Here's a novel New Year's Resolution-get your books in order! Are you a book lover? Do your bookshelves look like a library or a garage sale? Can you even find your books?
Books are wonderful possessions, but they can soon cause clutter unless you have a system for keeping them organized. Think twice about buying a book. Remember, once you've bought it you have to find a place for it. Buy books or classics if you want to read them again and again or buy books you want your children to read. Most books can be borrowed from the local library. When you buy a book, write your name on it immediately. When someone borrows a book from you, mark its place on the shelf with a card listing the name of the book, the borrower, and the date it was borrowed. Don't waste time looking for a book that's over at the neighbor's. Whey you borrow a book make sure that person's name is in it. Remember which book belongs to who is an added burden you don't need. Be sure to return borrowed books promptly. It's one sure way of clearing up extra clutter!
Organize your books on the shelves into broad categories to help you locate and re-shelve them. Here are some suggestions:
Novels
Reference books
Religious works
Poetry
Art
How To's
If you have a large number of books, break down the categories even further: either alphabetically by author, or by subject-travel books by geographical area, reference or religious books by topic, and so on.
Don't forget that books are wonderful ways to share with people you care about. Try giving away a book you've read every time you buy a new one. Author Sandra Felton suggests that you consider an annual weeding out: clean out your book collection and give them to your local library, church, nursing home or prison. Your donations are tax deductible and your books can touch many new lives!
Judy Warmington, Woman Time Management (owner) -- Busy wife, mother of three adult/married children, grandmother of 10 (5 boys and 5 girls!), former high school teacher (M.A. from W.M.U.), Speaker, Author, Radio Personality, and Trainer of Professional Organizers.
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