HOW TO DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE YOUR BOOK COLLECTION

Are you unsure how to control your ever-growing book collection? Try these simple steps to edit and organize your collection so your inner bibliophile can relax and read easy.

Books are my happy place!  Of course, I love reading books, but I also adore the way they smell, the weight of one in my hand, and the sound of a page turning. Books bring us joy, knowledge, comfort, and escape. They can also sneakily start to overrun your home. I have to be honest. Editing my book collection continues to be one of my the hardest decluttering tasks.

You are not alone-most book lovers have a hard time parting with their books!

• We have sentimental attachments. Books evoke special memories, like the time you were snuggled up reading the last page of book 7 in the Harry Potter Series. (Yes, I still remember laying on my bed on a rainy day in 2007 and finishing the last page of The Deathly Hallows.) 
• We might need them. We keep books, like old textbooks,  because we might need to refer back to them one day. 
• We spent hard-earned money on them. Books are expensive. If you are anything like me, you prefer to have the hardcover edition over the paperback. That makes the cost at least $10 more!
• The book is part of a set. There is an unspoken rule in the bibliophile world. ONE MUST NOT BREAK UP A SET. I honestly can’t explain why I hate to break up sets of books, even if I liked some more than others.  
• We plan to read it one day. We are all guilty of buying new books before we’ve finished what we’re currently reading.
• We like the aesthetic. Part of being a book lover is enjoying being surrounded by all of the stories we have consumed over the years. Books are not only beautifully written, but the artwork on the covers is equally as pleasing.

How to let go

Have you failed at decluttering your books in the past? Have one or more reasons I’ve listed kept you from parting with your book clutter? Saying goodbye to some of your books doesn’t mean you have to stop your love affair with reading! It’s a way to create more room for your most loved books, and the new stories yet to be discovered! Here are tools to create space on your shelves.

the first step

This may sound jarring, but I want you to gather up every book in your home in one location. Divide them into categories as you do. For example, cookbooks in one pile, science fiction in another, and romantic summer reads in a third.

When you have collected all of your books in one area, take a moment to reflect. Does it look like you have found yourself trapped in the middle of the Library of the Neitherlands, a multiversal archive that contains all knowledge in the multiverse? If you have never dreamed of diving into a fountain there, may I suggest you check out Lev Grossman’s The Magicians Trilogy ASAP! I know, I know, we are supposed to be decluttering books not picking out new ones, but as soon as you follow my steps, these books are a great way to treat yourself! After all, this whole carrying heaps of books around is hard work, right? Okay, let’s get back to work!

diving in

Once you have your entire book collection in one space, the real work can begin. Take a deep breath and grieve if you must. This may not be easy but it IS worth it. Looking back at the reasons we give ourselves for keeping books, let’s also consider rational reasons to let them go to new homes. So pick a pile, and we will go through each book one by one. 

The least sentimental areas to start with are informative books, like cookbooks, old textbooks, or hobby books. 

when holding each book ask yourself the following questions

Does this book fit my current interests?

We change and evolve, and so do our interests. If you are no longer enthusiastic about the idea of rereading the book, ditch it! Make more space for the person you are today!

Do I enjoy the book?

Great books are hard to put down. If you have a DNF pile, did not finish, this is a great place to declutter. After all, life is too short to waste time on substandard books. And space is too limited! If you DNF the book then it should be a prime contender to go.

Do I have the space for it?

The space on your bookshelves is prime real estate; new books will always be coming through the doors. So be honest when you ask yourself these questions. Is this book worth taking up space or will it free up space for a new adventure?

Would I read it again?

Books are meant to be enjoyed, so if you won’t read a book again, it’s better to give it to someone who will!

Is this book out of date, old, or can I find this information online?

We live in a digital age. If you are storing information in book form, chances are you can find the information on the internet with a few clicks of a mouse! YouTube once helped me fix my leaking freezer! Eliminate these books. They tend to be large. Think of all the new space you will have!

Do I have it in digital format?

If you have any form of e-reader, cross-check your physical collection with your digital one. If you have duplicates, this can be a great way to make more space. If you find yourself longing for the physical book, you can always rent it from the library.

When you have worked your way through each pile, discarding along the way, you should have a nice collection of books that need new homes. The question now is, where do I take them?

What to do with discarded books?

• Donate them to The Little Free Library. 
• Give them to family or friends. 
• Sell them at a yard sale or a used bookstore. 
• Donate them to your local second-hand stores, schools, or charities.
• Recycle them-Generally, most paperback books can be recycled with curbside paper recycling programs. But to recycle hardcover books, you may need to remove the pages from the hardcover binding. At many recycling facilities, only the paper inside the cover can be recycled with regular mixed paper recycling.
• Host a book swap party!
• If the weather is nice leave them on your stoop or curb with a Free sign!
• Post them on Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace, or Buy Nothing.
• Upcycle them-Create beautiful art from old books. Visit my book upcycling Pinterest idea page

Photo from Little Free Library