Managing a significant number of books... A video query.

Greetings!

I was staring at my shelves for a while, lost in the mists of thought, considering all manner of things, but coming back to the question at every turn, of how people manage their books.

I thought that rather than ramble on, I would pose my question in the following manner...



So, let's have at it folks! How do you deal with your books?

a reply to: TrueBrit

I also am at a loss as to how to deal with my library of books. Any solutions would be welcomed!

a reply to: Maigret

Well, I sort of enjoy the chaotic nature of my method, but I am mostly just curious as to how the members here at ATS deal with their collections. The reason for my particular interest, is that I know that the membership of this website contains some of the most original thinkers I have ever come across in my life, and I have no doubt that some unique, and elegant methodologies must have been applied to this problem across the membership.

I am merely intrigued!

a reply to: TrueBrit

I really enjoyed your video.

Books around here are pretty much allowed the run of the house. They are also used for decorating. I have a special place like you for the really important books: they get to live on the top shelf of the best bookcase and there are 5.

As far as control is concerned, I use closet bookcases and bins. I put shallow cases as tall as almost the ceiling in the back of the biggest closets and that's where the overflow goes; they live behind the clothes. Then the serious overflow goes in big plastic bins that are sealed and put outside in storage away from the elements.

Stuff I am actively reading that is still actually a physical book/s get to just stay where I set them down after the last reading. It's all about proximity with those.

Thanks again for sharing.

Mine are stacked up all over the place and piled onto bookshelves in double and triple layered piles to get the maximum number of books onto the least amount of space. And some of them are in boxes in the basement that I have to dig through if the book I want isn't on one of the shelves upstairs. I have one whole wall that has simple brackets with plain wooden planks mounted on them ... also loaded with books, and on top of those are yet more books. I have a whole cabinet in the kitchen devoted to cookbooks.

In short ... if my house ever catches fire, I'm screwed.

a reply to: Bybyots

Wow... You must have a massive collection to require all that space! How long did it take you to accumulate that mass of printed work?

a reply to: TrueBrit

Interesting question.

I have also lost a tremendous amount of books in my time due to various circumstances. If I had to date what I have now from the date of the last great loss I would have to say 22 years.

a reply to: ketsuko

Oh yes, the fire hazard issue.

Our kitchen is right next to our living room, and our living room has three big book cases in it, which are right next to the hatch that allows access from the kitchen, to the living room so that plates can be passed from one room to the other. They contain all manner of assorted tomes, including some of my sisters books that she cannot fit in her own dwelling, as well as her, and her husbands table top RPG manuals, and other sundry printed media. If we ever have a fire in the kitchen, the whole flat will go up in no time flat!

a reply to: Bybyots

Wow.

I have some books that I have had since I was a child, some of which might be that old, but a lot of the books I had back then went into the charity shop a long time ago. Most of the books I had back then were astronomy related, and as new, or better data came out which rendered those older books useless for my purposes, I removed them from my collection.

These days I have more fiction works than anything else, although I also have a coffee table book of the cosmos.

a reply to: TrueBrit



Ah, the coffee table books. I have a couple that I'm really proud of: one is Hieronymous Bosch from an exhibition that was held in the Netherlands and the other is Roberto de Matta.

Yeah, it's strange what survives the years and what doesn't. You just made me realize the times that books that didn't make it would operate sort of like "phantom limbs" and the itch would cause me to go serch the stack for them until I remembered their fate and realized they were gone.

Of the 5 that are on that top shelf, the oldest is only 12 years or so, and it has first position. It's Richmond Lattimore's translation of the 4 Gospels and The Revelation.

a reply to: TrueBrit

I haven't even addressed the RPG stuff which also has it's own bookcase in our bedroom, some other boxes in the basement and a few drawers in a file cabinet along with being piled high on my husband's computer desk ...

Oh, and there are the important books on my computer desk between the monitor and the tower case, about 8 of those.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Sir, I genuinely and consistently enjoy your posts!

I tend to sort my books by subject: fantasy, occult, philosophical, religious texts, fiction, classic readings, cooking books, and crafting books are the most frequently occurring subjects in my collection.

Many are packed away in storage totes in closets and spare rooms, but my favorites are kept in this beautiful hutch cabinet thing that I acquired and fell in love with, pictured below.

