Q&A for How to Organize a Bookshelf

You could add a few plants, knick-knacks, or accessories. I would just say that you should keep it symmetrical and simple. Don't overdo it.

I actually think that's a good thing. It's nice to leave a shelf or two open, just since it makes the space feel less crowded.

Reason with your sister to get an even amount of shelves. Don't try and go for a decorative look unless you have only a few books.

Of course. It may not look as good as some of the other suggestions but it will make finding books a lot easier.

Place all of the books with red-colored spines on the left side of your bookshelf. Continue all the way across your shelf with the oranges, yellows, greens, and blues. Finish off with the books that have purple-colored spines on the right side.

There are multiple different organizational methods suggested in the article. If one doesn't work for you, try another. If you want it to be like library organization, you can sort by author's last name, by title, and/or by topic/genre. You just have to figure out what works best for you.

Yes, that is a cool idea and it will keep dust off your books.

Personally, I place them in order by author's last name. If you have a series, then the series in order by release. If you have more than one author, go by the first author's last name.

Only put the books you read the most there.

Vertically. If you run out of room, and you have a deep bookshelf, make a second vertical row. If you run out of room again, stack the next books on top.

The usual way to do this is to line the books up on the edge of the shelf. However, if you live in an earthquake-prone area (like New Zealand, Chile, or California), you might want to push the books back so that they're less likely to fall off the shelf in an earthquake. Don't push them right back though - allowing air circulation around the books helps to prevent mold.

The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN, is a number that uniquely identifies a book. It is helpful if you want to locate a specific book online for purchase or other purposes, but it will not help in organizing a collection.