How Do You Organize Your Books????
 

I've just moved my bookshelves around and was thinking of the best way to organize the books. By title, by author, or by theme????? I don't always remember the name of a book or the authors name:hunf:
Some of them don't have real binding where you can read the title or author which makes it harder for me to deal with.......maybe all those should go into their own little pile?
I have quite a few so I will probably go through and give away or at least offer some to my friends that are fairly new quilters.

Any suggestions will be appreciated. TIA, Jennifer

I have some in magazine holders on a bookshelf and some in a pile on a table. As long as you can find it when you need it the method of organization works.

This is weird but I sort by who published them. My Patchwork Place books are together and my EB books are also together.

I have the same problem. I've put some together by subject, but most are in a jumble on the shelf. I did update a list recently of the books I have, and was shocked that there were almost 200 quilting books.

My filing system only makes sense to me!

I have the app My Library and I have all my quilt booking and magazines entered there by author and technique along with other notes. The actual books are organized by author's name and magazines by name of magazine. Easy to find anything I need....if I return them when I am finished :)

Judy in Phx, AZ

Mine are grouped by topic. I have some "coffee table" quilt books that I leave out all the time. My husband made me a bookcase that has ledges...sort of like what libraries have for periodicals...for the thin ones that are more booklets than books. Heaven forbid I should ever have to move my bookcases.

I do the same and also for my magazines except for them they are also by month/year.

This would be a good way to do it. My niece is an avid reader (not quilter) and hers are by the author because they usually are also published by the same company.

I only have a few everything else is on computer!

Mine are just on the bookshelf in no order. Makes it harder to find what I want. But, I find all sorts of projects I want to do 😳

Well kind of both ways mentioned for me. I do have some collections by a certain author all grouped together and then there is the ones that are holidays also some that are all applique or quilted clothing. I guess I agree with the one lady, I have my own system. One thing I do try to do is put the newest ones on the far right top shelf until I can read it and then file it. I went through mine recently and donated a few to the second hand store. I still need a new shelf for the ones that are stacked and won't fit. They are machine quilting and continuous line designs. Not that I have tried them yet. I am still reading.

Mine are organized by size. Largest book at the right end of the shelf leaning against the lower edge of the bracket above, in order by size down to the smallest "normal" size book at the left end, held in place by a stack of small paperbacks and patterns. Not a very good way to do it I admit since it makes it a little harder to find what I want unless I know exactly what I'm looking for, but the shelf looks cleaner that way.

Cari

Mine are by theme. Basic sewing books, creative sewing and garment books, quilting books, color theory books. It seems to work for me.

I do mine by author as much as possible -- some of my books do not give an author's name so those I file by publisher.

My fiction books are stored in bookcases with the author in alpha order and each author in the order the books were written, a tad OCD I know, my father in law used to visit my 'Library' lol. My sewing books are in no particular order.

I organize by theme and then by author within each group. On my computer I have 2 lists, one with all the books in alphabetical order by author, then name, and the theme in parenthesis, and the second one by themes with the books in alphabetical order under the theme heading. It was a pain setting it up but now when I get a new book I try to immediately enter it in both lists. It takes an extra minute but has helped me on several occasions.

I do the same for patterns except instead of author I use the publishing company's name.

same here... but I don't own much more than a dozen books so it's easy for me to lay my fingers on any given one. I keep patterned books (like Turning Twenty) in a 3 ring binder alphabetically.

I group mine by technique; applique, scrappy, paper piecing, etc. I also have a notebook for each of those techniques that I keep pictures, patterns and information in. It takes away the clutter of paper. I find it very useful. I also store my patterns by technique in one of those 4 drawer plastic towers.

I sort by the type of pattern....baby quilts...scrappy....traditional...Christmas and other holidays. I stand my books up and then divide them with a piece of poster board taller than the tallest book. The poster board is either color coded or marked with the type of book( baby, scrappy etc.).

I sort mine according to makers....all quilting quickly tog and then MQ Blocks...etc

I have mine by color. I remember each book by the color and picture on the cover before I remember the name of it. I know the book I want is blue, I go to the blue books. I've been downsizing my books too. Some I haven't looked at in years so why keep them. I give them to my quilting friends. If I ever find that I have to have see it I can borrow it back. Let them store it. LOL I went to two bookshelves full to one small bookshelf. I haven't missed a one.

I do mine by theme. Christmas, easy, crazy quilting,etc.

Pretty much what I've done with exception of afew authors...like EB, F&P, all others as above.
actually thinking now, some of those need to be thinned out....haven't opened a few in several years....hmmm.....

I have had multiple hobbies over the years, all with books. I store by topic. Depending on how many I have undet each topic, I may sub-group by subject (children, adults, household) etc.

I haven't taken the time to organize them. I am making quilts to donate using scraps and usually just make them up. I seldom use my books.

