Too Many Books

Many people are book lovers and collect stacks and stacks of them. But sometimes there are just too many books and no room for your newbie’s. Here's a plan to conquer that growing library. Divide all your books into "to read" and "already read." For the "already read" category, decide if you would like to display them. Do you really want your friends seeing your collection of Harlequin novels? Is it likely that you’ll refer to that book again or have the time to reread it with so many new books coming out? Trust me, if you like reading…you will buy more books. If you decide you can part with the books you’ve read, there are so many organizations that can put them to good use. In Chicago we have a place called "Open Books" that will pick up books and put them to good use. Also, ask your local library or schools if they'd like donations. Think about it as sharing your love of books with others.
Now let’s take a look at the "to be read" pile. Will you really read it, or have you lost interest? Perhaps it was a gift, and you know you will never read it. Add those books to the donation pile.
Now that you’ve whittled the pile down, figure out what categories you have – Reference, Self-Help, History, Romance, etc. Now you can tackle the storage challenge. Good-looking reference books and hardcovers can be attractively displayed on shelves in the living room, family room or den. Also, coffee table books don’t all have to go on the coffee table – where will you put your coffee? Add a bookshelves to each room where you want to read. Like reading in bathroom? Put some books in there! Like reading in bed – add a shelf there too, but keep the reference books and finance out of the sleeping area.