Organizing Your Bookshelves

I just finished some decluttering and reorganizing of my own bookshelves; I had new books and no place to put them, so some of the old ones had to go. Somehow, every time I face this situation, I seem to find a few more books that I can give up without regret.

eHow has some good advice on how to organize your bookshelves. Here is how it begins:

STEP 1: Mull over the role books play in your life. Do piles of books make you feel cozy and literate? Are your shelves rich with volumes of literature, drama and history that you know would make you a better person if you read them--but that you also know you never will? To some people, books are sacred and not to be thrown away: Are your old college textbooks collecting dust? Do you still have a shelf of Encyclopedia Britannica volumes? Once you understand why you have the books you do, you can begin to figure out what to do with them.

Julie Morgenstern's article on organizing your collection of books has a somewhat similar beginning:

1. To thy own self be true. Before you do anything, ask yourself, "Why do I stockpile books? Is it to have meaningful words nearby? To lend to friends? To build a reference library? To create a particular atmosphere? Do I plan to read the books or just have them in the background?" Your collection should reflect your intention.