And The Winner Is?
Make A Rustic Sawhorse Table For Under $40
Getty Images
I know, I know. Life gets busy, things get dusty and bookshelves get cluttered. Yet with so much abounding bookshelf inspiration, one can certainly find a style that works for them, right? Right.
Here's the deal. There are two reasons why bookshelves get cluttered:
1. You've got too many books. End of story.
Solution: Donate a few to the library. You'll feel better about yourself, and you'll be able to find your favorite titles again! Bonus.
2. You've got too little storage.
Solution: If this is the case and you can't seem to bid farewell to your favorite authors, invest in a few Billy bookshelves or something equally inexpensive. I once covered an entire wall with Billy bookshelves and loved the look more than anything else
3. OK, I can't count. The third reason bookshelves can get cluttered? You may just be lacking the right organizational inspiration. I can help in that department.
Solution: Why not get creative with your bookshelves? Painted white, these shelving systems are both quirky and entirely functional, turning your books into a sculpture that acts as a focal point for the room. Better yet? Organize your books by color, or even turn those titles into table legs. You'll be basking in an organized collection in no time.
Good luck, bookworms!
Fun Stories from our Frisky Friends
Is Your Apartment a Total Turn-Off?
Love Nest: 10 Hearts for the Home
5 Cheap Ways to Make Your House Look More Expensive
Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)
brackets mounted on a wall with boards - cheaper than shelves, either individual brackets or ones with lots of slots for holding many shelves. CHEAP and functional
ReplyMost libraries no longer accept used books as they are inundated themselves with their own. I'd be interested in finding another venue such as a book recycling company. I would hate to just through them out in the trash.
ReplyTry calling nursing homes and hospitals to see if they will accept the books. One of the nursing homes in my area was glad to have the books we were cleaning out.
Margaret,
If you live in a city where there is a Half-Price Bookstore they will buy them. You wont get much, but they will be out of your way .
Jim
Please check around. I live in Southern California and I know of 3 libraries which are very happy to get used books. They sell them to raise money for the library.
Margaret, I don't know where you live, but I can't believe you can't find libraries near you that want donations of used books for resale. It's the biggest source of funds for Friends of the Library groups around the whole world, who earn money to help the library buy things their budgets don't cover. Of course, they don't want total junk -- somebody has to want to buy it, after all. If you take them mildewed books with the covers falling off, of course they will tell you to just put them in the recycling. I maintain a list of library book sales at www.pittsburghusedbooks.com; of around 70 public libraries in Allegheny County, only 5 of them don't sell used books at all.
Definitely donate to libraries. If they can't use them in their collection, many have periodic book sales to raise money for things not covered by their budgets. The only thing they don't like are lots of Harlequin romances, encyclopedias, and outdated textbooks or magazines.
If you read a lot, try Paperbackswap.com - list the titles you don't want to keep. Others will request them and you can order "new" used books that you can recycle when you're through with them. We have a houseful of readers and our book bill has gone down and storage space increased. It costs nothing but postage to mail the books.
Many elderly facilities will take them for the clients/patients. Thrift stores are another option.
ReplyI donate all my used books to my local Veterans Clinic.
ReplyI've never heard of a local library not taking in donated books. They have book sales & also pass these books on the other branches w/in their area. You could also try sites like Bookmooch.com & Paperbackswap.com where you can list books you don't want anymore & receive points for books you do want. All you do is mail them out to the people who request them & vice versa.
ReplyThe ideal bookshelves have glass doors which cover the books and shelves, keeping them cleaner and yet still accessible to view.
ReplyBookshelves are dust collectors and wind up being something else to worry about cleaning. Only adding the glass doors to the bookshelves or cabinet bookishelves, would make it ideal It's a lot easier using a little windex now and then, than it would be to remove each book, dust it and put it back... plus dust each shelf..
I recently "thinned out" my overstuffed wall unit where I kept my books. I put them out for recycle paper collection. To this day, I regret throwing out my Joan Rivers autobiograph, "Enter Talking".. which was a hardback book I read over a decade ago, and was great! I took that book out and put it with the rest, and now I'm sorry I didn't take it to the library, along with a few others that were good too.
ReplyMy problem is some of the stuff on the book shelf partners with a book but is not a book- files/folders mostly but also handouts, CD/DVD's, pictures, slides, paperback instruction books that are different sizes than the accompanying book. I also have other items unrelated to books-pictures tapes, microcassette recorder, calculators, etc.
ReplyThanks so much for the mention!! I really appreciate it!!
ReplyMaria