organizing books
 

How do you organize your quilting books? I tend to buy them with my Joanns coupon if I don't need anything else. I tend to forget what I have. I would like to be able to create a list of them and then search by subject or keyword. Has anyone used an iphone app for that? Any ideas?

I organized mine via Ebay :)
What little remains I organize by
Scrappy
Applique
Historical

............ and made more $$ for stash!
Now there's a Win-Win Solution! :):)

My DH has an app for the Iphone where he can scan UPC barcodes on movies and I think it works for books. I know i've purchased books and patterns and even fabric more than once! I blessed my friend with the extra books.

You could use excel and make a spread sheet. I use the "organized quilter" on the computer be careful the dl has a virus in it.. Or if you have access create a database for your quilting stuff. I also use evernote on my devices. You can put it on the pc the devices etc. It sinks nicely. I also use drop box for my UFO's. Luann

I am a die-hard bibliophile and I read a LOT, so I actually purchased computer software and a barcode scanner (back before I had a smart phone!) and keep a database on my PC of all of my books.

I like it because I can do a .csv extract from my database and load that doc onto my phone (or in my pre-smartphone days, print it out) and avoid buying duplicate books.

Last time I checked I had over 1,000 books in the 'library'. Mostly sci-fi and fiction; and I've read every single one of them at least once!

My art & crafting books are kept separately from all my fiction; I organize them first by art/craft category (drawing/painting, bookbinding/paper crafts, soap making, beading/jewelry making, polyclay crafting, quilting, general sewing, etc.) and then for the ones where I have a lot, I sub-divide by specific topic - my quilting books are grouped by things like kids/baby quilts, traditional quilts, modern quilts, art quilts, scrappy quilts, bargellos, books of blocks, books about quilt history, etc. I keep these in my "design studio" (which is newly separated from my "sewing room"). I probably only have about a hundred or so art/crafting books overall; maybe 30 or so quilting books, so it's only a small percentage of my 'library'.

I don't like to borrow books because I'm a re-reader, and I like to flag things for later. Lots of my crafting books have post-it note flags sticking out of them. I can't quite bring myself to write IN a book, unless I find a mistake that needs to be corrected. I do the same with my quilting magazines, but I don't scan those into the library software. I do get rid of magazines eventually, but almost never get rid of books.

I organize my books by quilting techniques, blocks, baby/child, seasonal, quilts for home decoration, general(my largest category), wool applique, Americana( stars and stripes), reproduction with quilt rooms, designer,

I use excel and have my quilting/craft things by author last name. I have the quilting books in one section, knitting in another, and DVDs on quilting in another, etc. I have this printed out and put into plastic sleeves and hanging by my bookcase.

I purchased an address book (purse size) and list books, patterns, rulers, template sets by name/author and cross check before purchase most of the time.... Also I'd I bought just the pattern or pattern and kit. Sometime I have the pattern but did not get a fabric kit.

I have only two shelves for books and mags. One for books that I HAVE made a pattern from and the other books I have not used and no I will not tell you if the shelves have an equal number of books.

Most of my self made lists are made using Excel program. I include the title and author's name and then if they're specific, type of quilt patterns such as scrappy, medallion, bargello, etc. I have my regular quilt pattern books in my filing cabinet drawer and my magazines such as Love of Quilting, Quilter's World, etc each in their own little book holder going from left (oldest) to right (newest). If there's a quilt pattern that sparked my interest I added a little sticky note on the top edge sticking out so I can see it and I added the name of the quilt pattern.

Would love to have a good answer for this myself!

I did this. I track things like Books, patterns, fabric, even my sewing machines (last serviced, warranty status, serial numbers, etc)

I made reports and forms and everything, so it's just like a program.
I export the reports to PDF format and then put them on my phone or tablet so I can check before I buy something (again) or assume I have it and get home and find out I don't.

As long as you keep it up to date it's a very good way to go.

I organize by type or method... Paper Piecing, Bargello, Scrappy, etc.

