CanadianContent discussion

Hi all, my dining room is almost transformed into a library and I have a question for you all (that you will totally understand and NOT roll your eyes). How do you organize your books? currently I have a couple of signed bookshelves, a couple of Canadian, non-fiction and then everything else? I am tempted to mix it all up like a regular library but then that seems a bit unorganized. thoughts?

One side of my "study" is non-fiction. I have one book case of text books, one book case of dog books and one book case of misc. On the other side are my fiction books, in alphabetical order by author. Upper shelves are paperback and lower (stronger) shelves are hardbacks. Then I have other smaller bookcases and shelves throughout the house, by press. I have a whole book case of NYRB Classics, oredered alphabetically, then other book cases I have different indie presses on their own shelves, and those books are classified by date of publication since they are mostly subscription and I read them as I receive them. I also have special shelves in the living room for my fancy books.

Louise your book collection sounds amazing!!!!

Susan what a fun summer project. I have several non fiction shelves which are on bottom of various book shelves as they tend to be big books. Otherwise I keep all Canadian books together by author, all classics which are by author and roughly by date, with the exception of Russian books which I have on their own or mostly on their own there are a number of polish books among them. Other than Canadian and classics I don't keep many so the rest are a bit of a mish mash. Needs a reorganization badly.

Academic and public libraries are in majority well organized because they file most of their material with a classification scheme. Only the display cases are done either haphazardly or with a theme in mind.

I struggle with this too @Susan. Please let us know what you decide. I put in shelving in my home office a few years ago and then organized between fiction, nonfiction, and reference (everything from travel guides to dictionaries). Since the social distancing measures were put in place I’ve been reading more of my own books, and wanted to have a shelf of unread books to quickly choose from, so I recently reorganized my fiction and nonfiction into read and unread. Within the different sections, I try to arrange the books somehow that’s aesthetically pleasing. Usually this means hardcovers and prettier books closer to the top at eye level. I’ve organized by colour in the past, which is a lot of work, but looks so nice. I keep mass market paperbacks way down where I can’t see them because they’re ugly. I don’t even buy them anymore, but there was a time when I wasn’t as opposed to them as I am now! I also have separate shelves for the kids’ fiction and nonfiction books.

I’m jealous of Louise’s textbooks. I lost all mine in a flood in August 2007. I still hate you, Tropical Storm Chantal!

I am completely random and disorganized with my book shelves. I have no plan, just put them all on the shelves where they fit! I do have a text book and history book section (lucky to have my grandmothers nursing texts from the 1940's!). But only because they are large and heavy and placed on the bottom shelf. Life is too short, this is a mountain I want to read through, not try and organize.

I think mine are more organized by how long I have owned them, I have separate shelves for books I have read and want to keep , and otherwise I just throw them on shelves as I buy them. I recently used up all my bookshelf space and started using the shelves in the spare bedroom where my grandson sleeps when he comes over, and he was quite put out advising me I need to stop buying so many books!

you all are awesome! I loved reading about how. you organize (or don't organize) your shelves and just wish that I could see them all... it is too bad that it is such a challenge to post pics on goodreads!

I edited my earlier post... typo, I do know the difference between role and roll... ugh!!

Louise,I think we’d all like to see a picture of your shelves.
My books go wherever I find room,which is pretty non-existent now.
I have boxes of books in my basement and the few times I go into that room I’m shocked that I actually own such and such title because I really want to read it.
I can’t remember what I own anymore.
I met a guy who runs a used book store and he told me his bathtub is full to the top with books. Every time he wants to take a bath he has to take out all of his books.
A hoarder I work with has all of his kitchen cupboards packed with books and I have friends who are married and the husband refuses to allow his wife to integrate her collection with his. I don’t think I would want to live with someone like that.

The text books, kid books and dog books (and a smaller bookcase of leatherbound Dickens and Agatha Christie), and Folio Society on top:



Fiction, and Folio Society on top:



My "special books":



Indie presses:



Book Clubs for Inmates books:

@Louise, your shelves are wonderful! A collection to be treasured for sure. Thanks for sharing!

Wow!! looks awesome Louise!!

Our built ins are installed but only half are painted so I have been slowly bringing the books in. for now, I have a couple of sections for signed books, Canadian fiction, other fiction, leadership books and kid books but I think I might need to have a few "special shelves" like Louise.

@Alan - I know that hoarding is serious but it does make me chuckle a bit to open a kitchen cupboard to find books.

As I have been loading the shelves, I keep finding books that I "should read" and am trying to read my own books and only purchase new books that I will get signed. I have been using my kobo a lot more now that I have one that borrows direct from the library too.

Lol! I love all these stories of organization. I have recently made a small library and it’s only half done but what I’ve got in books currently fits exactly. Because some of my shelves have a lip and can only house a certain size, this is how I’ve organized my books. The smaller ones have to live on these shelves. Susan, this is a super fun project! Enjoy it while it lasts.

Louise thanks for posting and your library looks very beautiful. Very well-done.

Louise, your library looks very inviting. You've done a great job.

Hi Susan, I would like to see your Canadian Fiction book shelf. I loved Carol Shields' The Stone Diaries.

Sometimes when I hear authors being interviewed they are asked what their tbr is like beside their beds and I’m so envious of these people because even though they all say their piles are teetering,it’s still on one desk. I want to be like them. My tbr is my entire house so I have to be very careful about not adding to the piles. Are these piles just the books they plan to read next?

The other thing that totally confounds me is the annual discussion of Beach Books. Who would want to bring a book to a beach and get it full of sand? Besides it’s too hot to read on a beach,and yet every summer we hear about such beach books to death. Had I a beach to go to I would never take a book there.

How did your bookshelves finish up Susan?

I have bookshelves in my home office that I keep and organize shelves of UNread books. Once read, I shift them downstairs to the basement where we have family bookshelves.

In my office I organize the unread ones into my own system:
- I have a Canadian section for the BINGO game (I still play although am quiet!)
- another shelf where I reorganized a couple of year ago specifically for BIPOC authors to remind myself to keep reading more broadly

@Ann-Marie - I could not be happier!! My husband did a beautiful job and now the library has become my office (as I continue to work from home). It makes my heart happy sitting in amongst all the great books! I have divided the shelves into: signed, Canadian, other fiction, well-being, leadership and children's books. I may need to reorganize again as I would like to separate out the unread (although might be shocked at how many if have yet to read)!

love your organization ideas too!!