I also keep a few on my bedside table.

Sadly, as the years go by, more and more of my collection becomes digital to save on space. I dream of eventually setting up roots somewhere and creating an entire large room to become my own personal library, with real books instead of digital, complete with that old book library smell!

a reply to: MojaveBurning

... I have that Taste of Home Cookbook ...

a reply to: TrueBrit

WOQ whispers quietly to herself...
"Yes, I'm normal...and there are others out there like me!!!"
Bwahahaha!!!!

I still have almost every book that I have ever read,
except those from the library, or that were borrowed from friends!
My family does not get it!
Why would anyone, keep a book that they have already read???

My cousin gets it, she has 230 books!
She has a spare room upstairs with piles of books in it!
My Aunt asked her if they are coming down the stairs yet!

And no Kindles for us!
We like the sound of a book cracking open, & the 'book smell'!
Besides, falling asleep while reading in bed,
would kill a Kindle very quickly when it hit the floor!!!

I have seven bookcases, four totes full,
and a giant pile beside the bed that I'm working on!

Any that I have by the same author are kept together,
& put in alphabetical order.
Then the others are grouped by fiction, non fiction,
& subject, & are also in alphabetical order.

I've never counted them, but it might be getting to be a problem.
Given the fact that most ink is soy based now,
& hubby has a mild allergy to soy!!!
He has been getting a little stuffy when he's near a bookshelf!
I've been wondering if that could be it?!
It isn't dust...he not allergic to that, thank goodness!

The books in the totes, are the ones I'm thinking of passing along or donating.
Those with out of date information, old medical books, cookbooks, how to manuals...

We both would like this:



WOQ

a reply to: wasobservingquietly

You have to have books in your life. For me, it is as necessary as breathing.

I used to cut keys at a key cutting stall at the back of a large hardware retail store. The whole time I was there, it was very slow, and there would some times be hours between customers. This was a mind numbing and soul scouring experience at the best of times. Luckily, there was a charity book stand next to my counter, and I would purchase a book for thirty pence, read it, and then either put it back if it was an ok, but not particularly good read, or take it home to be a part of my collection.

I think my record for one shift there was three books of an average of five hundred pages each, all bought and read within a day.

a reply to: wasobservingquietly

The last time I counted just my fiction books, I was over 600, and that was four or five years ago. Most of them have been read more than once. I've read at least two copies of Watership Down to their "death," and I'm on my third.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Wow, that's a lot of reading in one day!
I bow to your speed reading ability & comprehension!!!
The most I've ever been able to do was one!
It is a good thing that you had something to read!
The time would have dragged on forever otherwise!

I used to think that Heaven must be,
being able to read without stopping,
for as long as you want!

Until I was laid up with a bad foot for a week!
Not because I got bored reading though!
I was just so uncomfortable from not being allowed out of bed!!!

Couldn't help noticing the sword on your wall.
At first I thought it was a Klingon Batleth! Ha, ha!
WOQ

a reply to: ketsuko

Wow! I bow to your awesome collection!!!
I'll have to tell my cousin...she will be awestruck!!!

I wasn't familiar with 'Watership Down'!
I looked it up, it sounds good, I'll have to read it!
Not too sad I hope?

I read the Velveteen Rabbit when I was a kid,
I think it scarred me for life!!! And that was a toy rabbit!!!
I don't mind so much if someone/something that deserves it,
eventually gets it. Like a Karma thing!
I just don't want to envision the innocent ones getting hurt!!!

I like to reread the good ones too!
I don't too often though, because there are always new ones calling me!!!!
WOQ

Ahhh - a subject near and dear to my heart. I love books!!! I'm normally super private when it comes to showing pictures of my home on the internet, but I have to share where I put my most prized items.

Here are the bookcases in our front room, right as you walk in the house.



Here are the bookcases in the master bedroom.



Here are just a smattering of some classics and a few really old books that were passed down through our family, located in the guest bedroom.



And here is my 12-year-old daughter's pride and joy -- the tardis bookcase my husband built for her.



The tardis opened up (it really is bigger on the inside!). She just recently cleaned out a lot of books she felt she has outgrown, so we're currently building up her collection.

a reply to: kaylaluv

Yep! I would feel right at home in your house too!
And like a kid in a candy store!!!
WOQ