Organizing a Personal Library

Do you have so many books it’s getting hard to find the one you are looking for? Would you like to set up your personal library a little bit like the public library?It’s not necessary to put spine labels on the books or to follow the Dewey Decimal System. All you need to do is to create an index of your collection and keep it where you can find it – 3x5 cards in a box; a notebook; a computer file. Describe the location of the book on the entry and be sure to return the book to the same place when it’s used. To make it easier to find, you can arrange the books in alphabetical order by author or title in each bookcase.

The computer file is probably the most versatile because it can be sorted by the author field, or the title field, or the “wooden bookcase in the living room” field. If you have Microsoft Access on your computer, you can download a free template from Microsoft called the Book Collection Database. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010186431033.aspx?pid=CT102144001033

Use the “notes” box to identify where theitem is located: “Bookcase in children’s room” “Stored in hall closet”, “Bathroom”. If you are experienced with Access, you can go into the “Table View” and add extra fields, such as “Topic” or “Location.” (That would let you use the Notes box for other information.)

Computers aren’t your bag? Write the information on recipe cards and file them. You can add ABC dividers to make it easier to sort the cards. Where do you store them? Cards can be kept in a recipe box, a shoe box, or a purchased a file drawer from an office supply. There are single drawer traveling boxes that will hold a large number of cards. (100 cards take about 1” of space.) The benefit of file cards is they can be rearranged and cards can be inserted (or removed) between existing cards. Ah ha! Your own Card Catalog!

If you prefer to use a notebook, use a small ring binder (5x7 or smaller) and write one entry per page. That way you can interfile new entries or delete records without having to rewrite entire pages. Tab dividers can be labeled ABC so you can flip through the notebook easily.