What do I do with all these books?

It's a common struggle among book lovers: we want to keep all the books, but we also want an organized and aesthetically pleasing space.  A friend asked me for advice regarding the many stacks of books in her home, and after thinking through a response, I decided to share here.

So, let’s get down to business. Here are my thoughts on making peace with your books! :) 

Assess

Most of us don't have home libraries, but if you’re reading this blog post, you likely either love to read, have someone in your home who loves to read, homeschool, need lots of books for work, or some combination of the above. It may pay to gather them all up and take an inventory (not like a spreadsheet, just look at them!). This is probably an overwhelming suggestion, but I promise it is worth the trouble. If the thought of gathering up every book you own gives you an ulcer, that’s ok! Assessing doesn’t necessarily mean you need to gather them all up onto your family room floor at once. You could choose to do them in categories: board books, picture books, elementary homeschool books, nonfiction kid books, nonfiction adult books, etc. So gather up all of one category from all over the house so you can assess the collection all at once. 

Declutter

The hard part, I know! Just using picture books as an example, there are probably some that are trashed and can be recycled. They’re chewed beyond repair, colored on with a rogue sharpie, or just worn out. You might have duplicates, so you can pass one along to another family or a little free library. There might be some you just don't like (it’s OK to love books but to not love each individual book!). Let them go guilt-free! Once you have gotten rid of the "easy" ones, it should be easier to consider the remaining ones and make some decisions.

These are not my books, but a couple of them are on my TBR! I’m listening to the audio of Getting Things Done right now and really liking it!

Keep What You Love!

No book lover wants to be forced to get rid of all their books! Don’t worry, I’d never suggest that. However, decluttering some books can increase the pleasure we get from keeping the ones we love the most. I realize this can be especially difficult for book lovers and homeschoolers! My personal philosophy is to keep books I will reference, reread, loan out/recommend, or that my kids or I might read in the future (either for school or pleasure). I also keep ones I love to look at, like my grandma's copy of Little Women and a couple of beautiful home design books. But you are allowed to decide the parameters here. It's also OK to get rid of some "good/fine/OK" books because chances are you've not stopped bringing new books into your house. If you let some of the so-so books go, you’ll have that much more shelf space for a new one you might love.

Organize

This is the fun part, if you ask me! Do any of us ever have enough bookshelves? Probably not. But you don't need wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling shelves and one of those amazing rolling ladders to have organized books! You can keep the different categories together near where you use them (school ones near the homeschool table, your personal favorite fiction by your bed, etc.) but don't feel like you have to do that either. Just look around at where the books build up and think about how you can store them there. If books are always landing in a certain area, it’s because people are reading or using them there.

For instance: Consider putting a library bag by the door. Keep a basket of board or picture books under the coffee table. Can kids keep a collection of their current favorite series or reading level ones in their room? That gorgeous set of Penguin classics could go on a shelf in the family room. Homeschool curriculum that no one is using this year could be packed up in a basement or attic, and this year’s homeschool books can be kept near wherever homework is done, or in a rolling cart that can be moved around.

Consider investing in storage solutions. Bookcases are hard to find used and can be expensive, but there are other options like stackable crates, or under-bed storage bins that might work. Also just keeping an eye on Facebook marketplace or Craigslist periodically might net you a good deal.  

Consider Rotating

One thing to consider, especially for homeschool and holiday books is rotation. I know it's extra work... but it does save some space and maybe some sanity.

For instance, when we were doing Catholic Schoolhouse (a homeschool curriculum on a 3-year cycle), I would keep certain picture and chapter books with the CSH manuals so that it was all in a kit when I went to pull out that year. I didn't have to hunt down the right books, and we didn't miss them in the 2 off years because there's plenty of other stuff to read.

I also do this for holiday-specific books. Mine isn't a fancy system, I just keep the holiday books on the upper shelf of a kid’s bedroom closet and grab them around the holiday. A slightly improved method might be a large storage bin (around $6 at Walmart) for each holiday/feast day/season. You'd have to have a place to store them, which can be a problem sometimes, but it does mean that when a certain holiday rolls around you don't have to scour the house for the right books. Some people hate this idea but I think it's worth at least considering. It can also be personalized to fit your family and your house.

Be the Boss of Your Books

Does any of that help? Maybe you just need permission to have piles of books everywhere. I hereby give it. But anyone who has read this far is probably bothered at least a little bit by their book stacks. Books obviously matter to you or someone you love, so I hope assessing, decluttering, organizing, and rotating can help you make peace with your book stacks in some way. You can be the boss of your books!

If you want help tackling a book declutter and organize project, let me know!

Oh hey there! I’m Ashley, and I love my job as a professional home organizer in Jamestown, ND. I help people clear clutter and get their homes organized. Judgement is not included in my services! No matter your starting point, we can declutter, organize and set you up in a space that works for you. We’ll work together and when I leave, you’ll have the systems to keep it up.

Click HERE to schedule a complimentary consultation to chat about how I can help you be the boss of your stuff.