Some are by autho rfor example Nancy Zeman. Eleanor Burns, The rest by type applique,or piecing. Diane C.

These are the TOPICS I sort by (about 3 shelves worth): just block patterns, applique, art quilts, quilt history, modern quilts, color theory, how to books (e.g., helpful charts, quilt borders, machine quilting and other technique books), general pattern books (grouped by author if more than one, but not alphabetical), and I seem to have several books on just one quilt design such as lone star, monkey wrench, storm at sea, bargello, log cabin, etc. and those all get grouped together in that section. This method at least helps me know which end of the bookcase to start searching for the book I'm looking for! :p

i sort mine by subject matter &/or author ..ie -barbara brackman, applique, designing/drafting and block encyclopedias

my bigger problem is not the books, but all the pages I have either printed or taken out of magazines. I finally took a day and organized (most) into a file drawer by name of pattern (although sometimes I renamed them with a name I would be more likely to think of!). I have 2 file cabinets under a large piece of wood that I use as an additional desk. I am currently in the process of scanning most into my desktop background. This was a tip I saw on this board. This way they are always being seen and I keep them fresh in my head. If you do a few at a time, it isn't as daunting as it seems.

I group most quilting books by technique or topic -- all paper piecing, pieced blocks, fat quarter quilts, house quilts, etc.

Group by category...Applique, Paper Piecing, Quick quilts, etc...

I have my quilt books sorted by "type of quilts" for three or four shelves. Some books are grouped by specific authors. Then I have some books that are more "special" that I have in old Coke wood boxes. I have another book case couple of shelves that have books that are more "decorating with quilts, Amish quilts, museum, etc."

I am redoing magazines. If I only have a potential quilt I would like to do, I make a hard copy. Then all the quilt magazines are being donated--so far I have several box loads leaving soon--AMAZING. I have sorted the paper copies to individual office supply labeled wire and wood baskets such as baby quilts, table runners, easy quilts, holiday, applique, primitive quilts, etc. There are still magazines that I am keeping (for now). I have those sorted by date, specific quilt published magazines, and have these typed to an Excel file as well.

Because I teach in my home, and often carry several books with me for workshops, and because I do research as i design patterns or prepare talks, I shelve my book by theme or topic so I can quickly find them. Most are familiar enough now to recognize by the color of the spine!

Jan in VA

I have to place on my bookshelf depending on size. So many quilting books are too tall for my book shelf so they lay flat on top of each other. I can read the spines to find. I wish there was a uniform size of books
I have more books and magazines than any shop and more than fabric in my stash. I don't know how I remember but I find any book I want very quickly.

I group mine by category and then by author. I also have have plastic inserts that hold magazines in notebooks. I put the names of what is in the notebooks on the cover. I also have some thin books that are in cardboard holders that I bought at Office Depot. I also label the cardboard holder with its contents. I am having my sewing/ quilting room remodeled and I had to take out my book cases. I sent 7 boxes of book to our Friends of the Library, donated some to a flea market and I still have about 200 books left. I not only quilt but I knit, crochet, and make clothing and household items plus I love books.

I took mine off the shelves as I needed them for fabric. I now have them in my bottom drawer of the filing cabinet. I divided them up by type of quilt..............logcabins, bargellos, scrappy, baby/kids, paper piecing and then if I have more than one by the same author, I'll put all of that author together. Of course now I seem to need another drawer as they're getting a little cramped.

I sort my quilting books by subject; applique, quilt art, design, how to, and my Quilting Arts and AQS magaziness are in black plastic magazine holders by year. I had so many magazines that I have gone through them and torn out only the pattern with instructions that I really like. Mostly one per magazine. Then, I bring them to our quilt guild for the ladies to have. The patterns I kept are in plastic sleeves in large albums and labeled as to art, quilting patterns, etc. I have slowly accomplished the magazine editing this year and really enjoy the albums done that way

I have the baby quilt books and miniature quilt books/magazines together but all the rest of the books are just placed helter skelter on the shelves. They are stored in a big cabinet on two shelves. My biggest mess is also all the printed patterns and magazine pages that I have saved. No rhyme or reason there.

I organize my books by authors and techniques. Example; Eleanor Burns ( piecing, appliqué, table runners, etc. ) Debbie, etc. Printed patterns I put in a binders and organize by holidays, purse patterns, home decor, appliqué, pieced patterns, etc. Bought patterns I organize the same way. Bought a metal towel rack and put on the arms of it. ( putting it on the side of my bookcase). Sewing magazines I keep in a file cabinet. I do not think there is no right or wrong of how you keep your patterns. It is what works for yourself that matters. I have a small sewing room and if I do not organize, it just does not work for me. I dream of a 30 x 40 foot sewing room. Lol