Do you always find yourself reaching for the same books on your shelves while neglecting others? Have you said to yourself I’ll save those books for next year, and I will definitely read them and then don’t? Trust me, I know the feeling. Every year, I go through my books, taking stock of what I have, and see the overwhelming amount of unread books and ones I have read once and then never again. I never reach for those and always find myself re-reading the same books over and over again, and I kept neglecting my ever-growing abandoned book pile.
As time went on, my pile grew and grew, and my shelves became messier and messier, and I didn’t know what to do to fix it. I always felt guilty about just going through my books and needed a better system to organize my bookshelf while cleaning up my neglected books. So instead of just rashly getting rid of books, I decided to come up with a system that organizes my shelves and fairly gets rid of the books I will not read. In using my tips, I was able to organize my shelves and set myself up for success for the following year. If you are like me and need to organize your books before the new year, follow these six tips that will set you up for a great new year.
Catalog Your Books
To start your organizing journey, the first thing you need to do is catalog your books to see what you have. Cataloging your books is the most important step of the process. In order to unhaul your books, you need to know what you have. If you don’t know what you have there, then you can’t organize your shelves. Many book influencers like @lilgreenlibrary_ and @jolie.jentzen go through their books and catalog them to see what they have and then proceed to get rid of them if they are just not reading them. So follow the trend and take note of what you have. Even if you look at your shelves every day and admire them, sometimes you don’t notice all the books that you have. There might be some misplaced or stacked behind each other or even on another piece of furniture in preparation for reading it, but never picking it up. In taking note of what you have, you can start the process of going through your books and take mental notes of what books you have always seen and others that you were shocked to see on your bookshelves. It can start to be a mystery when you catalog your books and be quite a tedious task, but it will be worth it in the end and set you up on your journey to decluttering your book collection.
Track Your Read and Unread Books
After you have taken inventory of your books, it is time to track your read and unread books. While you may have taken note of this on a day-to-day basis or even during your cataloging, it is time to write it down in two columns, even visually in piles, so that you can see what you are working with. As a visual person, placing both sets of books into two different piles lets me see how many unread books I have and allows me to make the hard decision in cleaning up my shelves. Placing all the books in one spot can once again help you spot books you may not have ever known you had.
As well as tracking unread books, you can organize your read books in a more convenient way than you previously did. In tracking your books, you can find different books from the same series or even by the same author that may have been placed differently on the shelf. Tracking your books can keep you organized and can help create a better system for putting your books on the shelf to make them readily available and easy to find. Monitoring your read and unread books is a long process, but in the end, it will help you in organizing your books in a more structured way than you had before.
Sort Through Your Unread Books
Following tracking comes the pivotal moment of sorting through your unread books. As a reader, it feels like a piece of us is being taken away when we get rid of books. However, in doing so, you open up space for titles you truly love. You are not alone in your unhauling journey, book influencers like @closeddoorromance and @emilymichellereads, and @larissacambusano go through their books every year to make room for new books. So now it is your time to make the hard decisions and clear out your own books that may be taking up prime reading real estate. Look for ones you have had for years, may have outgrown, and do not see yourself reading. While you are looking, look for any books that are deemed problematic that you don’t align with and will not read. Books like both of these types are typically the books you will not reach for often, and if you really want to, you can borrow them from the library.
In addition to those books, you can look for any multiples of books that you have not picked up. I know we love our multiple copies of our favorite books, but it just takes up more space. If you aren’t currently reading it or have not picked it up to read, it is time to let it go. Now, I am not saying special editions or anything, but maybe the paperback or hardcover that you got in addition to the original book that you got, that you don’t normally read. This is one of the hardest decisions you will need to make in order to make your bookshelves feel a little lighter and be able to welcome more books in the coming months. Open yourself and your bookshelf to new books by sorting through your unread and multiples of books that you do not, in fact, need.
Donate Your Unread Books
As a result of sorting, now you have a whole bunch of books sorted and ready to be given away. Finding the places to get rid of your books or to donate them can be a challenge in itself, among others. Many bookstores do take books, but have different policies on what books they take. Additionally, many local libraries can take books, but may have different rules on the type of books and how old they might be. As long as they are in good condition, you are able to donate them and give them a new home where they will be loved and enjoyed. If you do not have access to a library or bookstore, you can also donate them to Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and Little Free Libraries. In all of these different avenues, you are given the chance to give another life to your unread books and give yourself some much-needed space to clean up your shelves. So, find any local bookstores, libraries, or organizations that take used books and free up your space filled with your to-read books you will never read.
Decide What You Like
Now that you have gotten rid of your unread books and catalogued all your books, it is time to decide what you are interested in reading. I know that you are probably thinking, of course, I know what I like to read, I choose what to read every day, and I get that, but this dives deeper. In order not to get into a place of clutter of unread books, it is time to sit down and reflect on what you enjoyed reading for the year and what you want to continue to read. Your reading habits can change year to year or even stay the same; you don’t really know until you think about it. Do not worry about whatever everyone else is reading or what you think you are supposed to read; otherwise, you will be left with books that you have never touched or read. Stick to what you like and see yourself reading and set yourself up for success in your new reading year. So set aside time to think about what you enjoyed reading this year and what you want to read in the coming year, and set the bar low for next year’s neglected reads.
Set New Reading Goals
Finally, to make sure you keep your shelves organized and keep your unread books to a minimum, the most important step is to set new reading goals. The key is to set new reading goals that will prioritize some unread books that you may have kept and make sure they are not neglected for yet another year. It helps to write down what unread books you want to read and will prioritize for a reading goal. Many influencers create a bingo, list, or spreadsheet to keep everything organized and to keep themselves accountable for their goals. With a bingo like the one from @inthequietpages, you can easily track your goals and be able to keep on track. Prioritize your unread books and support yourself for the new year by setting reading goals that you want to achieve.
If you feel overwhelmed by the number of books on your shelves or are trying to declutter your reading life, these tips will help ease your mind. Take every step at your own pace and help clean up your bookshelves to make space for the coming year. Make some hard decisions and allow yourself to get a new book you will be interested in and want to read. Remember to read the books you want to read and not what you think you should read according to others. Enjoy your cleaning journey and welcome a new year in your reading life.
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