How to sort the library

The timeless appeal of the books: how to keep them in order

Although we are now entering the era of e-book, the book available in digital format on computers, smartphones, handhelds and special readers, the space in the house to store paper books can never fail.

Certainly the electronic book can save space because you can store in a single device a considerable number of volumes.
However, those who really love reading can not give up taking up a book to read, leaf through and savor the characteristic fragrance of printing.

So, over time, the volumes accumulate around the house in a disorderly and seem to occupy a big space.
Sometimes, however, you simply organize the library in a more rational way to optimize the storage spaces and have at hand the books that you need to consult more frequently.

Very important is to chose the right furniture that fit the style of the whole house.

We assume that the books need not be arranged in a bookcase specially designed for this use.

In fact you can use for the same purpose also simple shelves arranged in various parts of the house, such as niches or corridors, some sections of the wall units that are used for television and hi-fi or shelves.

If you have old or ancient volumes, it is best to place them in a wooden bookcase. The books purchased recently, however, can also be placed in the most modern furniture, made of other materials.

How to arrange the books in the bookcase

The books can be placed in the bookcase in various ways, depending on the type, for example separating them by genre, author, edition.

The latter is a very rational way as books of the same series or still the same publisher also often have the same format and this allows to position them in a more orderly way.

The arrangement by author, however, allows you to more easily find a book that you keep in mind but which hardly remember the publisher of.
In fact you can use both strategies available, putting in series all the books of some publishers and then, of this, all those of a particular author.

Wanting to give importance to the aesthetics of the library, the books can also be arranged according to the color of the cover.

Other items to consider are the weight and size of the volume.
On the bookshelves you should have heavier books on top and lighter on the shelves of smaller thickness. Instead, for those texts such as art catalogs, which are generally large and heavy, we must pay particular attention to the choice of the shelf on which to place it, for it to be sufficiently robust and prevent the support ledge from warping under their weight.

Absolutely not recommended is the mixing of books of different heights, trying instead to create regular files, for a better aesthetic.

In addition, if the space between a shelf and the other is very high, it is best to avoid placing them all in a vertical position, because it would waste a lot of space: put some of them horizontally.

Another trick to enter multiple books in a library is to create the double rows.
In this case it is appropriate to include in the back the older books, with the cover more ruined, which are less beautiful to see, and those which you consult less often.

How to catalog books

If you have many books, it may be useful to catalog them in a similar way to what happens in public libraries or school, where, as we know, it's easy to find a book, knowing the author, title and publisher, or only one or the other.

You can also purchase specific software that allow you to catalog your books.
This can be a great way to keep your books always neat, but you can also arrange them in a database, using a spreadsheet or a similar system.

This way you will be able to catalog all the necessary data, such as title, author, edition, and possibly also report if and when the volume has been lent or if it should be returned.

To keep a home catalogue you can use the cards as those used for business cards where to print or hand write the necessary data.