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Poll

How do you organize your bookshelves? Please check as many as apply as we know you may do a combination of these things.

Survey expired 07/06/12
Total voters: 714

Question

 38% (270 votes)Alphabetically by author
 4% (25 votes)Alphabetically by title
 23% (161 votes)By size
 30% (217 votes)By genre
 3% (18 votes)By color
 19% (135 votes)By series
 22% (155 votes)Randomly
 9% (66 votes)I once had a system, but I'm not following it now.
 1% (6 votes)I’m not sure.
 0% (1 votes)I don’t have any bookshelves.
 16% (111 votes)Other (Please specify):
  • In the order in which I plan - hope? - to read the books
  • by copyright date
  • by author, but not necesarily alphabetical
  • by date of purchase
  • by date of purchase
  • Fiction-alphabetically by author/Non-Fiction--by subject
  • In three rooms of wall-to-wall bookshelves, first by genre, then alphabetically by author.
  • I store by author and then by release date not aplhabetically. Oldest to newest.
  • 8 book shelves and books are stacked up to 4 deep, how ever they will fit!
  • no system, just in large shoping bags,when bookshelves are full
  • By book owner, husband, son, mine on its own shelf and then so that they look asesthetically pleasing on the shelf
  • By book owner, husband, son, mine on its own shelf and then so that they look asesthetically pleasing on the shelf
  • Books I loved, ok books, books I want to read now, books I want to eventually read.
  • I put my books in the order in which I want to read them, and then put them on a separate shelf after I have read them.
  • alphabetically by author then chronologically by date written
  • Within the genre, I group a particular author
  • fiction by author; non-fiction by Dewey number (I'm a retired librarian)
  • The newest in the front on the right. However the shelves are filled with over 60 books!
  • By author then by copyright date
  • By author and by date books were written especially in a series.
  • each series has a shlef (or shelves) and they are ordered by date of publication on that shelf
  • First by read or unread, then by genre, then by author, then by title
  • library/borrowed books shelf, fiction shelves by author, non-fiction by subject
  • All books to read on top shelves. Then by author or paperback
  • Chronologically by author
  • age, antique books in a different area (high where my children can't reach)
  • subject and genre both
  • Chronologically, by book club
  • By Author but not alphabetically.
  • By Author and date of publication/copywrite
  • Non-fiction by genre, fiction by author (read) or randomly (not yet read)
  • Read and un-read
  • If I have books by the same author, they go together; but have way too many shelves in too many places to alphabetize
  • Biographies by the person the book is about.
  • Biographies by the person the book is about.
  • Chronologically - by order of when read.
  • Chronologically - by order of when read.
  • Also, by whether I liked them--or not!
  • Loosely by subject...southwest, books about books, poetry, etc, but when you run out of space, anything goes :)
  • Loosely by subject...southwest, books about books, poetry, etc, but when you run out of space, anything goes :)
  • grouping books by same author, not necessarily alphabetically, often by publication date
  • I have author signed books shelved separately
  • World liter is organized first geographically then chronologically. English and American lit is alpha. Nonfiction is by dewy #.
  • ones I've read; ones I urgently want to read; ones I'll get to some day
  • I pass them along for friends to read and ask them to do the same.
  • To be read next
  • I have a separate place for books I still must read.
  • The ones I really value and love are front and center. Other fall to the back!
  • I specificly have all the cookbooks together and the craft specific books, sewing, knitting, etc.; mystery,romance.
  • I totally don't. What would be the fun in that?
  • I borrow most of my books from my local library which i
  • I borrow most of my books from my local library which i
  • I organize art, architecture and cookbooks by size - the oversize their own taller shelves.
  • by author, but not alphabetically
  • I have hard covers in one bookcase and trade paperbacks in another
  • Alphabetically by author, then chronologically by series.
  • fiction and non-fiction separated; non-fiction by subject; fiction paperbacks shelved separately if no hardbacks by that author
  • Fiction together on one shelf, randomly and nonfiction by topics
  • Just by "fiction" or "non-fiction".
  • order in which to be read
  • order in which to be read
  • I have sections for books that are waiting to be read soon, Books that I may read some day, books which I've read recently, and
  • I have books yet to be read front and center.
  • by subject (gardening, poetry, history, mystery); withn subjects, by sub-subjectsjects, then by size or author, usually)
  • by subject (gardening, poetry, history, mystery); withn subjects, by sub-subjectsjects, then by size or author, usually)
  • I have a stack of book at are unread. Then they get put on a shelf after I read it.
  • By Author; in order of date released
  • I group by books read and books to be read.
  • BY AUTHOR, BUT THE AUTHORS ARE NOT IN ANY ORDER
  • just try go get them all the fit on the bookshelves in any way that they can
  • Approximate Dewey Decimal for nonfiction
  • read/not read and mine/borrowed
  • nonfiction is by subject
  • Mainly by author, but necessarily alphabetically, more by how they fit on the shelves
  • Mainly by author, but necessarily alphabetically, more by how they fit on the shelves
  • Mainly by author, but necessarily alphabetically, more by how they fit on the shelves
  • Mainly by author, but necessarily alphabetically, more by how they fit on the shelves
  • Mainly by author, but necessarily alphabetically, more by how they fit on the shelves
  • By author then oldest date published to newest date published
  • Books I have read, Books On my readling list, and those I'll get around to
  • Books I have read, Books On my readling list, and those I'll get around to
  • group the author's books together
  • If I have multiple books by one author that are not in the same series, I organize them by their copyright date.
  • seperate shelves for already read but will again and those not read yet all by authors WHO could remember all the titles :)
  • by the group of books that I plan to read within the next 30 days or so
  • nonfiction grouped by general subject (travel, history, etc)
  • By author but not alphabetically.
  • I only read ebooks.
  • I have my shelves numbered and I keep a list of all my books in my computer and on which shelf they reside.
  • GROUPED... BY AUTHOR ....BUT NOT ALPHABETICALLY
  • non fiction by subject matter ie civil war/presidents/war/etc
  • Shelves for books I read and want to keep; shelves for books waiting to be read
  • Read/unread
  • All the bookcases are full (organization is willy-nilly) from many moons ago, so now I just stack them as they are read.
  • As they come into the house, newest on top of the stack or sorted by size/interest/room they fit in! Used to be a bookseller
  • Randomly by author/genre
  • I organize by dates so that I can go through a series
  • 1 room mysteries and thrillers, 1 room historical, 1 room Romantic Suspense
  • I have a section of "to be read" books; also place the newest on the lower shelves and organize by date of publication
  • I have an Excel workbook started so I can sort the types, titles, authors, etc.
  • fiction and non-fiction
  • By size and color. I like to show the books off with artwork interspersed, too!
  • By size and color. I like to show the books off with artwork interspersed, too!
  • LCSH Classification
  • books to be read, books read and being kept, books read and to share/giveaway/trade
  • books to be read, books read and being kept, books read and to share/giveaway/trade
  • unread books together
  • unread books together
  • unread books together
  • by women authors and male authors
  • Favorites