RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 18, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 18, 2011 A very vexing subject, especially with 'distributed bookcases' such as mine where I have two in the dining room, two in the study, and about100ft of shelf space in 'the library (which is actually more like a cul-de-sac corridor upstairs) plus more recent (post 1960) timetables and magazines up in the attic. The biggest problem is that apart from stuff like Rule Books and Appendixes, Block Regulations etc being located in three places all the other 'archive' material is spread all over the place and it is not only difficult to remember where it is but what I've got . What is reasonably well sorted is the South Wales stuff (most on one shelf but bit on another because it is larger format), the L&Y stuff (all together on one shelf), some basic GW reference stuff (e.g Tony Cooke's atlas) and the Middleton Press series (although they are in three places because I've got over 70 of them). What it needs first is enough space for it all (there are still books in boxes from the house move 4 years ago) and creating that is taking time because it means getting other stuff off the shelves. But once I've got the space there will be a simpler system organised by 'area of interest' within size - then it makes stuff easy to find when I'm looking for - say - information on 'locos' or 'South Wales Valleys' and so on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Natalie Graham Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Arrange the books in order of most-read to least-read. Take the ten least-read books to your favourite point of disposal - bookseller, eBay, Oxfam, recycling bin etc. Next week/month... ... discover you have an urgent need for the information only to be found in at least one of these books. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I'm struggling for space now and every so often out they all come, only to be put back in the same untidy fashion. It's mostly down to size and format, but being predominantly GWR / WR subjects I know where everything is. The Bradford Bartons all sit together with some of the Peter Watts style softbacks arranged on top for easy and regular access. The larger Ian Allan, Wild Swan and OPC stuff have their own shelves too. I had a clear out of some non Western stuff a while back, but having regretted it I've started buying them all up again.... no idea where they're going to live though! The magazines are scattered throughout the house, despite several attempts at sorting them out... Modern Railways Pictorial, BRILL, Backtrack and Steam Days in a box in the downstairs khazi, GWRJ and MRJ in a cupboard with the car related stuff, and about twenty years worth of Railway Magazine (the old small format ones) at the bottom of the wardrobe. Best of luck Phil.... if you've not posted back here by this time next year, we'll know you'll have been distracted by each book you pull off the shelves.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 ... Modern Railways Pictorial, BRILL, Backtrack and Steam Days in a box in the downstairs khazi, ... Sounds like that khazi is big enough to house a layout, mate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Oh if only Mr.P if only...! In Z Gauge maybe... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I find the bookcase in my toilet is best for the Viz annual collection - essential toilet reading. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted December 18, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 18, 2011 ... discover you have an urgent need for the information only to be found in at least one of these books. If I ever decide to get rid of any books I either sell them or dispose of them to a particular charity shop. Most charity shops dispose of any books that are unsold for a length of time and many of these, hardbacks in particular, end up in landfill. This is why I will only dispose of books to a charity called 'Friendly Planet'. Their charity shops only stock books and they are free of charge. I have found several interesting books in the local shop, even some on railway subjects. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurenceb Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Can anyone tell me how to stop books breeding? ! Laurence Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Can anyone tell me how to stop books breeding? ! Laurence Keep paper, ink and thought separated at all times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Endacott Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Having seen The Two Ronnies on Friday, I now know how to do it. The green books go together on one set of shelves, the red books go together on another set and the blue books have their own set. Simple really! Geoff Endacott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Having seen The Two Ronnies on Friday, I now know how to do it. The green books go together on one set of shelves, the red books go together on another set and the blue books have their own set. Simple really! Geoff Endacott Well all my RCTS LNER green'uns go together..... Regards, Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phil Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Best of luck Phil.... if you've not posted back here by this time next year, we'll know you'll have been distracted by each book you pull off the shelves.... To be perfectly honest Nidge I was really really good. During the main "sort" I only opened one book, but ..........................during the break for mince pies I did browse a few more though !!! PM on it's way to you Nidge about Bill Warriner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebottle Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Until she moved into her own house last year, Miss Bluebottle acted as my book retrieval system: "Can you see a book titled '0-10-0 locomotives of the XYZ and ABC Jt Railway', blue spine, medium thick paperback?". The errant volume would quickly be winkled out of its hiding place. Left to my own inferior resources, I've followed suggestions on this thread with interest, and I think the best thing for me might be a re-organisation of my spurshelved wallspace. Shelves spaced to take different heights of books, then 24" sections between brackets numbered. Books (or sets of) placed wherever they fit, and the appropriately numbered (removable) labels stuck on the spine. Only 20-30 books to look through instead of however many hundred there are. Then I ask Miss B for a Kindle loaded with a complete booklist as an advance on my next birthday present... