Spring is time for cleaning and organizing! Check out these tips from my guest Jennifer Anderson on setting up your personal library.
When it comes to reading locations, there’s nothing better than a library in the comfort of your own home.
A home library, also known as a private library, is a dedicated area for all your books right in your living space. It’s the perfect spot to store favorites from your personal collection and browse for new reads — all in one conveniently located, gorgeously decorated place.
The idea of creating a private library sounds incredible, but the process can feel a bit overwhelming for those just getting started. To make things easier, we compiled all the tips you need to learn how to make a home library. Continue reading to jumpstart the process and build your perfect, private library.
1 Count Your Collection
To figure out how much space you need for your home library, you’ll want to count your current book collection. It’s also a good idea to organize your books by genre, color of the spine, or some other category.
After you divide your collection, you might even find that you want to bulk up certain categories by purchasing more books.
2 Look Into Locations
Now that you know how many books you have and how many you want, it’s time to find your home library location. To avoid temperature changes and pests, steer clear of outside-facing walls and kitchens.
Instead, you’ll want to choose an underused location in your home, like an awkward corner area. The most important criteria is that the room should have a window to let in natural light.
3 Think About Budget
Before purchasing anything for your home library, you should figure out how much money you’d like to spend. First, determine the prices of the books, shelves, lights, and seating you want for your space.
Then, look into the costs of any additional reading nook ideas you’d like to incorporate. That way, when choosing your shelves and accessories, you’ll know exactly how much to spend.
4 Choose Your Shelving
The shelving style you choose will depend on your needs and personal style. For example, built-in shelves are permanent fixtures attached to your space. Meanwhile, freestanding shelves are detachable pieces of furniture such as bookcases.
Within these two types, you’ll need to choose between floating, corner, hanging, or adjustable shelves, each of which offers a unique look and purpose.
5 Add the Decorations
The next step is to find the accessories that will make your library feel like home. Add artificial lighting with desk lamps and ring lights, and choose seating that will make you and your guests feel comfortable.
If you want to spruce up your home library even more, try painting the shelves, adding wallpaper, or placing trinkets around the space to produce a color scheme of your choice.
6 Organize Your Books
Lastly, you’ll want to organize your books in a way that makes sense for your reading needs. Some popular ways to categorize books include sorting them alphabetically, chronologically, by color of the spine, or by genre.
If you have kids, placing children’s books on lower shelves is a great way to raise strong readers by making their favorites accessible.
Once you follow these simple tips, you’ll be that much closer to creating your own private library. For more information and tips on making a home library, take a look at the infographic below.
.jpg)
Thank you Jennifer!
