original or rare collection of poems by her favorite author. A good idea would be a publication about proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
Books as a gift for a man
If you are looking for a book as a gift for a man, we advise you to look at expensive designer editions. Their content can be different, ranging from world classics, and ending with a description of a variety of weapons.
An unusual solution would be a genealogical book as a gift. It is fashionable now to make to order. Decorated in a beautiful binding, such a publication will certainly impress the birthday boy.
Books from the series on how to become a boss or earn a million in a year also enjoy success with the stronger sex.
Here, in order not to miscalculate, you need to rely on the reputation of the author. Here is a list of self-development leaders:
- “Being a boss is okay.”
- "Be the best version of yourself."
- "How to be the best at what you do."
- "I refuse to choose."
What to give a child
What book to give a child for his birthday? This question is often asked by parents. The main selection criterion here is the age of the baby. The first book can be handed to the baby on the first birthday.
But this will be more of a fine motor toy than a literary work. A little older children are already ready to explore books with pictures and small texts.
Types of books for young children:
- soft books;
- paper cut books;
- bathing books;
- staring books;
- puzzle books;
- books with an additional element - a rattle.
We should not forget about the good old fairy tales, where good always triumphs over evil, and the mind always defeats stupidity.
They can be read aloud to very young children, and from 4 to 5 years old children can try to read them themselves.
From the age of six, children can be introduced to children's encyclopedias. There are many such books on the market today. From them, your child will draw a lot of useful information about geography, flora and fauna, history, technology.
How to give books
Despite the design of the binding, an essay purchased from a bookstore is always faceless. However, it can be beautifully decorated. What is the best way to present a book as a gift? There are several options:
- dust jacket made by hand;
- ordering a deluxe version of the binding with embossing and a commemorative inscription;
- fabric pouch;
- box or wrapping paper;
- postcard or money inside the book.
Here are the instructions for making a fabric cover:
- Lay out your chosen piece of fabric and place an open book on top of it.
- Add 5 to 7 cm each on the right and left and cut out.
- Fold the excess fabric towards the middle and sew tightly at the top and bottom.
- Decorate the front cover with pretty buttons, fabric letters, ribbons, beads or feathers. The choice of decor depends on your imagination. The product is ready!
If the appearance of the book is good in itself and does not need additional design, you can think about how best to sign it. For the inscription, a flyleaf is usually chosen. Make it with a fountain pen. The text is compiled independently so that the congratulation is not official, but from the heart.
Remember, when you decide to give a person a book, you try on the role of an alchemist, because such a gift can radically change the structure and quality of his life. It follows from this that you need to choose a paper edition very responsibly, and you need to do this without haste and fuss.
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How to make a DIY book cover, cover ideas |
A few simple, budget-friendly and practical ideas on how to make a book cover with your own hands from improvised means.
The topic is interesting and very useful if you often have to read in a public place and you do not intend to enlighten everyone around you with your area of interest, or you just love unusual, original craft items that are not only functional, but also very beautiful.
A book cover is also useful from a practical point of view: you want your favorite books to remain in good condition for as long as possible, but this is not always possible: volume covers wear out over time, get dirty, and golden letters denoting the title of the work or the name of the author gradually lose their gilding.
DIY book cover
To save books, we offer our readers a simple and useful DIY (“do it yourself” from English DIY - Do It Yourself), providing additional protection from any external influences. In addition to the fact that books do not lose their gloss in this way, the covers themselves can also serve as an unusual and original interior decoration.
Covers can also help organize your home library.
If you want to arrange books by color, but at the same time keep them in order (for example, divided by alphabetical order or genre characteristics), then covers will be very useful to you.
You can paint them in any color you like without damaging the books themselves, and arrange them according to a certain sequence to match the covers of the same color for volumes in one section.
At the same time, if you do not like experiments and prefer to keep the interior of the room in a monochromatic palette, simple ones - made of brown, grayish or beige paper - the covers will fit well into the composition without standing out in it.
For convenience, stickers with the name of the author and the title of the work, in the same style, can also be stuck on the covers.
Cover material can be durable paper, fabric or even leftover wallpaper and old wall calendars. The main thing is to have a sufficiently large piece of material at your disposal.
If you choose paper for the cover, you will also need a ruler and a pencil or pen to measure.
The sheet of paper should be wide, because you will need not only to cover the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe book, but also to make corners in which it will be attached.
Trace the top and bottom of the book on paper and, leaving a few extra centimeters for pockets, cut off anything that goes beyond this margin. The width of the paper should remain still long enough. Then put the book on the resulting segment and bend the edges on all sides so that you get pockets.
The paper can either be initially chosen in the color you would like to see on your shelf, or dyed later. Also, the cover can be decorated with decorative tape, stickers, or simply painted with paints, wax crayons or felt-tip pens.
To ensure that the book closes well, leave it already wrapped overnight under other heavy books.
In order to make a fabric cover, you will need similar tools and manipulations, but instead of a simple pencil, you can use special textile markers.
Iron the fabric well before starting work: wrinkled fabric will not look very neat.
