Organize to Revitalize! » Books, Magazines, & Newsapers

Quick Tip: Organize Your Books

Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer® — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:00:59 +0000

Good news! You can organize your books so that they are easier to find. Not so good news: you will likely need to sell or donate a few of them if you’re running low on shelf space.

Back to the good news… It’s helpful to use categories to locate specific books. Add labels so that it’s easier to put them back in the right spot.

So, you can organize by…

Category
- Fiction
  - Alphabetically by author
- Non-Fiction
  - Option #1: Subject (e.g., business, travel, crafts, etc.)
  - Option #2: Alphabetically by author within a particular subject
- Genre
- Children

Color…get a little creative…

Organizing Bookshelves by Color · COLOURlovers

A Rainbow of Books: Organizing by Color · Hooked on Houses

Organizing Books by Color · The Haystack Needle

Quick Tip: ProjectNightNight.org

Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer® — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:00:45 +0000

Are your children’s rooms overrun with books, ones that they no longer enjoy? Clear up the clutter and donate gently used books to ProjectNightNight.org. You’ll be doing a good thing, too. The books are given to homeless children along with a new blanket and a stuffed animal in a canvas tote bag.

“By providing objects of reliable comfort, Project Night Night reduces trauma and advances the emotional and cognitive well-being of the children we serve.” ~ProjectNightNight.org

Can a Magazine Make You Buy Stuff?

Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer® — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:36:53 +0000

On a recent trip to a local supermarket, I took a stroll through the magazine aisle. Have a look at what I found…

Do you see what I see?

…how about now?

Did you notice the 31 magazines on hunting, crafts, woodworking, painting, knitting, & quilting? Lots of magazines encouraging the purchase of more stuff to keep up with your hobby, but few on how to get organized. Is it any wonder why many of us struggle with the over accumulation of stuff?

I know what you’re going to say. It’s not the magazines’ fault that people over shop. They’re not putting a gun to anyone’s head. That’s true. Besides, people may not buy organizing magazines as much so it may not profitable to publish them. True again…but, that’s like a supermarket that offers mostly ice cream and sweets (more popular) and smaller amounts of healthy foods (more expensive). Sounds crazy when we talk about it in terms of food, doesn’t it?

So, let’s “give the people what they want” and not offer any solutions or alternate options. That’s the clear answer. I recently heard someone on Twitter say that there needs to be a font for sarcasm. I could have used it now.

Alright, I’m getting off my soap box to show you a little light at the end of the tunnel…

“The Family Handyman” with 22 tips on how to organize your kitchen & 10-Minute Storage Solutions…

…Better Homes & Gardens special “Storage” edition…

Are Your Books Out of Control?

Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer® — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:25:00 +0000

Do you find yourself tripping over the books in your home or office? Are there piles of books everywhere? Are you reluctant to part with books that you may refer to at some point in the future? If so, you are not alone. For many of us, books are treasured possessions. Yet, having too many can be a bittersweet experience when they expand beyond bookcases, shelves, and nightstands. When this happens, they become a source of clutter and no longer serve their intended purpose.

So, what can you do to reclaim your space? Here are some options:

Donate, Donate, Donate. Yes, while sometimes difficult to do, the books that you have not been reading or referring to can bring joy to others. Many organizations, like Books for America and Project Night Night, accept used books in good condition. You can also make donations to local libraries, hospitals, after school programs, homeless shelters, and senior centers.

Sell, Sell, Sell. Alternatively, you can sell your used books. Check sites like Sell Back Your Books and Blue Rectangle for more information. You may also find some local book stores that will purchase specific titles. Keep in mind that your books need to be in good condition to be sold or donated.

Audiobooks. To stop your piles from growing, consider purchasing books on CD or downloading them to your hard drive. Audible.com (and other services like it) offers a wide selection of topics (e.g., Business, Self-Help, Classics, Education, Comedy, Arts & Entertainment, etc.). You can listen to your books on your computer, burn them to a CD, or transfer your them to your iPod. Listen to your favorite author in the car or while on the treadmill. An added bonus is that you can also find your favorite magazines, radio show, podcasts, and speeches! Audible keeps all the books you buy in your personal online library so they’re always easy to find.

One In, One Out. This is a concept that can be applied to almost any item, including books (or clothing, shoes, tupperware, etc.). For every new publication you purchase, an existing one needs to be donated or sold. So before you head to the bookstore to get that book that you must have, take a look at your collection to see which ones might benefit someone else.

Try the option that works best for you. Free up your space and spend more time reading instead of navigating around a sea of books. You’ll be glad you did.