I organize my books by subject:

machine quilting
applique
basic reference
block compilations
patterns only

I do the same thing with Excel. I also added columns for technique or style like scrappy, strips, wall hanging, baby, full, clothing, bags, applique, patriotic, log cabin, or whatever your favorites are. I use the sort and filter to quickly view them by what I am looking for. Oh and there also a column for wip, ufo, and finished.

As I'm writing this, I'm thinking of all the free patterns on the internet, why not add a column for the hyperlinks. I've got to do this.

Oh and actual books I store by author or design company and then by technique.

I use an app called "My Stuff" on my iPhone/iPad. It's a database program. I keep all of my rulers, patterns, magazines, books, etc on it.

I have all my fiction at Goodreads. Haven't added quilt books yet.

I'm definitely not as 'techie' as lots of you are out there! I keep a printed list of books I already have, so I don't buy again. My books are alphabetically filed in the bookshelf, and magazines in separate sections according to the name, along with patterns. Plus, I have a recipe box with subsections for various categories: scrappy, king size, children, babies, primitive, applique, etc., and have referenced patterns, magazines and books with notations as to which section, date, pages, etc. When I need ideas, I do through the recipe box and find the cards for that category, and I know just where to go to review the information for quilts I may want to make.

I love all the suggestions regarding using an ap for the books. I took care of my magazine problem by pulling out pattern pages I liked. I threw so much but you can sell the pages you don't want on eBay. I then put each page in a clear plastic, 3 ring binder type sleeve. You can sort by quilt size, pattern name, or anyway you like with color coded or alphabetized pages. My 10 year magazine (s) subscription are now in 2 binders and I actually know what I have.

Veinurse- I have done the same not only with my quilting magazines, but my sewing ones, my beading ones… It is so nice to have less clutter, and I know what I have kept are things I am actually interested in making. Of course, I would need several more lifetimes to accomplish this!!!

i ripped out the patterns i liked. put them in plastic sleeves in loose leaf books. besides. there isnt a pattern around that's not on the computer. so little by little i'm doin away with subscriptions.

I organize mine in stacks. I know where they all are, in every room!:D
peace

I guess I'd better get with my nearly nonexistent tech skills. As I do with all my books, I first categorize then I alphabetize. However, if I have several books by a single author such as Eleanor Burns, Lynette Jenson, Debbie Mumm, I just alphabetize, since they have a distinctive style and I can usually find a project (even small ones) if i'm in the mood for a particular style or technique. Don't buy mags anymore unless I find a pattern I just have to have. I am also a page ripper and use page keepers to keep everything in 3 ring binders--just categorized, not alphabetized. I do have an old computerized catalog that I still add to and delete from, but it was first done before spreadsheets and barcode readers--Ah, something about older than dirt?

I used to buy tons of old quilting magazines at garage/estate sales and antique shops. The patterns I liked were flagged at the top with those little colored flags. The magazines themselves were organized by title and date which I kept track of in Excel. I'd print the list out every time I added new magazines and I carried that around with me so I wouldn't buy the same one twice. But, the quantity of magazines became unruly! So, I started scanning the patterns I liked and then donating the intact magazines to the senior center. The scanned patterns are organized by themes (Christmas, 4th of July, Table Runners, baby quilts - however I would use the pattern). Those patterns which I think I'll use sometime soon I print out and keep in a folder. I still keep the Excel list updated.

My Cookbooks and Quilt books are sorted to Hardback and Paperback simply because I usually have an idea of what type book I saw something in. Then I sort by method.

Organize by Subject Matter. Bargello, Quilt in a Day, Paper Piecing, etc. It helps me find what I need faster than going through all of my books.

I downloaded an app on my Android phone a few weeks ago called MyBooks. You also need to download a barcode scanner app. You just scan the barcodes on the book and it creates a list of your books. If you click on the name of a book on your list, it will bring up information about the book as well as the ISBN number. I've not actually sorted out all of my books yet, but if they are all quilting books it's probably easiest to sort alphabetically by author. On the app you can look for the book you want and it also lists the author so you should easily find it on the shelf.