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dave.C Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Basically its all very random but based on book size Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 31, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 31, 2011 Depending on the timber used for shelving you will probably need the supporting brackets closer together then 24" if you want to avoid sagging shelves. And take a tip - always allow for bigger than you biggest book on one set of shelves - I now have various volumes (mainly postcard albums) which are too tall for the deepest shelf height Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 If you're moving house, measure the shelves before you pack your books, so you build enough in your new place! I've unpacked mine in the last week, and I'm already short of space! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Arrange the books in order of most-read to least-read. Take the ten least-read books to your favourite point of disposal - bookseller, eBay, Oxfam, recycling bin etc. Next week/month do the same with the next ten least-read books......... Nah, no good. I tried that but every time I went to re-arrange the order and get the ones for disposal I looked at them and decided they needed re-reading as they had something of interest and consequently they ended up back with the most-read lot. Nowadays I just arrange them horizontaly - left in piles wherever I can find room. G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forester Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Nah, no good. I tried that but every time I went to re-arrange the order and get the ones for disposal I looked at them and decided they needed re-reading as they had something of interest and consequently they ended up back with the most-read lot. G. Now that's what I call "recycling" ..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Williams Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 By height. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted January 30, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 30, 2012 I wish my books could do this. >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKVcQnyEIT8&feature=player_embedded Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I've shown these before: The downstairs (basement) library - mostly SF/Military paperbacks, aircraft/motor racing/military hardbacks and mags. There is now a bookcase of North American railway books against the wall under the picture in the background. The upstairs library, mostly motor racing, aircraft, naval, other military, with sailing, more motor racing, and some railway out of scene to the left. There is also a railway library in the work room next door to the upstairs library, and there is a downstairs(main floor) library with mainly aircraft and naval books. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Over New Year I thought I'd at least get my railway books organised on a database of some kind, so I listed them all in Excel (406 and counting if you must know) with title, author, publisher etc and one of 22 categories covering my range of interests as conveniently as practicable (real and model). So at least I can sort the spreadsheet to remind myself what I've got in each category, or by author etc. so in theory I could take a copy with me to avoid buying extra copies of the same book. I can also flag any 'out on loan' after occasions of "I'm sure I had that book, where is it, have I lent it to someone and forgotten" etc. As to where they are, well I just know where they are from years of buying and rearranging bookcases. Most are in the cellar (centrally heated, dehumidified) with the ones I use most often in the most accessible place. The rest are kind-of sorted by category, size, publisher in an evolved-over-time sort of way. A few are permitted in one of the non-railway bookcases in the sitting room ('arty' ones, Colin Gifford albums etc). Also in the cellar are loads more non-railway books on loads more shelves, and complete runs of several magazines, 'bookazines' (horrible word), reference material cut out from magazines etc etc. The magazines and reference material are also mostly indexed in Excel so I have a reasonable chance of finding things rather than think "now I'm sure I saw an article on that once, where might it be?". Having done all that, I just hope I can now find time for modelling to justify all the organisation! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold DaveF Posted January 30, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 30, 2012 I had a system once ... but then I kept buying books so now it is wherever they will fit on the bookshelves, or in heaps tidy piles on top of shelves or on the floor. Still not as bad as a friend who has books piled up on the treads of his staircase - I'm not sure how he gets up and down the stairs! David. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Still not as bad as a friend who has books piled up on the treads of his staircase - I'm not sure how he gets up and down the stairs! David. There are ways of combining books and stairs! http://dornob.com/stairs-and-bookcase-two-in-one-interior-design/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurenceb Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 If anyone wants a lesson on how to fit the maximim number of books in, visit Scarthin Books in Comford! On the other hand if you are a biblophile like me that is probably not a good idea. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.