I agree -- Mine are on the shelf, in alphabetical order (I married a librarian)magazines are in chronilogical order -- unless they are not.
If I pull a book or pattern out, I try to return it OR leave it with the WIP so I do not forget what I was doing when I return to the project.
I also keep a list on Excel by title, author, date, publisher and a two word description (design, Hawaiian, celtic, appplique, machine, etc). As it is on a spread sheet, I can access it many ways. When I go to a big show, I print out the list so I do not duplicate.

My quilting books are on shelves ordered by author's last name. There are lots of post-its sticking out the tops for quilts that really caught my attention.

I can't believe how alike we quilters are !! I love my two shelves of books, magazine containers, and notebooks of ideas. They are not organized,yet !! :-D

Mine just go wherever I find a space large enough to fit them!

Since I have several types of books I break them down into:
Sewing, crochet/knitting, embroidery, etc. Then I break down my quilting books by applique, piecing, holidays, baby/children, etc. I have a five shelf case for just these. Since I am a prolific reader I also have my reading books stashed elsewhere. I could probably start my own library if I wanted too. I have given a lot of books away, but for some reason they do not do too well in a garage sale. Still haven't figured that one out.

I forgot to mention that I also have several 3" binders broken down by categories with stuff off internet, from magazines, etc.

I have some of those fabric-cardboard things that are a drawer when used in a cube organizer. But for the most part, I have a stack. When that stack starts to fall over, I start a new one. LOL

I cut the copy paper boxes to an almost triangular shape (like library magazine boxes) cover them with self sticking vinyl for strength and to make them look better, stick a label on the box and put magazines in. The others go in my pigeon hole shelf that never stays organised - it has 30 pigeon holes and the case is made of wood similar to a book case.

Mine are in the magazine holders with the quilting magazine as well and then when I want to look at some at night, I just get a holder out that I have not looked at for awhile. I have little stickiey notes sticking in the magazines to tell myself it was something I wanted to make. I write on the post it and it sticks out of the magazine. The holders for these I keep in my bookcase in the Hall.

When I buy a magazine I take out the patterns that I want to keep and put them in plastic page protectors. Then I put them in notebooks.I keep the applique ones in separate notebooks. The patterns I print from the computer I also put into the notebooks.That makes it easier to find the quilt pattern you want to make if you don't have a big stack of magazines to go through. I have a 4ft x 4ft bookcase with 4 shelves. the bottom 2 shelves have quilting books and the top 2 shelves has pattern notebooks.

Gal 288, I got tired just reading what you do. When is your Birthday. You are really organized. one thing many of us do it the postit note on the magazines or books sticking out. We have that in common.