Home Organization

Home Library: Care & Storage

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September 1, 2010

Chances are, you have stacks and stacks of books taking up residence in your space. In lieu of lining them up the ordinary way—or worse yet, stowing them away in boxes—celebrate their wonderful stories and images by organizing every spine in style.

Basic Book Care
Frayed spines, curled pages, blurred words—they’re common damages that can send a beloved book straight to the trash. Treat your books with love and they’ll stand the test of time.

Avoid Heat & Moisture: Hardback or paperback, books fare best in a dry, room temperature environment.
Avoid Direct Sunlight: Prevent the gorgeous colors of your covers from fading by keeping them away from windows.
Create Ample Space: When placing books on a shelf, be sure the tallest of the spines has enough headroom to stand up straight. Forcing paperbacks into a too-small shelf will bend the books and strain their spines.
Dust Frequently: Your literary collection contains lots of nooks and crannies and won’t move much over time, so be sure to dust the spines and tops of your books often.

Book Storage Ideas
Whether it’s by author or aesthetics, forget the rules and organize your books in a way that works for you.

Alphabetically: It’s old-fashioned and forever in style. Line up your books alphabetically by the author’s last name, or by the first word in the title.
Chronologically: If you can remember, consider sorting your books by the year they were read. Displayed from childhood through present day, it’s a wonderful way to celebrate a lifetime of reading.
Tip: For fresh ideas to make your own, like clever storage solutions and organization tips, considering adding our new book to your collection!
By Color: You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but we think categorizing book spines by color is a contemporary way to create a spectrum of color in your space.
By Use: If you’ve collected quite a few books that have yet to be read, organize accordingly, placing your finished books up high and new books down low for easy access.

Tip: Creating your own cataloguing system is a fun way to add a customized touch to your new library. Try printing out our Home Library Catalogue Cards, then jot down a few thoughts, like your favorite quotes and close friends who have borrowed it. Tuck a card into each book, or organize them in a binder.

Library Décor Ideas
Books are normally displayed vertically and side-by-side, but for your new library, try mixing it up. For a more dynamic look, try laying them horizontally, stacking several together and even intermixing them with knick-knacks, vases and lamps.

Tip: For more fresh display ideas, check out Bookcase Makeover.